Primary Triad Latona Dead End Redux

 

8/2/21 88th and Latona... familiar as my backyard

If you recall the many primary triad studies I’ve done during the past several years, you may also remember that most were done with apples and other simple still lives at my desk. It was a way to focus on color without having to think much about unfamiliar forms or complications from being on location. This summer, my backyard has served as a transition by being familiar but also on location, which has made it easier to give the triad a shot with less familiar scenes, too.

On Monday’s walk through the ‘hood, I stopped at a scene that has become nearly as familiar as my backyard – a dead end I cross routinely. (The first time I had sketched it was a year ago in May, when coping with the pandemic was still a newly acquired skill. Reading that post now feels bittersweet and emotional.) On this early morning, the light was especially brilliant. I pulled out my pencil triad, which breathes fresh life into the mundane and overly familiar.

Technical note: I’m finding that my scanner is not accurately capturing the cyan hue that I have been using (Caran d’Ache Phthalocyanine Blue 162). The photo below captures a bit more of its warmth, but it’s still not right. I wish you could see my actual sketchbook; the color is very different on the page.