animalshapes

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Composition Notes - July 14

Some intermediate stages of the cleanup process.I like to start with the sky and deeper background layers (A) to establish a minimum level of detail for the piece. Next comes cleanup around the character (*) and the other main focal points.The tree shapes (B and D) went through several revisions before I found the right balance of dark vs. light.

Composition Notes - July 14

The structure of the scene - some elements follow the slope of the terrain; others are roughly perpendicular to it. In this case I gave some thought to the Rule of Thirds when setting up the foreground.Although background trees are often fairly vague and stylized, I like to use parallel branch shapes to give them a sense of cohesion.

July 14, 2022

A hole in the world.

July 12, 2022

A bit more practice with tree composition.

July 11, 2022

A lil' tree warmup. ^^

Composition Notes - July 8

A bit of retrospective on my thought process. The bits of blood were the very last detail I added to this piece; it seemed best to have them align with the swords as part of an imaginary triangle.

July 8, 2022

Two of swords.

Process - July 6

Pencils for the basic shapes; medium-opacity brushes for cleanup. I usually start with the ears.

July 6, 2022

🌾

Composition Notes - July 1

Clouds were essential to this painting from the outset, but the foreground required a bit more exploration. I like to balance my landscapes with a few prominent features--three often feels like a good number. A, B, and C are the areas I wanted to emphasize here.

Composition Notes - July 1

I look for parallel shapes when I build my landscapes. Prominent lines in the background usually echo something in the foreground--in this case, the terrain rising towards the right side of the piece. Keeping track of these lines as I paint helps me unify the individual elements of a scene.Diverging lines can help create a sense of volume.