Week 6: I Did It. I Painted Another Sunset.

(ONE DOES NOT SIMPLY WALK INTO MORDOR!) 

Welcome to Week 6! I’ve got another illustration to show you today. But first, let me catch you up on the story since there’s quite a time skip between the last illustration and this one. 

Sparknotes-Style Flash Summary 

After her experience in the Red Room (depicted in my previous illustration), Jane gets sent to Lowood School — a depressing, strict boarding school for girls. After getting an education there, she sees an ad for the position of governess at Thornfield Hall and applies for the job. 

Jane gets hired and leaves for Thornfield, where she becomes the teacher of a young girl named Adele. However, she has no idea who the owner of Thornfield is. 

The Actual Illustration  

One evening, while walking to the town for some errands, she assists a man who falls off his horse. Unbeknownst to her, the man is actually Mr. Rochester, her employer and the story’s love interest. 

In my illustration, I show Jane and Rochester (back on his horse) together on a path leading to Thornfield. And here’s the drawing:

I went for a wide shot that showcased Thornfield Hall in the backdrop and established its remote, forest setting. 

Again, if you want to see it in higher quality, go to my portfolio website: https://alisonding6.artstation.com/

If You’re an Artist, You Need To Read This 

My biggest challenge in this piece was getting the colors right. Since the scene is set at sunset, the colors of all objects are tinted red by the sky, and ambient blue light characterizes the shadows. I used to (and still sometimes) struggle a lot with colors and values, and a resource that helped me a lot was Mr. Bucci’s YouTube videos on color theory. 

Because they’ve helped me so much and because I think every artist should watch them, I’m linking some of my favorite playlists and videos below.

1. 10 Minutes To Better Painting Series: Https://Youtube.Com/Playlist?List=PLLmXZMqb_9sbNLM83NrM005vRQHw1yTKn 
2. Ambient Occlusion (And Ambient Light) For Painters): Https://Youtu.Be/7fLV5ezO64w
3. Understanding Shadow Colors (Ambient Light Part 2): Https://Youtu.Be/GwLQ0cDb4cE

(Disclaimer: watching videos alone will not magically boost art skills. You still need to practice to see results : ) 

And finally, here are some process shots of today’s illustration for your viewing enjoyment:

That’s all I have for today! Thanks for sticking around, and see you next week with another illustration.

Sources & References: 

1. Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. Signet Classics, 1962.