Wrong-Way Corrigan

When you were in elementary school, did your class receive copies of the Weekly Reader?  If you did, you may remember the story about Wrong-Way Corrigan, the pilot who, after being refused permission to fly to Ireland, "misread" his compass and flew to Ireland instead of California.  He flew east instead of west hence the moniker, "Wrong-Way".

 

Well, today I remembered that pilot as I did a pen and ink study for the Boathouse painting after I had already started the painting.  What an idiot!  Oh well, I learned several lessons.  The most important lesson was that doing a preliminary sketch is not only worthwhile; it is critical.  One sees things more clearly while doing the sketch because pen or pencil is more detailed than broad swathes of color spread liberally with brush or knife.  The hand learns how to draw shapes before trying it out with the less specific brush or knife.  When I was painting, I saw only the large shapes (and some not too well!) and had a general impression of color.  I knew what I thought would make a good composition but hadn't figured out some of the problems. 

 

The sketch might be difficult to understand because the reflections in the water are rendered inexpertly with ink and ink wash and the rest of the image is drawn in the same manner.  Differentiating the physical from the reflection will be hard.  But you will be able to get a better sense of the boathouse and its surroundings.  Here it is:

From now on whenever possible, I think I will sketch first and therefore avoid becoming a Wrong-Way Corrigan.