I've got a request to paint this. It's a sunset with silhouettes of three guys and a boat. Very scenic and moody.
First thing I'll have to do is change the aspect ratio so it's more suitable for a canvas, then maybe crop it so we have a bit more boat and a bit less sky ...
... like this. I'll need to make it a bit more orangey. This'll give the hull a bit more shine and probably make the sky a bit more dramatic.
First rough sketch shows I'll have to move the boat to the right. No problem.
I've chosen a canvas that's roughly the same aspect ratio as the picture I'm working on, so the proportions are relatively straightforward.
I'm using pencil for the outline instead of charcoal because the painting's dark enough already without the charcoal getting into the paint.
A first wash-in of the horizon, sky and sea. I'm going to have to be a bit careful with that causeway in the background. It's got to be recognizable but not obtrusive. same goes for the water tank I've just spotted.
I need to fix a few points now, so I can use them as references. The boat canopy, which I'm told is blue, and the ghostly shapes of the three men. I'll darken them in later.
I'm beginning to think about the posts and the basic shape of the hull, so they'll be next. Also those metallic hoops, but after I've located the posts.
So now we have the posts and boat in position, but I need to do quite a lot of color-correction: the sky needs more blue, less orange, the posts need more brown, less purple, and the boat looks like it's made of ice cream. I'm pleased with the boat's shape but it's still vanilla.
And that guy leaning over the side is going to need his squeegee.
Happy to say the boat now has a better shape and color - I still may just very slightly lower the point where the bow meets the water.
Sky fixed, posts more woody, squeegee in hand and I've roughed in those hoop things. Tomorrow, It will be the ropes and canopy supports, steering wheel and a shine on the hoops.
And maybe a little more orange and less blue in the distant part of the water.
OK. It's all but done. Clean up a smudge or two, and I think I'll move the post in the middle a bit closer to the foreground. other than that, it's a wrap.
Oh and it turns out what I thought was a stripe at the waterline isn't, so I'll have to lose that.