Making of Song Hye Kyo in 2Dby Brett David Gordon, USA Web: www.brettgordonart.com


Most painters create a "ground" before a brush ever touches the canvas. This is a good idea because it can save paint (a color has already been deposited on the canvas) and it can also be used to sketch in the subject matter. However, I like to sketch out my subject directly onto a new, white canvas, and paint in my "ground" at the end! Unorthodox, I know, but it works for me. Here, I have splashed in the primary colors of the background, and have decided to make my light source appear in the top left area of the painting. I had decided this early on, but now I need to make sure that every subject in this painting aligns with the light source (i.e. skin, hair, leaves, dress, etc.).


It may appear that I intentionally left out several steps between the previous step and this completed rendering, but actually, these "missing" steps are just a repeat of everything I've explained in the previous process. All I've done is define the background with indications of foliage - keeping in mind the entire time where my light source is. I painted the entire dress with a plain gray-blue. I painted in the folds of the dress with mixtures of Prussian Blue, Alazarin Crimson, and Van Dyke Brown (these are also the three colors I use to make my blackest blacks). I added white to this dark paint mixture to add in the highlights - some with more violet, some with more blue. The hair looks so real that you could almost comb it. However, painting it is a cinch. I used my mixture of black, and painted the body of her hair with it. I used some of the same mixture of this black, and added lots of white to it to give the hair its shadow color, such as you see in blue/violets in the shade. I used Van Dyke Brown and white for the brown highlights in her hair (there's no such color as pure black). Adding more white to this color provides a nice highlight to her hair as it shines in the late afternoon sun. Even black hair is reflective! Notice how I used a darker mixture of the blue/violet and the Van Dyke Brown on her hair in the shade. I used a very thin-haired brush to paint in the hair strands. This take the longest amount of time to complete, as I need to paint in the strands one by one. About the open hand problem: I added a playfulness to the subject matter by painting in a tuft of hair between her fingers. Lastly, don't forget your signature :o)



About the Author: He is married and lives in Nashua. When he isn't painting, he is a solo bagpipe competitor, having won awards at Loon Mt., Lincoln, NH for Piobaireachd (classical music of the the Great Highland Bagpipe). He also studies classical guitar, tutors beginning art instruction, and dabbles in poetry. He is currently writing and illustrating a pre-teen fantasy novel with Christian themes.

Related Links

Making of Song Hye Kyo in 3D - Read Here