I took a photo of my little brother, Luke, and one of his chickens to create a barnyard scene. I was not particular in the composition or coloring of the photography since I was only using this photo as a reference. 

Using my models as a reference, I mapped out a quick sketch and planned the message and feeling that the final painting would give. I determined the composition and made preliminary adjustments. 

Tediously, I started painting the base coat and worked my way up from there. I used more brushes than I can count and a multitude of layers. There was a constant battle to hit the fine line between attention to detail while keeping the painted appearance. I didn’t want a painting that was photo-realistic and purposefully left many brush strokes alone as they fell imperfectly upon the canvas.

Finally, the painting was finished! The original photo was dull due to unsatisfactory lighting conditions on the day of the photo shoot. I fixed this by adding a golden glow to the painting and placing highlights. I also added some color interest by incorporating lush, green vines. The painting successfully gave an old-time barnyard feeling and the overall composition turned out as hoped.