Progression
Done.
Trousers, shoes, guns, grounds. Not much more to do.
All but the last soldier now have trousers. A bit of white has been over painted on a lot of the white. Having blue base coat and using thinner paints lets some blue show through. Adding more white to only some of it creates dimension.
The soldiers have black jackets now.
Definition was added to the background details. The soldiers are starting to take shape.
Some rules you hear painters using include starting with darker colors. It's a good rule to go by, especially if you want to create depth and if you like to paint in layers. It works well and requires patience, because you have to wait for a little drying between layers. I add a tiny amount of a "quick dry" medium and paint "thin". Usually it is pretty dry by the next day. You can see how this worked out with the stone wall. It was a darker gold, and when I added white, it presents as a nice honey color with a little texture.
Commit to the background and there is actually a lot of it in this little painting.
This painting comes from a snapshot taken on a visit to Copenhagen while on a tour. I like to lay out the negative space first and skip the details. I find that you can add any details if you have all of the "points" right. You just have to add things in relation to everything else.
The changing of the guard is always interesting for it's precision and visual symmetry. I don't remember which street I was on or time of day, but I always liked the picture.
8" x 24"
Oil on Canvas
