Behind the Laundromat

Here's a quick study in casein of a back street in Buena Vista, Colorado, painted while we did our laundry. I like these contre-jour street scenes because they automatically organize the values and they give a feeling of brilliant light.

Here's an early stage, showing the semi-transparent lay-in of big shapes, painted with a half-inch flat brush. I used just five colors: Titanium white, Venetian red, golden ochre, raw umber, and cobalt blue. The smaller details and refinements come last, painted with a smaller brush. Some of the final power lines are drawn with colored pencils.