The Making of The Path of Blackshroom

I almost gave up on this piece.

I got to this point and was at a complete loss for what to do next. I let it sit for a while. Then one day during my portfolio class I didn't have anything to do and I needed to look busy so I set up my drawing station, put on some headphones, poured myself a cup of coffee and proceeded to listen to some 16th century choir music

At first nothing happened. I reworked a couple areas, addling on a few light benign layers. Once I became immersed back into the scene I did something that I absolutely hate doing. I took a brush full of thick paint and added something to the composition. I created a secondary wall structure in the background to create some variety and contrast. After moments like this there is no going back. The pigment is too dark to ever fully remove it so your only option is to go all in. It can really be a gamble sometimes.

This addition made the piece feel more complete but I felt it was still lacking so I loaded up my brush for the second time and added the continuation of the wall in the foreground. Double or nothing. The composition now felt complete and I could finally go into the final stages of the painting by bringing out the details.

Once the architecture was complete I took a step back. I was happy with the general composition but I still couldn't shake the feeling that there was something missing. They started as black vertical lines but after some time they slowly took the form of mushrooms. I always enjoy adding a little piece narrative to my paintings. Just a little something that gives the scene a little mystery. Most of my art is connected by one intersecting narrative.

If anyone read this far, thank you. If you have any thoughts put them in the comments. I'm always looking for feedback.