Gold Coast, Path to the Sea

Key Takeaways: 

• The palette knife is a fun tool to paint with. It's perfect for bold, crisp strokes. You can't achieve the same effects with a brush.
• Palette knife work is best paired with a touch of dexterity and finesse. Otherwise, it can come off as brash and sloppy.
• I worked in a direct manner, working on each area until near finish before moving onto the next area. The start is slower and more calculated with this approach, but the finishing strokes are easier and faster.
• I made use of multicolored strokes to capture the illusion of detail and activity. To do this, I leave the colors partially unmixed on the knife before making a stroke.
• The sand is a great lesson on color temperature. Notice the dramatic changes in color as it goes from shadow to light. Cool purples and blues against tinted oranges and yellows.
• The light-colored leaves and the sky are compressed around a similar value range. This is a form of value simplification.