Ah, a long over due post on this one. Here it is, the final piece.

The painting of the couple was customized to match the description I was given. I followed a tutorial done by a very talented artist to complete the background, pathway and added my own touch to the lovely greenery and the pond.

In all honesty, this was probably the most tensed I’ve been finishing a piece because it illustrates a moment that is significant to them. I knew I had to get this right and there was no room for errors. It took long hours and few back aches, but I couldn’t be happier with the end result!

What I adore the most about this piece is that one hidden detail I was specifically told to add in: The flower in the man’s hands symbolizing the one he gave on their first date.

It has now been shipped and hung up somewhere at a newly weds house ❤ – which is quite humbling to know.

I’m very thankful to have had this opportunity!

If you’ve got any inquiries or you’d like to place an order, feel free to contact me.

Here are a few tips I learned from the tutorial 

How to create the fog effect: You first need to decide on three shades of blue. Once you’ve picked them, start with the lightest and paint on the next darker shade as you get closer to the foreground ([!] just be sure not to completely block out the layers painted before). There is no need to wait for the previous layers to dry; adding the colour on top helps blend them in a way that gives a better flow.

Fine line trees: [!] Make sure you’ve got a variety of shapes going for the tree trunks and branches! The last thing you want is forest full of trees that look exactly the same (unless of course if that’s what you are going for).  I found the perfect liner brush at De Serres Art Store called Blackgold liner paintbrush that I highly recommend – it’s very easy to use/wash and flows beautifully. They’ve got sizes ranging from 0 – 5x, you can choose whichever one best suits the size of your painting.

Greenery: Pick the angle your light source is coming from. Start with darkest shade of green and dab on the lighter shades on areas where you want the light to fall. This can take a flat canvas/paper and give it a realistic/almost three-dimensional feel to it. It allows you to focus on certain aspects of your painting and set a mood. That was the goal of the greens (and green-yellows) in this painting! 🙂 Adding in a last (thin) layer of white helps highlight the portions that stick out the furthest into the light. Our eyes are naturally attracted to light and as an artist, you want to make use of that.