Stage 2: I've crudely blocked-in the areas of water. These will be the palest areas so putting them in at this stage helps me to establish the tonal range of the picture. This will make it easier to judge colour mixing for the rest of the picture.

This is the first stage of blocking in a new painting, of sand ripples at Morecambe Bay in Lancashire, England. It will be an oil painting and measures 34" x 48". You can see the acrylic field sketch at the top of the picture, which I'm using for reference. I've roughly blocked in the main composition with very thin oil paint and have indicated the shape and direction of the ripples in the foreground. The success of the picture will depend largely on getting the perspective looking right so this is a crucial stage. I've already wiped out and re-painted some of the ripples - I think it's about right now!