When I go out and paint en plein air, I usually see other subjects I'd like to paint later, so I take photos to study later. If time allows, I make a small color study to make sure I get the colors right. Then, back in my studio, I make changes to the photo reference material with Photoshop. Artists rarely paint things exactly as they are, but make changes to suit the composition, values and colors. It works the same way with reference material.
Every time I start a painting, whether in my studio or en plein air, I premix some of the colors I will need the most for the task a hand. I know you might have seen artists that premix so many colors, it can be overwhelming to many artists. I only mix the basic lights and shadows of the main components of the painting. Everything else, I use my gray mixture to subdue colors, or any other existing mixture to "bend" colors.
Here's my palette mixtures for this painting. Notice I only use 3 colors, and black & white.
And these are some of the steps during painting process. Note that I omitted some areas, like the small tree, and added more "sky holes" in order to create a more interesting composition.
Feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions about the process, or about any aspect of my work. Use any of the links below:
Gino
