Progress of a Painting....

Archusa Morning
Pastel on UArt  12 x 18
©Randy Hamburg

Painting is a process.  While some painters can simply begin a painting with no forethought, I find that working through a process works best for me.  I tend to make too many changes "on the fly" if I don't have a plan which usually results in a painting with undefined areas and no particular center of interest.  Today I'd like to show you a bit of my process.  First of all, I need something that inspires me.  It can be a photo, an object that I can build a painting around, or a plein air scene.  I usually begin with a thumbnail sketch to work out the composition while concentrating on the large mass values.  Below is the thumbnail sketch for "Archusa Morning".

Once I'm happy with the layout, I begin with a block in of major shapes making any adjustments as needed.  Note the value differences in the shapes.

The block-in sets the stage for the rest of the painting.  It provides me with a "road map" going forward.

I can now concentrate on color and value, generally beginning with the most distant part of the painting.  Below are shown the next few steps in the process.

Here, I've begun with the sky creating depth by working with lighter colors in the most distant sky near the horizon.

Next comes the distant treeline.  I've used a mixture of warm and cool colors to create depth within the treeline itself.

I can now work on the lake and the foreground.  For these, I've chosen to highlight the small island of brush in the lake.  At this point, I began to work on the details of the foreground and point of interest.

I also want to include the reference photo for this painting so that you can compare it to the finished work.

 Let me know your thoughts.  If you were painting this scene, what would you have done differently?

Keep painting!