Saturday, January 14, 2012

a glimpse of my painting process

I thought it would be interesting to post a little about my process when I paint custom orders & show it through pics! Luckily I had this idea way back & documented a little while creating a custom painting for baby Jacob back in September. 

With this order I was inspired by a photo of Jacob's crib bedding which included super cute jungle animals. More of the same animals as my last post are featured in this one too - some popular ones I suppose!

So in my sketchbook, I sketched a couple ideas for the layout and which animals I would choose. Then once I was satisfied with that, I drew the painting out on the 12" x 12" canvas. Yes, I draw the painting out before I actually paint. Some may not 'approve' of this process - but hey, its the way I work - and it gives me a clear sense when I begin painting. However, in my art school days, I did experiment with different styles of paintings that were never drawn out - I just went for it! Thinking of that makes me want to revist the stuffed trunk & collection of artworks from those days packed away in the basement!

Here is the canvas drawing...


The next step, I begin painting - normally I work from the background to the foreground. The main colours of the painting & inside each circular frame were again, inspired by the bedding. 



Now, onto the animals! I use a wonderful reference book for all the animals I draw & paint - to help me with the details & colouring of each animal. Of course, its produced by National Geographic and has been an amazing visual resource for me! I'd much prefer to look in a book that refer to the internet most times.



And so, I bring each pencil animal to 'life' with colour - Sounds cheezy but its true! So here is the finished product & some details shots...







So there is a little glimpse into my process - I hope you enjoyed! I must admit I do love painting animals - much better than people! I am not the best at representing people in paint & I'll be the 1st to admit it. But if I am asked to - I do try my best! 

Thanks for keeping up with tiny brushstrokes!


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