I started working on a color study of this subject which quickly turned into a full-on acrylic painting. Because I'm under a deadline for this piece, I decided to hop onto a different track and go ahead and start the process on the oil painting on canvas.
The first thing I did was to create the warm tone to cover over the white of the primed canvas. I used burnt sienna to accomplish this, and let this dry overnight. Because I am using W&N Griffin Alkyd fast-drying oils, I didn't need to wait too long.
I'm using random strokes at fist to fill the canvas with the burnt sienna color.
While it is still wet, I smoothed the underlay and let dry.
After drying overnight, I start to block in the shape of the ship. I'm using mixtures of Payne's Gray and Titanium White.
Based on an assortment of photo references that I had of USS Bailey, I blocked in the basic shape of the destroyer
I then begin to fill the sky with mixtures of Cerulean Blue, titanium white and a bit of cobalt blue, leaving the cloud shapes blank for the moment.
With the background blue sky still wet, I begin blocking in the initial colors of the cumulonimbus clouds in the distance with mixtures of Payne's Gray, Cerulean Blue, and Titanium White. I am not using any black in this painting. The darkest hue I am using is Payne's Gray.
I then begin to block in the ocean water behind the ship and the island in the far distance. I'm using mixtures of Cobalt Blue, French Ultramarine, Cerulean Blue and a touch of Payne's Gray and Titanium White.
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