Contre-Jour at Lincoln Center

Earlier in the week I was reading a watercolor book by David Curtis.  His work is wonderful and a number of his watercolors are classic Urban Sketches.  The book is also inspirational and offers many important lessons.  

He discusses a concept he calls - Contre-Jour.   He's given a name to an effect that I've always loved.  .  It's the technique where people are silhouetted against a bright background.  There are a number of artists that use this technique,  and every time I see it I'm riveted by the work.  Two artists that come to mind are Alvaro Castagnet and of course David Curtis.  Almost all of Castagent's work uses this technique.

On Saturday when we were sketching in the Lincoln Center area I tried my hand using this approach.  In the hands of a master the shadows are rich and deeply suggestive.  

Clearly there's a lot to learn, but  I tell myself, if this was easy there would be no challenge and of course the occasional successes wouldn't mean as much.

The Rubinstein Atrium

Alice Tully Hall