Put down the brush!

I'm off to Versailles today for what is likely the last time of this trip.  I have been granted permission to sketch inside (!) and I'll also be meeting one of the staff architects for lunchtime sketching (thank you so much, Ruaidhri!)

But while slurping down my morning muesli, I thought I'd post an older sketch.  My challenges in painting are 1--values, figuring out how to translate a pencil value study into color and 2--which colors to use for shade and shadow in different situations.  Watercolor is SOOOOO hard!

Here you see my dilemma in practice--the photo from the site, then how I overworked the sketch trying to get a value I liked on the Seine wall below the cathedral.  I hope to try this view again and get it right before leaving.  It's only about a 5 minute walk from here...

Hard to know when to stop, especially when trying to figure out values.  I hope to redo this sketch next week~~