Napa Valley Agapanthus

Original reference photo taken in the Napa Valley.

 

First thing I do in planning this painting is to crop the photo to improve the composition.

Now I study the photo and see where the important big shapes are and how the layout works into a Z composition. That helps me clarify where the eye should move through the painting when it is done. Sometimes I use my iPad notebook or sketchbook app to do this pre-planning.

Then I begin by blocking in the big shapes and getting the general location and value range indicated.

Next I start painting the sky and background working forward to the foreground where my center of interest is located.

In the end I start highlighting and adjusting the values to help the eye flow into the painting better.

Napa Valley Agapanthus, 27x19 Acrylic 

Red Chair and Yellow Wall.....Cabo Painting

Original photo of scene in Cabo while eating breakfast.

 

iPad sketch to use as reference for painting

I use this iPad sketch to simplify and acquaint myself with the subject as you would use a quick jesture thumbnail sketch on paper.

After deciding on what to include in the painting I start blocking in the background area.

Then I start working forward to the middle ground and then foreground and finally the shadows and highlights. I still have a couple of corrections to make. For instance the chair is tilted forward to much and I need to work on shadows coming in to the picture plane from the bottom. Then a signature will be due.

16x20 Acrylic on Ampersand board