Paris courtyard II (2021)

Doing seminars the world over has taken me to many fun places. My wife gets to accompany me. We always add some time after my work to explore neighboring cities and other countries. I did a Photoshop conference in the Netherlands a few years ago and we decided to go to Paris after the event.

My first courtyard painting, Paris courtyard, which you can see in the Fine Art section, was a scene from an Airbnb that we were staying at. Exploring the beauty of Paris brought about my painting, Le Dome, viewable on the Home Page and the Fine Art section. We also went to a small town, Pont l'Abbe d'Arnoult, to visit some friends. Maybe someday I'll paint a scene from that side trip.

Returning to Paris the night before we were to catch a flight home, we stayed at a hotel on the Left Bank that would make it easy to get to the airport for our early flight home. We requested a room away from the street to avoid all the noise going on outside. Early the next morning I looked out the window and got the inspiration for Paris courtyard II.

The first image at right shows my workstation setup. The two 32-inch 4K BenQ monitors are where I view what I am working on. The one on the right displays my original photograph, which is my reference, zoomed into the section that I am working on. You will notice the camera distortion. My painting has no distortion. I rely on the principles of perspective to make things appear as the eye sees them. The monitor on the left displays the full image of my painting which helps me to see how the different elements are working together.

The 32-inch Wacom Cintiq below is my canvas. As you can see, I work zoomed into the area that I am working on which allows me to achieve the amount of detail that I strive to attain in my work

Along the way I rely on my Epson printers, especially the P9000, to proof the colors and how well the details hold up in print. Needless to say, when printed LARGE, everything is crystal clear!

The second image at right shows a work in progress of the first building on the right. Each element is carefully constructed. Upon completion of an element, the details such as wear and tear are added.

I often add small, personal touches that add a little humor for me. The bottom image shows a closeup of the top floor of the central building. Inside you see a room. On the wall hangs a framed print of the first painting, Paris courtyard.

https://www.benq.com/en-us/monitor.html
https://www.wacom.com/en-us
https://epson.com/usa