Occasionally I like to take photos at various points while I'm working on a painting to document the entire process. It's not as detailed as the stop motion movie on my about page, but it definitely gives an inside look at how I work. First, let's take a look at the finished piece, and then we will look at all of the steps that it took to get here.
"Calm before the Falls" 18"x24" Acrylic on Canvas $750
This piece was inspired by a day hike in Glen Burney Falls Trail in Blowing Rock, NC.
Here you can see where I've started with a vibrant underpainting and started laying in a very rough idea of the composition. I use a white water soluble crayon to sketch in the general composition, and then use an acrylic wash for the sky and water areas.
Each step along the way, I add little more detail. At this phase, I'm focusing on the general colors and values throughout the composition. I want to create interesting shapes, but I don't want to add too much detail at this point.
The composition really begins to take shape now as I'm adding in treed trunks and more detailed foliage.
As I come close to finishing a painting, really start to focus on where I need more shadows and highlights to really make the landscape come alive.
Check out this and other workings in my paintings gallery!
Watch the whole process in this video!