Dunluce Castle

Dunluce Castle on the North Antrim coast in Northern Ireland has inspired many of my paintings.  It is a place I grew up visiting and still go to often.  This stretch of coastline is hard to beat.  The coast recently used in Game of Thrones has been painted so much and I can see why.  This panorama really suits the whole view in which you can see a misty Portrush in the background.  Hope you enjoy the progress.

The finished painting ‘Dunluce Castle’ 36″x 15″

My reference photo. You can see that my colouring is loosely based on the photo but I do change and enhance areas more in the painting.  In particular I like to make the sky a little more dramatic.

 

My line drawing being further developed on the sandy velour. I’ve mounted my velour on Xtra Tak mount board which really firms it up.  I do this for all my work on velour but especially the large pieces.

 

The main areas of colour blocked in on the sky.

 

After lots of thin films of colour blending in as I go.

 

I use mostly Unison pastels and for the sky area I make use of them on their side.  These are all the colours used to create the sky.

 

Starting from the background and working my way forward in the landscape.  Each layer of land will get painted in and then covered in thin films of peachy orange and lilac blues to fade them into the distance.

 

 

 

Blending some of these misty layers using my fingers.

 

 

 

Having applied a blue grey as the base for the sea I rub this lightly into the paper.

 

Starting to pick out the waves using shades of blue and Unison Grey 27 for the wave crests not in shadow.

 

The castle itself won’t be painted to a great amount of detail as I want to save the higher contrast for the land in the foreground. I will also be adding the misty film of light over the left side of the castle.

 

 

Studio helper 😉

 

Using blues and lilacs for the foam areas at the bottom of the rocks as they are in shadow.

 

The foreground will have the only black I’ve used in the painting. I want the wall to have dark contrast.

 

Using a vibrant peachy orange Unison on it’s side to create the soft rays of light.  You can see that my painting underneath doesn’t move.  I can go over this and blend lightly to soften the light.