Step 1: White

After the background is done, White paint is applied, in order to refer back to canvas and to make the other colors on top solid.

Step 2: Solid Color

Now, the color over the white looks solid. All that needs to be done in this step is applying the general color... or the color "in the middle."

Step 3: Shading and Highlights

This is where you want the paint to stay wet. If it's not wet, you can't blend. The shape of the general skull is still being figured out as well.

Step 4: Skull Details

The main details in the skull were definitely the teeth. The smallest brush was used. Shape corrections in the skull were made also.

Step 5: gold

Gold images that relate to the traditional Day of the Dead skulls or sugar skulls were added. gold paint is a metallic paint that requires very small amounts to show. When you use more water, the paint turns more fluid, allowing you to draw with it better.

Step 6: finishing touches

So, the only thing that was added was gold splatter to the background. I needed to put a mask on top of the actual skull to protect it.

Step 4: A Realistic Portrait

The reference is the guide the entire way through. Studying the shape of the face and concentrating on the lights and darks, along with smooth blending allows for a convincing Amy Winehouse.

Step 5

After taking off the mask, we now have added "light" to the "smoke" and the "speed" of our bullet.

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Step 1: White Paint

The first thing that was done was the background. After the background dried, white paint was used to paint the entire image of the peacock. White paint is used to refer back to the canvas. It is an opaque color, as opposed to the primary colors. When you place other colors on top of the white paint, it helps that layer be more distinguished from the others. In this image, paint has been added to the head of the peacock (on top of the white).

Step 3: Color Correction

One of the things that I want everyone to realize is that you are not always going to hit "perfection" the first time. You will always find yourself modifying and correcting. Painting is fun and relaxing but, it can also be frustrating at times. In this image, I am building the base color of what I want the feathers to be before I go into the detail.

Step 4: Shaping with Darks

In this image, the image is being sculpted using darks, subtle darks. The forward feathers begin to come to life as well as the feathers that take up most of the composition. Notice that there are no outlines, only shading (when it comes to the feathers). Details include shading as well as the "eyes" of the feathers.

Step 5: Details

Finishing touches are in the detail. In this case, it was creating the feathers to be more realistic and adding the splatter of gold. In many cases, you have to know when to walk away from a piece. You can render all you want but, in most cases, enough is enough and as an artist you have to know when you've got enough "ingredients". Adding more gold to the outline contributed to the finishing touches.