``Speed in painting a picture is valid only when it imparts spontaneity and crispness, but unless the artist has lots of experience so that he can control rapid execution, he would do well to take these first sketches and soberly reorder their design to achieve a unified composition.

``If I have seemed to emphasize the structure of the composition, I mean to project equal concern for color. Often, in working out-of-doors under all conditions of light and atmosphere, a particular passage that looked favorable in relation to the subject will be too bright, too dull, or too light, or too dark when viewed indoors in a mat. When this occurs, I make the change on the sketch or on the final watercolor -- if I have been working on a full sheet in the field.

``When working from one of my sketches I square it up and project its linear form freehand to the watercolor sheet with charcoal. When this linear draft is completed, I dust it down to a faint image. From this point, I paint in as direct a manner as possible, by flowing on the washes with as pure a color mixture as I can manage. However, first I thoughtfully study my sketch for improvement of color and design along the lines I have described. Then I plan my attack: the parts I will finish first, the range of values, the accenting of minor details -- all in all, mechanics of producing the finished job with a maximum of crispness. The longer I work, the more I am sure that for me, at least, a workmanlike method is important. Trial and error are better placed in the preliminary sketch than in hoping for miracles in the final painting.