Rusty Metals & Complex Surfaces

This series teaches at least two things at once.

I developed this step-by-step process for painting rusty metal while I was a Prop Visual Development Artist at Disney.

During that time, I had to paint a lot of rusty/ weathered surfaces so I had to find a way to work through the overwhelm, maintain consistent quality and hit my deadlines.

My point is that the value in this simplified workflow is apparent.

…but I’m actually trying to teach you a more valuable skill: The ability to simplify a complex surface in your mind while preserving the complexity in your painting.

If you can paint a surface as complex as rusty metal, you can paint any kind of complex surface. Succeed in this even once and your confidence will grow significantly (which will lead to even better paintings).

Here, I’m working  from direct observation so you can see what I see and understand how I deconstruct a complex surface, simplify it in my mind and yet preserve the complexity in the painting. (Furthermore, painting complex forms from direct observation is a vital discipline for the painter.)

*In case you’re wondering, yes, I use the same workflow for rusty metal surfaces in my Visual Development work. Though more is left to the imagination in Visual Development, the value of high-quality, thoroughly-researched reference still applies.

This Lesson Is Available Exclusively To Magic Box Subscribers.