Cyclists Riding Into Sunset – The Process Of Painting in 4 Steps

The Only Way To See The Sunset Is To Ride Into It

Step 1 – Watercolour Pencils Sketch

When I begin my painting, I am drawing the outlines of the scene with watercolour pencils. Watercolour pencils are a wonderful medium to use for sketching because it is easy to blend and mix colours.

You also get an instant colour when you touch the marks of a watercolour pencil with just a splash of water.

Dripping gloss paint from the tip of my palette knife.

Step 2 – Gloss Paint

To make the image permanent, I would drip household gloss paint – this is my signature technique. I love this technique because I have little control over my lines and I let them take their own path.

As I drip the paint from the tip of my palette knife, the paint splashes uncontrollably, adding the effect of motion to my painting.

Step 3 – Splashing Inks

Next comes the sky – the background, which is also painted freely and expressively, splashing inks of different colours onto the surface and allowing water to help them spill, mix, and blend.

Splashing inks, allowing water to help them mix and blend.

Finishing off the sky with acrylic paints.

Step 4 – Glossy Sky

And finally, I would dribble gloss paint lines of different colours to accentuate the highlights, the very bright edges of the clouds, and the sun’s rays peeking through.