Planning a painting before you start is a great way to make the process less stressful and more enjoyable. Some artists plan their paintings, while some prefer not to and go with the flow. I prefer to plan my paintings before I start them as I can decide on the colour palette, background, composition etc. without wasting any paint!
I have created a video to show you exactly how I plan my colourful animal paintings from start to finish. You can watch this on my Youtube channel or on the video below:
If you would prefer to read then I have written exactly how I plan my paintings below.
You will need:
- Computer/phone (for researching)
- iPad/paper and pencil (for sketching)
- Printer (optional)
Step 1:
I’ve decided to paint a colourful bumblebee, so I have used google images to find reference photos of bees. It is important to note that you cannot copy these photos directly unless you have permission to do so. I am only using these images to reference in terms of body shape, dimensions and details.
* If you want to copy a photograph directly then search for royalty free photos, or get permission from the photographer.
Step 2:
I am using Procreate on my iPad to digitally sketch my bumblebee, however you can also use a pencil and paper. I created my drawing to the same dimensions as my canvas and then sketched the outline of the bee for the composition. Once I’m happy with the composition I start to add colour to the bumblebee.
Step 3:
As my animal paintings are very colourful, I like to plan out the colours before I start painting. I also add in the background colour to make sure that it works with the colours of the bee. The great thing about digital sketching is that I can try out lots of different colours without having to start the drawing again.
Step 4:
Once I have finished the sketch I will either print it out or copy it from the iPad. Sometimes I will grid out the sketch to make sure I get the same composition on my canvas. I just use a pencil to sketch my design onto the canvas.
Step 5:
Now that I have finished planning the colours and composition of my bumblebee design I can start the actual painting! I choose acrylic paint colours that are similar to the colours in my sketch.
I find that planning a painting in this way makes the process a lot less stressful. I don’t have to worry about whether the colours will work next to each other or whether the composition of the animal will fit on the canvas. So I can relax and enjoy the process of painting.
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