10
Differentiating each dragon
It might be hard to make out, but I’ve given each
dragon a slightly different red. Some are slightly more
pink, some more orange and some a little more purple. It
keeps them individual while also being very similar!12
Building up the gold
I don’t want to (nor do I need to) paint each gold
coin. I just want to trick the eyes to what they’re seeing.
I concentrate on the areas near the dragons and add
more saturation and little details to indicate coins.11
Take your time!
It’s tempting to rush toward the finishing of a
painting, particularly those final touches. Instead, I sleep
on it and return to the painting the next day. I can then
see it with fresh eyes and make any necessary changes.ARTIST INSIGHT
TO WORK WET IN
WET OR WET ON DRY?
If you want soft, blurred
edges, paint on to wet
paper/board. It’s also a
great way to build up
interesting textures in a
loose manner. For crisp
hard edges you must
make sure that the
paper is completely
dry. Always have clean
water at hand.PAINT
TIP
ADD EXTRA SHINE
My favourite paints are
made by Daniel Smith.
Some of their pigments
use real gemstone that
add a unique quality
to the artwork.9
Starting with the top dragon, render the form
My light source is from above so I keep this in mind constantly. I build up
gradually with dozens of thin layers of pigment until I reach the saturation that I’m
looking for (I keep the reference of my colour test in front of me at all times).
Traditional Artist Workshop