Process

So I've been working a lot on the large painting I'm going to have at my final show. I am composing it digitally, then I will gesso transfer it onto the two 3'x4' panels. Then I can paint it. I'm basically enlarging the painting that inspired my whole show.

Here's the process:
I took a couple pics of a carnival I went to with some friends a year ago and pieced them together.



I had to widen it to make the dimensions proportional to the two panels. I added depth to the sky, by lightening it with a few sunset pictures.





Then came the crowd. I worked and reworked the crowd until I got it right. First it was too congested, the composition was heavy and didn't feel natural. I finally got it to look the way a real crowd would maintaining a good composition.



I'm really happy with the way it turned out! There's space for the eye to rest. There are subtle lines to draw the eye through and back around. And the final touch was the welcoming Lisa in the front. I want this to look like I'm both beckoning you to join the fun, and welcoming you to my celebration. I had to construct this arm from the other.



I think I was successful.