The Art of Beth Trott
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Illustration Master Class - June 10 - 17, 2011

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The Finished Painting

The finished painting if it were to be printed as a book cover
(divided into Back Cover, Spine and Front Cover)

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This watercolor painting is the end result of a very long process that started at the Illustration Master Class but continued well after I returned home. I think artists learn something from every single painting they create, but this one taught me more then any before it. I’m proud of how this painting came out, but more importantly I’m thrilled at how much I was able to grow and develop from just one piece. It’s owed largely to the incredible faculty at the IMC, who readily offered their experience and insight to guide, challenge, and improve the works of all the students who attended. Here’s my brief overview of how this painting came to life.

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The Process

Before arriving at the Illustration Master Class I was given a choice of assignments. I chose the following: “Image of a dragon(s) with 2-4 other characters engaged in a narrative moment/task/event of the artist’s own choosing. Feel free to interpret this any way you would like as long as there is a good amount of attention on at least one human figure. The work can be Young Adult or adult themed.  The figures and the dragon(s) can either be friend or foe. This scene may include, but not be limited to, adventure, combat, travel, themes of evil dragon, good dragon, story tale dragon, etc.”

Even while I worked on my sketch at home prior to the IMC, I knew I wanted to really challenge myself with this piece. Not only did I want to take full advantage of having the help of the esteemed faculty at the workshop, but I also wanted to set the highest expectations and really push myself to a new level. Here are some of the things I tried to focus on with this image:

1. Composition and Storytelling: I wanted to complete a strong portfolio piece that shows clients that I can design a top-notch wrap book cover. This means not only creating a strong composition for the entire image, but also having to take into consideration the front cover, spine and back cover as individual elements. I also wanted to exhibit a strong sense of storytelling, showing clients that I can immediately engage a viewer and make them want to know more about a product (i.e. buy the book)!
2. Style and Rendering: My watercolor style is what some people would call “tight”. I tend to render everything and make sure the forms are defined everywhere. On the flip side, I know what makes a great painting can sometimes be what’s NOT seen, so I wanted to face this challenge head on. I decided to do something I’ve never done before. I would take foreground characters and throw them entirely into shadow, keeping the figures loose (almost camouflaged) while still accurate and interesting.
3. Creating Environment: I wanted to try to use value, contrast, color intensity, and atmosphere to create an understandable sense of depth and perspective in the painting.
4. Scale: Purely as a personal goal (as it would not likely mean much to a client), I decided to work on a larger scale. The painting was done on a full sheet of watercolor paper and the final painting measured 18" x 26" (this was quite a bit larger then any watercolor I’d ever done)

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Step 1 - The Rough Sketch

I arrived at the Illustration Master Class with this rough sketch of my idea. While no sweeping changes were made to the basic design of the image, the faculty did help me make corrections on parts of the image that were not working. The biggest trouble spot was the tail of the dragon, as the perspective was all off. I also got many contributions and ideas from the faculty on how to make the picture more interesting. Details like having her skirt trail off into the water and adding rocks to the foreground to really drive home the depth of the space made this piece so much better in the end.

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Step 2 - The Value Study

I did a hand-drawn value study (normally I would do it digitally as it’s much more time efficient). This allowed me to take the detailed image around to the faculty for one last look before I put the drawing onto the watercolor paper. Adding this stage insured that I would not get attached to any ideas, since adjustments would be easy to make in the final drawing. Even though this added an extra day of work, it turned out to be the right choice. The figures were completely transformed in the final. Moving the figures so that they formed a triangle, with the girl at the top (and making her less stiff and statuesque) really kicked up the drama in the painting.

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Step 3 - Color Studies

I took one morning to explore different possible color stories for the painting. The first sets the scene on a cloudy, overcast day. The second would be a bright sunny day. In the third, I was trying to find a middle ground. After sharing my color studies with several faculty members, everyone seemed to like the colors in the first one. I think the first and the second both have some good qualities, but in the end I picked the first because it would really allow me to use the atmosphere to help create the depth I wanted to show.

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Step 4 - Final Drawing to Final Painting

It took me about one full day to lay in the final drawing and then I got right to slopping some paint around.

I did an under-painting in cool blues and purples where the shadows fell and then started building up from there.

Now seems like a good time to mention that while at the IMC the days weren’t spent just painting, but they also included three information-packed seminars each day! By the end of the class, despite many late nights working in the studio, I was only able to take this painting to the point of this progress shot below.

Upon returning home I shot some new photo references for the male figures and immediately got right back to work on this painting.

I worked on it for several days, got it to this point and then I just couldn’t *see* the painting anymore. I knew more had to be done, but I just couldn’t figure out what. I had to literally turn the painting to the wall and work on other things for awhile (one of them being my brand new business card image that’s at the top of this page). Five days later I turned the painting around and looked at it for the first time. The time to reflect was just what I needed. With fresh eyes, I saw immediately that the dragon was still too light; the values were almost the same as the background.

I got right back to it and soon the painting was done!

Beth's Lessons learned from this painting and the overall IMC experience...

1. No matter how intimidating a painting may be, you have to dive in and go for it, otherwise you’ll never learn and grow as an artist. For me, this was especially true with the male figures in the foreground. I’d never before forced myself to paint a foreground element so loosely, leaving only an implication of form.

2. Trying to create a sense of depth in a painting is, conceptually, much like understanding the proximity of pieces of a set on a stage. It ’s so important to understand where each element is placed in the picture. A strong understanding of value and color saturation as the elements of the painting recede is invaluable. I’m not certain I hit the mark in this painting, but I sure as hell learned a lot about it along the way. I’ll just continue to keep working to better accomplish this effect in future paintings. Which brings me to another IMC lesson: Embrace failure and learn as much as you can from it!

3. Storytelling is the core of illustration and it’s imperative to know what the narrative is trying to communicate. No less important is the need to tell that story in the most clear and concise way so that the viewer is immediately engaged and excited by it. I’m used to being given an assignment by a client to tell a story that someone else has already written. By being left to my own devices, I had picked a visual moment in time that even I was interested to know more about. In the end, I came to IMC with a rough sketch and I left with an awesome story.

Frankly, I learned more attending the Illustration Master Class then I could ever put on one list. The experience of the faculty and their willingness to share their knowledge really encouraged and motivated me. The other students as well were nothing short of inspiring. The whole environment of the IMC was just electric. I can only hope I continue to channel that pure sense of excitement and drive to keep learning and improving my work!