Hello again friends, time for another wip. I have been tossing this idea around for a few weeks after wrapping up Nature's Fury.....I wanted to do a tornado scene, but use some lightning to really set off the sky. I want the scene dark, violent, and powerful.... terrifying. At first I had thought a huge one...on the ground.....being lit up by the flash of lightning.....illuminating a chaotic nightmare on earth....in what would normally be a sky so dark nothing would be seen...no warning.

The problem...I'm currently out of stretched canvas, so I decided to do a smaller version "study" of the scene (especially because no ref near what II want could be found) on a 16 x 12 canvas panel. Fully intending to do a 16 x 20 or larger on "real" canvas later. LOL...as luck would have it.... now I'm starting to like this, and wishing I hadn't started on cheapo panel.

I'm posting the wip as I go on this "study"....so I can't promise if this will evolve into a completed painting or if that will come later, and this will remain a study for the "real" one.

The process.... I have searched and searched for a ref/refs like what I see in my head, but nothing is really that close, so I am taking tiny bits from maybe 12-15 different refs on this. Maybe the shape of a funnel here....color or shape of the way this one terminates, etc. Though mostly I must admit I am just painting. Though I can't see it "crystal" clear in my mind, I'm hoping my subconcious can lol. I'm just kinda adding things as I feel them. Using this process has been different in ways....the painting (study) has kind of taken a life on of it's own. Clouds beginning to form without me really concious of putting them in.....then....lol.... a spot just opened up in the sky, and something told me to put another...distant twister in the scene....hence...."sisters". I still fully intend the lightning (unless I change my mind), but that will come later....along with all the lights/colors from it.

First update..... I first killed the canvas with some gesso, and all my darks. I'm not bringing much color in this yet, and likely not that much later. Then I blocked in the horizon, and began building the tremendous darks in the sky. There will be lots more. Actually I may be near halfway on the darks at this point....maybe. The beginning stages of this will be VERY dark, and later I'll be forming, and bringing in the lights, and highlights. I also blocked in the funnels. I have a fair amount of whites/lights planned within them in areas, but all that will come in later steps, this is just the beginning of the base gound-work. So anyway....with no more write-up for now.....

here is the half-done basing in of darks for the "Sisters"......



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loking good so far

woow Dragonshade what a subject hope you are able to get the power on the canvas.cheers Lorrir

Excellent topic DS! This ought to be a really powerful one. Already looking like things are shaping up ... er down ... er up. Anyway, you get the wind of where I'm going with this. I'll definitely be blowing back in here often to check on the progress.

Eric

Got my coffee, have my most favorite chair & I'm all set to watch you paint step by step! (Just let me know when I can take a break - coffee tends to go right through one, you know!)

J

I can hardly wait for the step by step also.. Looks great. To me, tornados always looked like big ropes hanging from the sky, swinging back and forth, and you captured it in the far one. I haven't started painting yet, so I am thrilled that you are sharing the process with us. Like Eric and his great sense of humor said, " I'll definitely be blowing back in here often to check on the progress."

i loveee tornadossss i actually just started one myself too

Hi everyone, very cool to see that there is interest in this, thanks for posting everyone.

Thanks Woo!

lorrir/Costan.... I know it!! LOL Don't think I took in the challenge factor of the subject initially. Something that likely would be more suited to pencil than paint, being mainly values of blacks and grays. Still.... I'll do what I can with it. Don't even think I've heard of or seen a tornado painting before.

Lol Eric, nice breezy comments

J-Lynn.... Always a pleasure Don't worry, I work slow....lots of time for potty breaks

Cyn... Hi there, and thanks. Ever sinceI saw Twister I have wanted to storm chase, wish I has seen one in person at some point....likely would make the painting easier. Since I have no real reference for this it is tough going at many points. There are many types and stages of tornados...the rope and stovepipe ones are the ones you mentioned I believe, but also there is the wedge. The wedge is much like that huge one in Twister...where all that is really seen is a huge column of chaos...sometimes they can be over a mile wide. I really wanted both, but couldn't decide which for sure....so we have them both

Antisnow.... Is it in pencil? Love to see it.



Next update: This next update I'm not quite as happy with. Not that I don't like where things are going, I do, but more that the pic turned out poor/blurry, and that though it "appears" little has changed, a lot of time went into taking it to this next point. I'm not going for a stormy, cloudy sky, but more of the bottom of a Supercell, when viewed looking up..... like a spinning chaos of clouds. So for this I am building LOTS and LOTS of darks (I warned you), instead of layering different hues, and colors of clouds towards/away from the viewer....I want it to be more of a churning ceiling of power. The flash of lightning will be coming next, along with the illumination, and colors in the light pockets throughout most of the cloud mass from that lightning. I plan it to fork between the funnels lighting them both up differently, and also illuminating some of the ground areas. It is a very dark scene....only the lighting giving a true glimpse at the monsters, the sisters. The distant tree line will be reaching up a bit from where the horizon is now, as things progress, hopefully enough to give a 'low ceiling" feeling to the cloud base. The dirt/dust/debris will come last.

Sorry for the light spot at the base of the bigger twister, it is a reflection where a small spot of sun was hitting the painting during the pic. I realized it later.


