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I named this page Journey because I believe that every artwork goes through a process - a journey - from the moment the site or the subject is chosen to the final detail on the page. Below are stages of a chocolate labrador painting with a short description of each of the step. If you would like to contact me for a commission or simply have a query, please do not hesitate to do so here. I am always looking forward to new comments and suggestions. Watch your artwork develop in front of your eyes on our Art in Progress Blog. |
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| Step 1 - Outline | Step 2 - Background | ||
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| In this step, it is important to get everything right to eliminate any mistakes in the later stages. Using dark paint or pencil to draw out the exact position and shape of the subject works as guides. It is important to get the right ‘look’ to capture the particular animal or person. | Before the subject is painted, I make sure to have basic background. This is then worked on further in later stages. It is important for the background to complement the subject to emphasize it and appear behind it rather than ‘around' it. You have a choice of plain coloured background, background from your photograph or a full nature / landscape background. | ||
| Step 3 | Step 4 | ||
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| Concentrating on the subject, I start applying colour first looking at shadows, the darkest areas, working my way through the whole subject and making sure everything is positioned according to the original photograph. The background is detailed further. Acrylic paints are fast drying so working fast to achieve accurate colour blending is a priority. | More paint is applied throughout making sure a 100% coverage overall. Thin brushes are used for details on all areas, but especially eyes, nose and mouth, again working fast from dark to light to let the colours blend successfully. | ||
| Step 5 - Final step | |||
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| This is the last step of the painting process using thin brushes to achieve realistic detail. It is important to work in layers to achieve the complex detailed look, especially on fur. When final detailing and corrections are made and painting is as close as possible to original photograph, it is emailed to client for approval. | |||