Fast and rough

Next, I block in characters and elements on a separate layer. The key is to keep it rough and fast in the beginning. When I start a painting I imagine how the scene would look when the lights are turned off. Then I start illuminating the scene, thinking about key, fill and bounce light. It’s a good way to keep track of the lighting – especially in complex scenes. I also always try to be as efficient as I can. For the forest I create a master tree that I duplicate, distort and change several times.