WORK IN PROGRESS - "Surrender"

Hello lovely people, 

I managed to carve out some time to sit down and work on this big painting last week, so here's an update post with some progress images.

Sitting down to spend some time on a big piece is extra difficult these days as not only does it require I have a few hours to paint to make any dent in it at all, but a lot of the painting process also includes getting both my space and my mind ready to tackle a complex piece, so I ideally like to have a full day to dedicate to this kind of painting sessions, which is hard at the moment.
But every time I do manage it, I feel so much better, more energised, more fulfilled. 

And with this piece in particular, things feel like they are slotting into place nicely, and I am rather happy with is so far. 

Last we spoke (about this piece), I was working on the sky, and had blocked out the setting sun with some masking fluid to make working on the clouds easier. 

Well, I have since removed the masking fluid, and I worked on that area with some coloured pencils to enhance the feeling of glowing light.

I am looking forward to enhancing the light effect further by painting the ocean and rocks.

I then started working on the water, which is probably going to be the most complex area, and will take me the longest to complete.

I am working from a patchwork of reference images, so piecing them together into something cohesive is challenging. 

I am trying to project a sense of the sky being reflected in the waves and one of the biggest struggle I am facing is keeping my values tight and controlled so they don't overtake the other elements in the image. 

This is as far as I have gotten, and I am rather pleased with the progress so far. 

The character will be the last thing I paint, and although it looks like it at the moment, it will not be see-through. 

I am considering 2 different options for the character, one where it would be entirely in shadow, which would create more definition for it against the light sky background, and one where some light touches its face. 

I would like to complete more of the landscape before I decide, as I suspect I will get a clearer idea of the mood I feel fits best once I get closer to completion on the environment. 

So far, this piece has been a pleasure to work on. I feel fulfilled by the process, and excited to start another big piece after it, as I am finding myself feeling more energised and confident while working on it. 

I hope you enjoyed this update post, and as always, I would love to hear what you think of it so far. 

Much love to you all,
Speak soon,
M