I visited the local high school for the homecoming
game and was struck by the juxtaposition of the players on the field and
the light coming in over the mountains in the background. Here is a photo
of the original scene.
In the beginning stages you can see how I laid out the basic composition
of the painting and began doing some detailed drawings of the individual
players.
Size about 18 x 24
The background is filled in with color silhouetting the players, scoreboard
and uprights in the foreground.
Now you can see more detail in the trees and hills in the background
and the beginnings of color added to previously unpainted areas.
Now, using smaller brushes, detail is developed. The players are given
more dimension and definition with emphasis on light and shadow. Reflections
on the helmets are dabbed in and detail is added to the scoreboard.
Here's the finished painting. Several more layers
of paint have been applied to all areas. The lighting on the trees and
the rays of sunlight in the upper left have been added. Everything has
been refined to work together harmoniously, presenting the scene the way
I envisioned it that day.
Here's a close-up. You can see that each player is in a
characteristic posture. It's the moment right before the play begins and
attention is focused on the business at hand.
Here's "Big Play," matted and framed. Go back and compare
it to the original reference photo at the top. You'll see that a lot of
simplification has occurred in order to create this work of art.
