Siren's Dawn - stage 13

Over yesterday and this morning I am hoping that I have done enough so that on my return to the studio on Thursday it will just be a matter of a couple of hours work to finish the painting.
I really want to take this to Illuxcon but it will be tight if it is to be dry on Friday for me to scan it and then pack into a box to send to America.

Siren's Dawn - stage 12

Put in some work into the figure and rock she is lying on in the couple of hours that I had this afternoon on returning to my studio. I have slimmed her hips down a little bit and am hoping that I have enough done on her to be able to pretty much finish her tomorrow, indeed it is still touch and go as to being finished in time to take to Illuxcon.

Siren's Dawn - stage 11

I realised late yesterday that the sky still didn't make sense so I resolved this morning to break up the clouds at top into smaller shapes and knock them back a bit so that they don't occupy the same distance from the viewer as the small darker clouds at left.
This is all I can get done this morning as I now have to be away from the studio until Saturday.

Siren's Dawn - stage 10

Kind of finished the sky barring a few tweaks later on perhaps and then I made a start on the sea as well as blocking in the land and mermaid.
It's touch and go as whether I finish this to take to Illuxcon but I will carry on and try to get it finished in the limited time I have available, if I find I am rushing it too much then I will leave it as I don't want to compromise quality and handicap a potential sale later on.

Siren's Dawn - stage 9

Whilst away from the studio I realised that the sky was not getting across how I wanted it to look and consequently decided to make more use of the panoramic format by running the horizontal clouds right across the width of the canvas. I then resolved to separate the sky into three sections that each occupy a part of the sky that recede into the distance. I am now trying to have the nearer, darker clouds at the left in front of the lighter horizontal ones with the other clouds at top right and centre that are catching the dawn light separated also from the horizontal ones (haven't done these yet). The sky is also too saturated and too cool so I will have to put a few glazes over later.
I doubt if I will have this finished in time for sending to Illuxcon and don't want to f*** it up by trying to hurry it!

Siren's Dawn - stage 8

Again, not really a stage, just the progress this morning made on refining the sky before leaving the studio back on Monday. The difference between stage 7 and 8 is quite subtle as I have just been changing some shapes and directions of clouds-the sky must hang together as a real sky, the nearer clouds darker against the further ones.

Siren's Dawn - stage 7

I changed my mind about the sky after making a start on putting in the sunrise light onto the clouds when I realised it was heading towards a (to me) corny sunrise/sunset painting, something I try and avoid. So instead of the pink clouds spreading across the sky at right I am just going to have the light hitting the clouds in the centre of the sky with the rest of the clouds in shadow. I left it at this point as the light in the studio was getting bad and it was a good point to stop and look at getting the cloud shapes right in tomorrow morning's session.