Another Peak Behind the Curtain (Part III)
Now, things are moving (in fact, I should have taken another photo before this)!
The foreground has been established: a fan brush was used to give a sense of depth and contour to the ground, using various shades of green and khaki over a brown/black undercoat. So again, the technique is starting with dark, and building up with lighter and lighter shades, shaping as you go. The challenge is to give an indication of perspective and distance - I mean , just how far is it from the bottom of the painting to the water line? 30 - 40 yards, maybe?
The floating fortress is now defined, aside from a few finishing touches, though it lacks the clouds that will serve as its effervescent foundation. It currently occupies a hazy patch of indeterminate identity. I chose this type of castle for very specific reasons, as shall be seen in the next photo. For research, I must have looked at 200 pictures of castles! I'm so tempted to pack it full of tiny details, but I keep reminding myself it is in the distance, and details necessarily become obscured with distance...
The colors are starting to pop, which pleases me. Red and orange draw your eyes to the center, but there is a great bit of care lavished upon the leaves along the periphery as well. Layer upon layer, the illusion of depth manifesting.
This is about 75% complete. I've set the stage, but now the hard part really commences: the fine detail work, and all those little extra touches that create the elusive realistic quality that allows the viewer to suspend disbelief, if even for the briefest moment. And oh yes - I need to actually put something in the foreground besides grass!
The foreground has been established: a fan brush was used to give a sense of depth and contour to the ground, using various shades of green and khaki over a brown/black undercoat. So again, the technique is starting with dark, and building up with lighter and lighter shades, shaping as you go. The challenge is to give an indication of perspective and distance - I mean , just how far is it from the bottom of the painting to the water line? 30 - 40 yards, maybe?
The floating fortress is now defined, aside from a few finishing touches, though it lacks the clouds that will serve as its effervescent foundation. It currently occupies a hazy patch of indeterminate identity. I chose this type of castle for very specific reasons, as shall be seen in the next photo. For research, I must have looked at 200 pictures of castles! I'm so tempted to pack it full of tiny details, but I keep reminding myself it is in the distance, and details necessarily become obscured with distance...
The colors are starting to pop, which pleases me. Red and orange draw your eyes to the center, but there is a great bit of care lavished upon the leaves along the periphery as well. Layer upon layer, the illusion of depth manifesting.
This is about 75% complete. I've set the stage, but now the hard part really commences: the fine detail work, and all those little extra touches that create the elusive realistic quality that allows the viewer to suspend disbelief, if even for the briefest moment. And oh yes - I need to actually put something in the foreground besides grass!