Share to XHere’s how that little painting I wrote about yesterday turned out. It features trees, ferns, and the iconic sand of K’Gari Island. What caught my eye about this one was the light catching the fern leaves, creating these striking yellows and greens.
Below are some closeups. You can see I was fairly relaxed with the brushwork and detail.
I painted this in the studio from a reference photo, but I tried to paint it with the same energy and urgency as if I were painting from life. This meant ruthlessly simplifying and focusing on capturing the impression of the subject, rather than all the tiny details. This was somewhat effective, but the artificial sense of urgency wasn’t quite the same as having the subject literally change in front of you as you paint from life.
Below are some progress shots showing how the painting came together. I started by rapidly mapping out the colors and shapes. Then I spent the rest of the painting process trying to refine and carve out detail.
If you ever want to learn more, check out our Tree Workshop. We have rolled back the price for you to join over the next few days.
Happy painting!
Dan Scott
Draw Paint Academy
