Pirate Scene

I love Pirates! This is a background painting scene I created with 2 Pirates having a good time outside of a Pirate bar.

“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” ― Walt Disney

Pirates at a dock

The rest of this section will go over my process for this painting.

Prompt
Research
Thumbnails
Prop pages, character designs
Line drawing
Values
Color comps
Final

Research

For my research on the pirate docks I focused on old english buildings from the 1700s. I wanted to find specific building details such as the wooden beams or the ornate carvings on the top of the buildings. These details would give the painting authenticity.

Thumbnails

My approach for these thumbnails was to think like an oil painter. I blocked in the darks and lights using a large brush and focused on the lighting. Strong lighting tells a clear and compelling story.

Linework

I chose this composition because it has layers to it. I’m able to get a good shot of the pub and a few buildings behind it. These layered buildings also directly lead the eye to the secondary point of focus, the pirate ship.

Linework revised

My original line drawing was too complex. I slimmed down the details to help keep the point of focus on the pirates, the pub and the pirate ship.

Values

These value studies help me figure out the final details. They paint a roadmap to my finish line. I included a value study with and without the pirate figures.