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I managed to briefly document the progress of "Salt", taking a photograph at the end of each night spent working on this piece.
I am frustrated to look at the beautiful colours captured in the very last photo when the piece is almost finished, compared with the pale washed out version my (expensive) scanner managed to capture (above).
The sketch took two nights to complete. Breaking my recent habit I decided to complete the drawing in pencil for a softer finish at the end.
I like to get the backgrounds blocked in first. All the drawings from my teenage years are coloured figures floating in empty space, because I would be too nervous (and bored) to bother with a background after completing the main character. Working with the hardest parts first helps me immensely these days.
At the end of the second night of painting, (photographed the following morning). I have again attempted to use India Ink for the shadowy other room.... my verdict? I never even want to see India Ink again in my life. Not being able to blend into a softly diffused space really frustrated me, but several more layers of watercolour and heavily diluted ink helped to even it out.
The final night, five days after starting on the piece I was determined to finish. This photo documents when I am almost finished, only the very last details are left. I try to leave things like lips and eyes till the very end, and flicking in those dark lashes usually signifies the completion of a piece.
This photo shows the colours so beautifully. I'm sad the scan didn't turn out like this, how annoying.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this one. Did you like the documentation of the different stages?
Wow! The colors do look amazing in that last photo. I know how disappointing scans can be sometimes. :/ Have you ever tried editing the colors of your scan digitally just to make it look like the original painting, or do you feel that any digital enhancement detracts from the genuineness of the painting? Either way, this is lovely. Thank you for sharing your steps with us. I have always been very nervous about backgrounds, for traditional art in particular, because I'm always concerned that I might ruin the entire thing once I've gotten it all finished by adding a background that I end up not liking. But I've really been wanting to do more traditional art lately, and this paired with your feedback yesterday serves as great encouragement. :)
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Love the progression stages on this post. "Salt" turned out wonderful.
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