Rembrant is undoubtably a genius, particularly with portraiture, so I was fascinated to study his landscape and animal sketches. They are remarkable for their gestural simplicity. He pulls out the basic forms and values, makes the closer shapes with bigger strokes and the further away ones with thin little hen scratches, and contours his lines in the direction of the shapes, which enhances their sense of volume.

I’m studying these before I head off to paint and sketch the landscape, and these make me feel like doing likewise is within the range of anyone, which made me want to share them with you.

So let’s go out and just aim to get the gist of what we are looking at, without pressuring ourselves for exactitude.  That’s what this master did in the 1600’s, and we can too.  If you can include how it makes you feel, even better.

Isn’t it fun to see what he was looking at all these years later? That’s how others can feel about our work someday. Give yourself permission to get out there and give it a go. Plus, there’s the additional benefit that you get to be outside while you are doing it!