Jasper van Putten

Simplify what you see. Focus on the main elements: those aspects that you want your later painting to be about. Do not include unnecessary objects and elements just because they “were there.” We call that those objects that detract from the scene clutter. Compare the panorama photograph on the left to the drawing on the right. They both depict the same subject but the drawing contains far fewer boats. I only included as many boats as conveyed the right atmosphere and the theme of an intimate marina. All other boats are clutter. 

The interesting tangle of metal rods and beams is what drew me to the fireboat as a subject. However, looking at the photograph there is too much of it and the shapes and sizes are too similar. Besides decluttering, I also increased the variety of those shapes that I included. I enlarged the crane and made some of the beams bigger or smaller so that they all stand out as different forms. Similarly, I enlarged the church and eliminated some uninteresting looking buildings. Variety is interesting, repetition is not.

Look at how I have simplified the sunscreens and the walls with windows on the right in the painting. Whereas the reference photograph shows a plentitude of forms the painting only depicts the most important ones, as simple shapes. I have also connected these shapes and depicted them in a unified single color: the sunscreens and the walls are the same light yellowish color, depicting the reflection of light on the surface. As you can see in the value study on the right I prepared this simplification in advance. It can be hard to know what to simplify during your painting. Therefore plan the simplification of shapes in advance. As you can see I even simplified colors and tones more in the painting than in the value study. Try to never slavishly copy. Look for further opportunities to simplify forms throughout the process.