Subtle Background

 

I opted for a simple sky so not to distract from the detail in the rest of the painting.

 

Having the horizon tilted might seem like an odd choice but I felt it was more dynamic with the hill than a static zero degree tilt. In choosing the slant it needs to be balanced by other angles and features, otherwise the entire painting will feel out of kilter. Part of the balance comes from the strong upper right to lower left center line of the giraffe.

 

The background colors fall in the cool range to contrast with giraffe.