This is my exact process I use to create a Quick Draw painting (2 hours to complete a painting on location for a plein air competition) and you can copy my strategy here to practice. The actual painting took me about 2 hours with a few breaks but I do show full process here and narrate throughout. This demo will teach you the importance of starting with a strong dark shape and then slowing integrating and breaking it apart at little - not to destroy the unity of the dark building mass. See supply list for colors and materials. Oil basic palette with "Grayish Blue" from Cobra (a newer paint tube for me). 9x12" Centurion all-media primed panel.
See Assignment for process notes and media to use.
OIL, GOUACHE, & ACRYIC NOTES
This project is great for and opaque layering media. The objective is not to 'overpaint' or correct anything but build strategic layers. For oil wet in wet this means thin to thick. Acrylic and gouache artists might have trouble getting a blending look or creamy look to the art. Perhaps preparing two colors and dabbing them together will be good to do.
WATERCOLOR NOTES
Watercolor artists should start with a pencil sketch or a pale sketch in burnt umber for the rough shape of the building masses, then wash in the sky. Use the final art or the photo reference to see the sky-building shape (lighter sky and darker building). Plan for where the chain of lights will be in the cityscape, also the car light flare and the glow of the streetlights. Put a little piece of artist masking tape over the big lights if you need to. Dot in yellow to remember where these lights and warm spots wll be. Use a lot of Burnt Umber for the buildings with a touch of Cobalt Blue to gray the color down as needed. Use a mix of yellow and red to make orange for zesty areas around the street lamps. The sky can be done with a few progressive washes (each glaze of color can go over a prior dry wash, this will take it all darker and you can get a good glow with the Qunacridone reds such as Permanent Rose + Cobalt Blue). Avoid Ultramarine Blue, Cadmiums, or Burnt Umber in the sky as these mixes can get grainy (good for buildings and bricks but not for a sky). A dark neutral color can be made with either Blue + Burnt umber and only a little water.