Stage 1:
This is the base coat designed to help define and identify each section. The painting is on a 20 x 16 inches canvas and is painted in acrylics. I am quite an impatient person and find acrylics dry quicker then oils. The original photograph is very detailed with reeds and grass and rocks, so this project is likely to take some time to complete. At this stage I'm not worried about detail.
The picture was initially drawn out in 5cm by 5cm squares to help scale up the drawing and get the proportions correct.
This is stage one finished. The major components have been blocked in and I am now ready to move onto stage 2 and start some preliminary shading. It took me 3 hours of continuous work to complete stage 1.
Stage 2:
With the base coat completed and dried I can now start to lay i the background texture and detailing, working from the furthest point to the closest. The details are initially blocked in using white paint, and once dry a variety of colour washes is added to create texture and form. 
This is a lengthy process and the top left hand corner, although not having as many details as the rest of the picture, has taken me over an hour already and it is not completed. Once all the details have been added I will be able to go over the ground texture lightening any parts necessary.
