Question Can you help me paint a cobbled path?

Melisa Bengtsson, Sweden

Answer Sara replies

I choose to paint a cobbled path leading through a grassy valley between some monoliths to give the image an otherworldly appearance.

During the sketch stage I decide on a one-point perspective and lay down the meandering shape of the path between the other elements of the scene, such as mountains, sky, meadows and the alien columns. Then I start with basic colours and gradually add details. The cobbled path will be the most detailed element and so it’ll be the last thing I paint in my artwork, and only when I’m happy with the composition, colours and atmospheric perspective. After creating the shape of the lane I paint it with the dominant colour – a bluish-grey – which becomes more saturated as the path enters the foreground of the scene.

I use a scattered brush and a darker colour to lay down some brush strokes that will simulate the rough texture of the soil. I also add touches of warm brown to act as contrast, and light green to imitate moss that can grow between cobblestones.

The path needs to be less defined in the central part of the image, where it’s hidden by fog, so I reduce the details in this area. I put down all my colours over my sketch. This enables me to check that all the tones and hue in the illustration are...