Day 3 and studio exercise was another Paris scene, on a rainy dark day. For me this was particularly difficult because of timing the washes and the reflected highlights of windows and car headlamps (the yellow went in at quite an early stage I can remember). I thought my attempt looked more like an illustration out of a Harry Potter scene.

Anyway job done and on with the next one. In the afternoon the group ventured out to a bay further into Cadeques centre, which offered scenes to either side so I painted them both! First one, maybe a more orthodox Cadeques scene, looking into the light:

And my second painting I relocated a short distance to the other side of the bay and with a beer in hand (well I was sat in a nice cafe there) and a brush in the other (had to make sure I was dipping my brush in the correct glass), did this one. Not an easy one this because of lack of composition opportunities and no contrasts between light and shade because of the diminishing light levels. It did illustrate the very narrow road that hugs the side of the bay.

This was the first day I was using the better Saunders Waterford paper on my plein air paintings. Until then I had used the much cheaper Bockingford. Saunders takes longer to dry by comparison, is not so white, but the washes behave themselves!