Dreamscape

I followed these 4 very broad steps below in order to create the painting, Dreamscape :   

      1. Structure plan & establish value, colour temperature and mood: start by creating the dark and light areas of the painting. I always start by also establishing the feel for the painting depending on partly how I feel at the time and also the intended mood. At this stage I also plan the shapes and form I intend including warm and cool colour temperature. In some cases I do apply major differences from photos and avoid working strictly from the photo but instead from memory.

 

2. Develop detail starting from back to front, blend colour values while developing texture & form: I   then worked from the back of the painting moving to the foreground, filling the details of the dark      and light regions, constantly retaining focus by referring to the reference photo and keeping a balance between warm and cool values. (Referring strictly to the photo can inhibit progress and therefore I also worked on this stage from memory of the photo. Since I worked with oils, blending correctly is integral and will determine the later stages especially ensuring a smoother ride and less need for fixing in rest of the stages.

I prefer not to ever finish any specific region of the painting until the final stage 4, leaving room for adjustments and less fixing, and instead  a more enjoyable end to the painting.

   3. Create definition, refine elements and bring into focus: I constantly step back from the painting especially the larger the size, in this case at this stage stepping back is important to ensure any major refinements can be achieved. 

 

4. Final touch-up: In conclusion, make any final tweaks and touches depending on the stage 3 progress. 

It is important to remember:

Not all paintings from reference photos will go as planned. It is very important to keep a margin of error and room for mistakes throughout. Again, sticking strictly to a reference photo can do more harm than good in my experience. 

I hope you enjoyed my step by step illustration of 'Dreamscape' !....