I have heard from several sources that if a painting goes wrong it's usually in the first few minutes because of decisions, or lack of, by the artist. Drawing is a big one. Learning to place the subject accurately on canvas takes attention, intention and good eye-hand coordination. Anne Blair Brown is a pro at it...of course, she did go to art school, so... The photos demonstrate how a plein air artist begins a painting by sketching the lines and masses with brush and thinned oil paint. Anne likes to use burnt sienna because it gives a warm under layer that may glow through the finished painting.
Below right is Anne working out the "drawing" of the subject scene, her easel is positioned to keep the palette and canvas out of direct light. The photo on the left is the completed "study", a good term for a quick painting that can be used to develop a larger more finished painting later in the studio. Or, it can also be declared finished, signed, and sold as is.