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Studio diary · painting in progress

Work in progress

A painting
taking shape.

A blank canvas, lines finding their place, then shapes, colour and texture. Here are the stages of this painting as I work on it.

19 photos · work in progress
01 / The beginning

The blank canvas

It all begins with a blank surface.

Painting in progress — The blank canvas
02 / First lines

The drawing emerges

The first lines set out the composition.

Painting in progress — The drawing emerges
03 / Composition

The scene takes shape

Characters find their place in the picture.

Painting in progress — The scene takes shape
04 / Outlines

The outlines grow stronger

Black lines give the shapes more definition.

Painting in progress — The outlines grow stronger
05 / Colour

The first colours

Colour fills the background and the composition takes on a new look.

Painting in progress — The first colours
06 / Texture

Working the surfaces

Layers and textures build up.

Painting in progress — Working the surfaces
07 / Volume

The shapes gain depth

Working the texture brings depth to the painting.

Painting in progress — The shapes gain depth
08 / Contrasts

Deeper tones

New dark areas strengthen the sense of movement.

Painting in progress — Deeper tones
Close-ups

Up close to the canvas

Two details showing texture and brushwork.

Close-up of the painting textureClose-up of brushwork on the painting
09 / In its final position

Painting on the wall

I also work directly on the wall, where the painting will eventually live. It helps me judge the composition at its final scale and keep developing it.

Painting in progress — Painting on the wallPainting in progress — Painting on the wall
10 / New lines

The movement intensifies

Large black strokes cross the scene, connecting the different parts of the painting.

Painting in progress — The movement intensifiesPainting in progress — The movement intensifies
11 / Blue and details

Colour returns

Blue appears in the figures. Close-ups reveal the changes in the details.

Painting in progress — Colour returnsPainting in progress — Colour returnsPainting in progress — Colour returns
12 / Touches of red

The story continues

A few touches of red change the composition again. There's still plenty to do: the painting is far from finished.

Painting in progress — The story continuesPainting in progress — The story continues
To be continued...

The painting is far from finished. I'll keep working on it on the wall, and new stages will be added to this story.

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