"I always wished this photo from the night Gary proposed in London was more... well, pretty. Knowing Tara's unique style and that she was born in England, I showed it to her and asked if she could turn it into something prettier."- Audrey Wallace
And then I went to work. I began by doing a sketch of the London Eye accompanied by various Art Nouveau inspired designs against a backdrop of the London skyline. This was one of the most important steps in completing this piece because a good composition and plan set in place at the beginning helps eliminate a lot of problem solving along the way.
Here is where I laid on the first wash of paint. I painted a few layers for the sky grading from dark to light toward the horizon.
Then I added the warm sunset glow...
I continued downward adding water. After the water was done, I began the London sky line giving some depth with varying shades of silhouettes and sizes of buildings. Some say at this stage it looks like the scene of something out of Mary Poppins.
This part was fun... adding the twinkling lights was like putting the cherry on the top of the skyline. The city all of the sudden looked alive and inviting.
I then added the lovely couple. Floating on the water, but not for long.
And now we have two peas in a pod.
I brought the Union Jack into my Art Nouveau inspired designs and used the sunset as my inspiration for colors.
Here is the finished result.
