I recently finished a commission for a seascape of Grand Harbor lighthouse in Michigan. The painting presented a compositional challenge in that the the canvas was very long and narrow (20 x 60 inches) and I had to figure out how to incorporate the buildings in a visually compelling manner.
step 1: base coat of cadmium orange and basic composition sketched in with charcoal
step 2: underpainting (a mixture of ultramarine blue and cadmium orange) of basic shapes and darkest values
step 3: laying in the sky--I added a lot of drama and diagonal lines to add visual interest
step 4: adding more color to sky
step 5: I opted for a choppy surf for more visual interest
step 6: I must have gotten lost in right brain mode because I forgot to photograph a few steps ;-) The sky is mostly completed with a slightly setting sun and lots of dramatic clouds, choppy surf and architectural features laid down.
final piece ready to send off to clients!
