When was the last time you sat down in your back yard or on your patio to a beautiful mountain scene? A friend of mine commissioned me to paint one of the fence panels in her garden patio. The patio does see some tree tops and blue sky, as well it has a cute little garden, other than that it needed a little something to make it stand out.
Step 1: Fence & Paint
Locate a fence that could use a little TLC and purchase 4 cans of wall paint in primary colors and white.
Step 2: Sketch & Background
Get inspired with your photo collection, the best kind is memorable moments from your last adventure. Lightly sketch the positions of the main objects; water, sky, mountains, islands, and trees. Don't choose complex scenes, the simpler, the better. I started to paint with sponges; regular hardware store sponges are handy when it comes to covering large areas. Apply paint fearlessly and attack the surface. Keyah!
Step 3: Sky & Mountain Details
Have a break and think about the beautiful scenery that surrounds us in the outdoors. Dream about the details a little bit, what are the special moments of wonder that you have experienced? Is it those sparkles on the water or the whispering trees that catch your eye? Insure to mix variation of colors and gently capture the heart-warming details.
Step 4: Begin Lake Details
Painting may get messy, make sure to have fun with putting some paint on your face for better interconnection to materials, if the person photographing you is being too serious please put some paint on their face as well. Leave the hardest part for the end, for me it is always painting the water. Paint it two different ways; reflections and folds. Reflections are painted with vertical brushstrokes and wave folds applied after with horizontal lines.
Step 5: Blend Water & Tree Details
I constantly check my work from the distance, making sure it looks fine when sitting in the patio. If things don't look fine then blend them together, as it matters to have all the places read clear and simple.
Step 6: Good looking painting, good looking fiancé, I mean fence!
I enjoyed working on this project with my fiance Timothy, and he took these nice pictures for me. Time flies so quickly when in love. Looking forward for more creative projects together soon.
