Painting with MilanC. part 01: Žika i Milan ("Žikina dinastija")

Painting with MilanC. part 01: Žika i Milan ("Žikina dinastija")

Before we start painting, I like to list out some steps and phases we need to follow. These phases include:

01. Preparation phase;
02. Sketch phase;
03. Painting phase.

I Preparation phase:

In the first phase, there are some steps we need to do:

01. Think of what to paint;
02. Choose a painting source;
03. Find the right canvas for painting;
04. Choose a technique for painting;
05. Identify the colors in the painting.

First of all, before we start painting, we have to think of what to paint, all we need for that is a good idea. For example, I thought of painting Žika and Milan from ,,Žika's dynasty". The next step is to choose a painting source. There multiple ways of finding a great painting source. Here are some options:

a) Thinking in our head;
b) Taking a photo of something;
c) Finding an image on Google.

We can think of the painting in our head and how we want it to look in the end. We can also take a photo of something we want to paint, but we can also find an image on Google which we want to paint. In this case, I'll choose a picture from Google, like this one:

After finding a painting source, the next thing to do is to find  the right canvas so we can later measure by proportion. The easiest way of figuring out how big does it have to be is to measure the surface on which we’ll be painting. For example, I’ll measure the size of a A5 format paper. If the painting appears to be too big, the best thing to do is to crop a photo, so it matches the size of a A5 format paper.

After we find the right canvas, next we have to talk about the technique we’ll be using. In this case, I’ll use a combination of pencils, wooden colors and crayons (wax pastels) on Blok 5 (A5 format paper). For the colors, I like to paint with the colors I see. Like in this image, I mostly see colors like black, gray, brown, orange…

II Sketch phase:

The next phase is the sketch phase. In this phase, we need to draw a sketch concept of how we want our painting to look in the end. There are some methods of drawing a sketch:

a) Ruler measuring;
b) Monitor copying;
c) Free-hand drawing.

While measuring with a ruler, we measure X and Y coordinates of the specific spots. Once we map out the dots, the next thing we do is to connect the dots. Although the method is precise, it’s mostly time consuming.

For the monitor copying method, we place a paper on the monitor screen and then draw the highlighted spots we can see. This method is a bit easier than the ruler measuring method, but the paper must be perfectly aligned, and sometimes it's hard to see the highlighted spots.

For the final method, it’s simply free-hand drawing. This means that we draw without measuring anything. Although it’s more efficient than the previous methods, the possibility of messing up the proportions is very high. If more space is left on the top part, I usually add some extra detail or simply add a wooden frame on top. After we finish the sketch, we’ll end up with something like this:

III Painting phase:

In the final phase, we paint the sketch and this is one of my favorite phases of all. For painting, I like to choose a spot and then fill it up with some colors. For example, for a hand, I first start by coloring the spot with a brown crayon, then I shade the spot till I get the right skin color. I then add some pencil for shading. I also mix with some wooden colors for more saturation and for highlights. I mostly try to match the color which I see in the image.

After finishing a spot, I then move on to the next spot. After some time, Žika looks like this:

After that it's just repeating the steps. Start by coloring a spot with a right crayon, then we shade the spot, after that we apply the pencil for shading, then add some extra wooden colors for more saturation and for some highlights. Sometimes, I like to use an eraser to highlight some spots, but the problem is that can get a bit dirty. After I paint all main subjects in the painting, I then leave the background for the final part of painting, and after some time, here’s the final result:

If you have other painting suggestions, let me know down below. I hope you enjoy this one.