Share to XWelcome to Part 3 of the Elora painting series.
In Parts 1 and 2, I established and refined the background. Here’s where I ended up at the end of Part 2:
Now for the tricky part—Elora. I’m a bit out of my comfort zone here as I typically paint landscapes. But I’m always up for a challenge!
Legs, Feet, and Clothes
I started with her legs and feet. They seem fairly straightforward, but there’s actually a fair bit going on. They are mostly in shadow, but there is some warm reflected light bouncing up off the sand and a cool ambient light from the open sky above. This results in the subtle dance of color temperature within the shadows.
In terms of value, the colors need to be lighter than the cast shadow on the ground, but darker than any areas in direct sunlight. These relationships are critical. If I get them wrong, the painting won’t read well, no matter how well I paint everything else.
I used a synthetic filbert brush to map out the colors and sense of structure and form of the legs and feet. I also thought about the sense of gesture and balance, and how the legs fit in with the rest of the body. It all must read as a cohesive whole in the end.
Her clothes are a pale yellow color. Mostly in shadow, with a few edges in light. There are also a few areas where light is shining through the material, giving a soft, yellow glow.
At this early stage of the painting, all I wanted to do was capture the broad colors and shapes. It looks a bit flat and static, but it will come to life later when I add more detail and render the drapery.
Arms and Neck
I kept things simple with the arms and neck. My main focus was to make the colors dark enough and faithful to the drawing. A challenge of starting with an intricate drawing is that you will gradually paint over it. And as that happens, you must ensure your strokes stay true to the drawing, as they will end up being all you have to go by.
I was more timid with my brushwork around the hands, allowing parts of the initial drawing to remain visible. I’ll take my time with these complex parts.
The Stick
The wooden stick plays an important role. It’s a sharp, dark accent that anchors the rest of the painting. It also creates an interesting connection between Elora and her cast shadow on the sand.
Painting it was simple. I mapped it out with a mix of raw umber, ultramarine blue, and magenta, leaning slightly towards the blue. All that matters is that it’s dark enough and stays true to the initial drawing.
It looks a bit rough still, but all is going to plan! One of the reasons I’m sharing my progress along the way is to demonstrate how the painting will often look a bit rough and even flat-out wrong along the way. But then at some point it will all click together (hopefully).
To be continued…
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Regards
Dan Scott
Draw Paint Academy
