Alright folks, got something fun and messy to share today – tried my hand at making this "simple romantic encounter" painting. Total amateur hour over here, but hey, we gotta start somewhere, right?
The "Gathering Stuff" Phase
First thing, rummaged through the sad graveyard that is my art supplies drawer. Seriously, half the tubes were crusty fossils. Found:
- Acrylic paints: Mostly the primary colors plus white and black. Forget fancy "mauve" or "burnt sienna" – mixing is half the adventure.
- Canvas: Unearthed one smallish, pre-stretched one gathering dust behind some old sketchbooks. Victory!
- Brushes: An assortment of questionably clean brushes. One pointed one looked hopeful for details.
- Water container: Grabbed an old jam jar. Classy, I know.
- Paper towels: Essential for panic wiping and coffee spills.
Figured that'd do. Simple setup for simple aims.
Starting With a (Very) Rough Idea
Didn't wanna overthink it. Pictured two kinda silhouetted figures close together, maybe walking, against a soft background. Sunset? Night sky? Honestly, just winging it. Squeezed out:
- Blues and Purples: For that dusk feel.
- White and Yellow: Thinking moon/stars or soft sunset glow.
- Burnt Umber and White: For the ground.
- Black and Crimson: For the people shapes.
Started slapping the blue and purple mix onto the canvas with a big brush. Just big, messy strokes. Covered most of it. Blended a tiny bit with a dry brush where they met, making sure it wasn't too streaky.
Adding the Background Drama
Wanted a focal point. Mixed white with a dab of yellow for a warm glow. Dabbed it roughly where I imagined a moon hanging out, maybe low on the horizon. Used my finger a bit (yes, literally!) to smudge it softly into the dark blues. Not perfect, kinda hazy – good enough! Dabbed some thinner white dots for little stars nearby.
Painted the ground along the bottom third. Used the burnt umber mixed with white to keep it soft. Didn't sweat making it perfectly level – a slight curve looked more natural.
The Scary Part: Painting People Shapes
Okay, this is where it got nerve-wracking. Took the crimson first. Just blobbed down two roughly standing/walking shapes side-by-side. Kept them simple and connected – no distinct arms or legs, just kind of fused silhouettes to look close. Didn't want details messing it up.
Then came black. Mixed it with a touch of crimson so it wasn't pure void. Carefully outlined the crimson blobs with the pointier brush, trying to give them slightly more defined "couple-ish" shapes – shoulders leaning in a bit, heads close together. Filled in the main shapes with black. Had to hold my breath so my stupid hands wouldn't shake!
Pro Tip: Dark paint covers light paint way easier than the other way around. Learn from my past mistakes.
Final Touches and "Artistic" Corrections
Stepped back. Felt the figures needed to pop more against the background. Took a tiny bit of pure white on the tip of a brush and added a faint highlight along their "edges" facing the moon glow. Instantly better!
Mixed a tiny amount of the crimson into white and dotted the ground vaguely near their feet for tiny reflections or flowers. Just suggestions.
Saw a big smudge I hated near the moon. Panic dabbed with dark blue paint on my thumb. Made it worse. Used the original background colors to smudge over the panic spot until it kinda blended into a softer cloud. Crisis averted? Mostly.
And... Done (Kinda?)
Put down the brushes. Admired my slightly wobbly, slightly messy, accidentally kinda cute romantic encounter painting. It’s simple, it’s definitely not realistic, but you can tell what it's meant to be. A guy and a gal, arm-in-arm or walking together close, under a softly lit sky. Mission accomplished? For my skill level, hell yeah!
Honestly, the key was not getting hung up on perfection. Just grab the stuff, make a plan so simple a kid could do it, and just... start moving the paint around. Worst case, you learn something. Best case? You get something surprisingly sweet on canvas.
