Greg Manchess
Still at it, Muddies! Counting down from 60.
I’ve been drawing like crazy for the past two weeks, preparing multiple spreads for the novel. This is where most of the time for each painting is spent. The painting goes relatively quickly once I know where I’m going, and that usually depends on visualizing the lighting and value.
Most of the painting time is spent making decisions about balancing values. I have the color and light worked out already before starting a piece. This saves time, but also agony. To do that demands much planning.
Altogether, I have about 20 pieces going at once, working to get a new one established during the day, and continuing or finishing a couple in the evening. This doesn’t always work so smoothly.
I find that my energy lags when I’m conceptualizing as there are so many decisions to be made. I pick up energy when the drawing goes down and enthusiasm builds to see the finish. But sometimes there are things unforeseen that tend to take time to manage or correct. 
All of the shifts and changes are based on my own desire to showcase something or capture a mood, a motion, a condition. And I’ve only myself to answer to. Sometimes I can be a brutal taskmaster.
The finished shots of the work are starting to come in now and I’m ready to feed more to my photographer.  Many of these images are professionally shot, and I can get that crisp, white background.
More in 2 weeks!
An example of the sketch to canvas…the is figure a combination of projection and freehand; 
the bear is freehand to canvas with blue pencil, then redrawn with graphite