Here is another bear painting update. (The last update was posted on July 11) I made the trees a bit more abstract. Even though the trees are a bit busy, there will be black outlining in the bear when it is done which will really make it pop out. I love it when you find a painting you love to look at as a whole, but can also find small areas of color or brush stroke, etc. that you like to spend time looking at. I have had a lot of fun really developing the smaller areas, but when I am painting something this large, I have to be careful not to get lost in the small areas and forget to pull myself back and remember the painting as a whole! Unfortunately my photo doesn't show all the beautiful color as well as I would like it to. So much to learn!
Click on image for larger view.
I thought it might be fun to show the process of creating a painting for a client. I wish I had thought of it earlier so that I could include more steps, but here's what I have. This is a 5"x7" painting "sketch" for the final painting that will be 36"x60". This step is critical for me to work through the color and composition on a small scale and it allows me to give the client a good idea of what their painting will look like.
This is a picture of the final canvas in progress. I did a wash of yellow ochre over the entire canvas and then drew the bear in charcoal and blocked in the dark areas with burnt umber. I'll post more pictures as the painting progresses!
