Every painting starts with a single idea or premise. Sometimes it comes from an experience, like the painting "Another Point of View".  That painting popped into my mind when I climbed to the top of a giant fig tree in the rainforest. In the painting, "Trouble in Paradise" on the other hand, was to create the feeling of the rainforest environment from a Giant Otters perspective, and what might threaten their home. I tried to imagine what these playful otters might encounter while spending time fishing and swimming underwater. I decided to show that view in my painting.

"Trouble in Paradise" evolved, as I gathered lots of research material. As I learned each fact, I drew all the animal characters as animated as possible. The means that I designed the shapes of the animals to work together in the composition as if they were in action. How these characters are arranged communicate what is happening. It is a frozen in that moment in time, on paper.

Step 1.  I begin all paintings from a thumbnail sketch, (about 4"x4") on a scrap of paper. This drawing, is nothing more than a scribble. It’s called a "concept" and is the starting point for which all narrative paintings begin. This is called "composition and structure". At this stage it is good to make written notes along the side of your drawing about the species of animals you are thinking about, or the mood or atmosphere you want to create in the painting. I strive for using colors and special designated areas darker of lighter. This creates the time of day an event like this might have happened.

Question: Looking at this whole painting, where are you standing if you were part of this scene ? What time of day is it?

Sometimes you can start out with one idea and end up changing to a better one along the way. That’s the creative process at work. Be open to making some changes. Sometimes ideas just begin to emerge once you start working. Sometimes the painting starts with just a written title, like "Trouble in Paradise". I find writing notes about an idea helps to refine a foggy image floating around in your mind. Ask yourself some questions about what you might see in this place. What things you might encounter. Make lots of notes and little drawings. Try not to get to caught up in the tiny details, or you will not have enough time to develop your ideas.

Step 2.  Once a story or idea seems clear, begin with sketching the elements or characters your most interested in, on separate pieces of drawing paper. Once the main characters are drawn, other ideas begin to come to mind.

Step 3.  Referring to your first thumbnail drawing as a guide, make a light detailed drawing to the finished size of your work. Draw in some light basic curved lines to keep from working in just one small area of the paper. Mark areas where each animal, or plant might be positioned. Move things around. Add or subtract elements until ‘your stage is set. Tape your images down. Once these are in place, place a clean sheet of tracing paper over the whole and trace your drawing, making an outlined drawing at finished scale. I work with architectural or tracing paper in many layers so I can see through the paper. You may wish to go through this process several times, adding and subtracting characters.

When your pleased with where everything is placed, expand your idea by adding other subjects or shapes that enhance your idea. For example, sometimes I have a trail if ants wander back into the background, or I hide an insect in a special place.

Sometimes paintings can be like music. Some elements are loud and big, and others stay subtle and small. In this way, your characters are not competing to tell your story. They work together to narrate your idea.

Activity: Listen to some classical music with your eyes closed and see what images come to mind. Listen for little sounds added, not part of the main theme. Listen to music as you draw.

Step 4.  It is important now to create what I call a "value study". This tracing shows no details, but just the areas of dark & light. This is referred to as the paintings moves to completion. It is like a road map which helps determine the intensity of each area in the final painting and the brightness of each area’s color. Without this guide to follow, the watercolor can easily become over, confusing, and the colors muddy.

Activity: Close your eyes slightly and see if you can find the lightest & the darkest areas of the painting. Can you see how well balanced they are?

Step 5.  Looking now at your finished drawing, all the elements of composition, subject, and story should be well balanced. If working in watercolor, this is the time to trace your final drawing onto the watercolor paper which will be your finished art. Be very careful not to engrave tracing lines into the watercolor paper. This creates indentations where water and color will build up. Make last minute adjustments directly on the watercolor paper, making sure not to disturb the finish of the paper with too much erasing.

I sometimes use a liquid rubber paint, called a "mask", to protect little fine lines or areas I want to remain clean, white paper. I like watercolor because it is considered ‘Transparent pigment". This means you can paint multiple layers of different colors. With watercolor, brilliant oranges and reds are achieved by first using multiple washes of under colors of yellow and orange. Each wash is allowed to dry completely after each color is applied. In this way, the brilliance of the paper, and the combination of colors glow through as bright solid color.

Step 6.  In the final stages, I remove the rubber masks and either use a small brush to add details. Use a large brush to wash in shadows. I darken any areas that are too predominant and pull the eye away from the main subject. At this point, I take my work out of my studio. I prop it up somewhere so I can see it in a different environment or out of the corner of my eye and have the image surprise me. This is a good way to try to see the art work in a different way. You can easily see what adjustments need to be made to make it a completed painting. Think of a painting like a big jigsaw puzzle and your job is to make all the pieces fit together to make a whole.

Activity: Based on the title, "Trouble in Paradise" make a list of questions you think the artist ask answer in order to make this painting.

Step 7.  The final stage is to write a complete description of the story contained in the painting. By starting with the initial idea when I first began to draw, I can easily include the details I was thinking about as I painted my subjects and about the many facts and details I learned during my investigation of the subjects’ background and biology. It is here that my first idea and the actual painting have finally merged together. With a small group of friends read your title and the painting description. Ask them if they can see the story you wanted to tell. Ask them what other stories they see in your work.
Make a list of questions based on the title of this painting which the artist might have had to answer before finishing this painting.

Step 8.  Putting your work on display is the final requirement. If a person looking at the painting can tell you a story from your work, then the painting moves beyond just visual art or representational art, it becomes storytelling. Expect to be surprised. Some people may see other things in your work than what you may have intended. This is the most exciting thing about art. People can become a part of the art just by looking at it. It gives any artist great satisfaction to have successfully placed images in just the right delicate balance that communicates clearly to those who look at it. It is this that makes up the foundation of a successful narrative painting.

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