5/15/25

Hi Michael,

Your color sketch is finished! This sketch is to decide on the overall color palette of the painting.

I like to use a limited palette, because it creates color harmony for neutrals and brighter colors. For this painting I only used four colors plus black and white:

  • Cadmium red light

  • Cadmium yellow medium

  • Ultramarine blue

  • Pthalo green

Color sketch in oil.

The concept: I made the color sketch quite a bit more colorful than the original photo to make it more emotional and eye catching. But I did keep the original palate of colors in the photo: the brick building, the orange shrubs, and the aqua of the distant buildings.

I’m very pleased with the way this turned out and I think it will make a great painting. So, what do you think? Just send me and email with this link.

Once you approve this, the next step is to start the full size painting. I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Best, Linda

Digital value sketch.

Approved edited photo.

5/1/25

Hi Michael,

Your value sketch is finished. This sketch is actually the foundation of the painting, because it shows how the painting will be read from a distance, and it’s what determines how your eye moves around the canvas. From here, all the color and details will support this design concept..

The concept:

  • I simplified the design to only four values to make the large shapes very strong.

  • You can see that by making some of the shadows a little darker than you see in the photo, we get some really interesting large shapes that add complexity to this tall painting. I love the curves of the open arches in the ground shadow, and the shadows on the pylons.

  • Organizing the values directs the movement of the viewer’s eye, which starts at Aubrey (because we are drawn to figures), then it looks at the large bridge pylon, and then moves horizontally through the mid-ground details, and finally circles back to Aubry.

  • Aubrey is the focus because he’s a figure, he’s large in the foreground and he is a dark value.

So, what do you think? Just send me and email with this link.

If you like this, the next step is for me to do a small color sketch.

I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Best, Linda

Digital value sketch.

Approved edited photo.

4/24/25

Hi Michael,

Welcome to your commission webpage! This is where we’ll communicate about your commission so we always have a record of all our previous steps and approvals. You can’t write on this page but you can send an email to me with this link.

So, I’ve review all your great photos and I have a favorite:

Original photo of Brooklyn Bridge

I like this image best because it has a strong vertical format with the large shape of the bridge pylon. And it also has other interesting shapes and diagonals. It features have a interesting angled view of Aubrey, with light on his left side and hair. I’m also excited about the sunlight in this scene of the Brooklyn Bridge, especially on the pylon and the shapes of the shadow on the walkway.

Here’s how I edited your image for the painting:

  • Cropped to the correct proportions

  • Moved the figures. I did keep two figures in the background just for scale and a bit of interest. I assume we want the focus to be on Aubrey.

  • Added space in the foreground so Aubrey’s not so close to the bottom

So, what do you think? Just send me and email with this link.

If you like this, the next step is for me to do a black and white sketch to continue to work out the composition.

I’m looking forward to hearing lyour thoughts!

Best, Linda

Edited image