~Ray~

im so impressed with your skys you seem to have them spot on .. the sun spot on the picture looks ok

awww thanks Woo They gave me such a fit when I started painting...how I hated clouds then lol.

The lightning really should bring life the sky, I'll be keeping much of the darks in pockets, but also bring in the lights. Hoping at least.

Well, the screen door to this forum was unlatched and banging back and forth in the wind, so I thought I would look in on you in case you needed any help. I can see from the comments that you have plenty. Well, even so, I would have brought over a nice piece of pie or plate of cookies, but they spoil easily over the Web. So instead I would like to give you some inpiration in your current project.

This is a site I "Stumbled Upon" today. When I saw it, I immediately thought of you. Take a gander through the link and look at the wallpaper photos there. Awesome extreme sky pics await your hungry appetite. But, be careful though, taking in too many of them may give you an upset stomach.

Extreme Instability <----- CLICK HERE!!

Enjoy it my friend. By the way, I saw a couple nasty looking funnel clouds just yonder in the pasture.
Eric

Eric.... thanks for that link!! Awesome stuff!! Lol... I see a couple future paintings there You know storms, and weather are not easy to paint or draw lol (finding that out myself), but they sure are awe-inspiring.



Well everyone I must apoligize for no new updates as of yet. It has been a very busy few weeks for me, and honestly I not only hadn't touched this, but not painted at all in that time. Some of it may have also been being a little "stuck" on these Sisters. This "study turned painting" has been a real challenge. As I had mentioned before I am using many different refs, but it is much more accurate to say I am using no reference. I don't find myself looking at any of the images I had originally picked out at all, but just flat out painting. Recently (I spent maybe 4 hours on this painting yesterday) I added the lightning, and the tremendous illumination from the flash in the layers of sky. I really did not know how to do this, didn't have a plan, and no ref at all for what I wanted (part of my being stuck I guess). Regardless I put brush to canvas, and it just worked. That was thrilling. At some points I am very frustrated, and at others it seems as though I am just an observer.... watching this painting evolve.

Here is the next update (finally lol) my friends. As I mentioned I'm really just kinda watching this one happen, and unfold as I go. Not sure what area I'll be tackling next, maybe the ground.... with the funnels and debris last.... maybe the funnels, and then the ground.... just depends where my eyes and brush pull me next.



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Wow Dragon,
It looks awesome already even with it not being finished. I really like your painting!!! Wish i could paint that well but I am not giving up just ordered I think 3 or 4 books on acrylic painting...lol. I like to learn my subjects before I try try them. Sounds weird I know. Probably be better off just doing it until I get it right but I like to "know" what I am doing so to say. Can't wait for more!

Dragon,

This is really breathtaking! You have such a wonderful hand at drawing these lightning bolts from the sky. They look so realistic and seem to weave in and out of the picture in all the right places. The Sisters look really good too, but my eye is waiting to get more detail in the front one. Of course distance in the further one remain devoid of detail as the rules apply. But, I really think that the front one needs something ... like maybe a couple cows half exposed, oops, did I say that? Or, maybe even half a house and I think Venus can help you with that one as well. Really though, I seem to want to see a little more texture to the funnel.

Keep up the posting!
Eric

Venus... Hey thanks! No reason you can't learn to use acrylics well. Personally I've only been at it maybe 6 months now. Once you get the basics down it's much like drawing.... with color. Never worry about over-studying your subjects, just makes you a better artist.

Eric... Again, thank you. Your comments, and kind words.... WOW. You must remember though this is a work in progress.... she ain't done yet. The funnels were the next up for highlight/detail/form, and you'll get much of what you want in this new update. I will be adding a good bit of dust/debris/etc.... mainly in the near one before it's finished, and likely also some other interest on the ground, and maybe even a surprise or two.



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fantastic work yet again .. i so love your skies and backgrounds you make them very real looking

I just want to say; My eyeballs are dripping with anticipation! Just make sure its not Venus' house, she gets superstitious about things like that.

Eric

Dragonshade,
Don't listen to Eric, if you wanna use my house for debries go for it...lol. Sometimes I wish a tornado would come and sweep it away with everyone not inside anyways.. Awesome job!!!!! I love it. I can't wait to see more!

Eric, Eric, Eric...Are you missing me or something? Everytime I go into a forum you are writting something about me. I feel special all of the sudden... nah I am just joking.

I was looking through your gallery for this one, (I just love your gallery, by the way), and had to come back here to see the progress. Wow!! As usual, you do wonderful storms. You just do good work, period. Love your stuff.

this is a fantastic painting I would give anything to be able to paint

Well, I'm sorry Venus, but I hadn't heard from you and I was frantically looking through the guidebooks here in Italy to find out if I am anywhere near the Venus d'Milo statue. But, unfortunately I found out it is located in Naples, Italy and that is a little too far to drive for a day. I was going to draw it for a surprise. I guess when you are gone people really do miss you. Isn't that a wonderful feeling?

Hope your days are getting better, if not colder! Italy, is terribly warm for this time of year.

Eric

Gosh darn it!!!! Why do I always get stuck over on the 2nd page?? Is there a conspiracy here or something?