10 Eliminate the inessential

From the earliest stages, all the way through the execution of the painting, try to delete or conceal whatever doesn’t add to the central idea. In the hatchling scene, I limit the colours to yellow ochre and a dull slate blue, leaving out greens, reds and pinks. Because I’m designing the painting for a doublepage spread, I allow space for the gutter and for a type area on the left. The whole composition includes a wider shot of the nest, with shell fragments and mud caked on the eggs.