Ugly Grass

 

When it comes to painting water I usually have an ugly stage. It doesn't look wet, I might doubt my color decisions, and I can't wait to get to more detailed reflections. In the end with blending, it will look wet.

 

Here's a good example of ugly grass. I could have put in a base color and then added the feeling of blades of grass. Instead I started with the darkest colors of the grass in long grass-like strokes. To avoid a mud-looking grass section, I'm going to give this area a chance to dry some before I add all the lighter grass and highlights.

 

 

 

 

 

More grasses

 At this stage most of the mane is painted and I'll save the whiskers for near the end of painting.

 

Rather than get all fussy with the grasses "behind" the lion, I am blocking in the feeling of grass. Once they are in place I'll blend and adjust.

 

 

 

 

 

Lion Further Along

 

The whiskers and lightest parts of the mane and ear aren't painted yet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

More Cat

 

There is still a lot of painting to go but at this point the piece is feeling like the story I want to tell.

 

 

 

 

The Cat

 

 

When working on my focal animal I almost always start with the eyes first. Per square inch they take the longest because if they aren't "right" the whole painting can be lost. Who wants a cross-eyed or scared king of the jungle hanging on their wall? In this piece I want the eyes to portray strength and determination.

 

 

 I'm painting section by section, blending as I go, then circling back to tweak the colors. Since this part of his face is in shadow I'm incorporating some blues and purples.

My preferred brushes are flat angle brushes which can give me anything from thin lines to broad strokes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beests and Beauties

 

upper detail of the painting

Above is a first pass on the addition of wildebeest and the start of some zebra. My goal is to make them recognizable but not unduly pull the focus from the cat.

 

 

Continuing the Background

 

As the background "gets closer" I am incorporating more saturated and richer greens. The pop of the tree in the middle distance is designed to keep one's eyes moving in to the background after exploring the near distance.