Acrylic study

Acrylic study

I have been wanting to try painting this photo I took in Chinatown for a long time. This course has given me a way into it. I made a few goes at this with different colours and improved significantly even in a few attempts. I decided to make this my final project as it is beyond what I imagined I could paint. This course has so much valuable teaching and resources.

I used a mixed media pad, some Amsterdam acrylics and 2 size flat brushes, 1" and 3/4"

I chose a crop of the photo to keep the focus and perspective on the people, not the top canopy that overshadows the scene.

I chose an orange base as it is a sunny scene. I found the hardest thing with this first layer was choosing and mixing the colours. It is quite hard using red because it becomes pink when mixed with white.

The challenge with the next layer was simplifying the darker areas and knowing what to paint in the indistinct areas. It made me realise how important getting colour values on the first layer are. That layer seems like the most important layer for decisions.

Adding details started to become fun. The challenge here was how to paint the awnings without them being flat and minimal texture.

I added a few darks but less than I expected, i started to feel I would overwork and over-detail it as there is already a lot going on in the picture. I lost my way a bit with how many canopies to depict. I knew I was taking on a big challenge with this photo but am pleased with this attempt.