I've been spending more time in the sketch phase lately, with good results if I say so myself. Here you can see basically the whole process, except some of my other thumbs. Spending more time working out the colors in Photoshop before going to the final saved me a lot of time and frustration. I don't know why I wasn't doing that before, but I will from now on. It's taken me a while to become patient enough to spend a whole day just making sure the rough was settled, I've always been so eager to get into the painting. The background in from another painting, and the wood didn't match, but I'll make sure to correct that next time because it makes a big difference when you're particular about colors. I was lucky to find a large lid to use for the large circle. I'm in a great place right now, after working hard all summer I've sorted out A LOT of issues. I'm really happy doing these paintings, and even though I'm not sure how they will be received, I don't care, and that's a first. I love them, and I don't care if I'm the only one. My paintings are building on themselves and there's a progression that's apparent, which is a great sign for me. In the past I've been extremely fickle stylistically, and I think that stems from a lot of insecurity, and worrying too much about what others thought. I'm glad I finally understand that. I can thank sidebar for helping me get my head on straight. The interviews on there with weathered illustration professionals pretty much got me back on the right path. Like I said, I'm in a great place.
