Sandstorm at the spine of Razor Pass.....Fashmir

[Fashmir]

Hi folks,

Taron has been very inspiring with his landscapes and characters of which my favorite is landscapeB_3h15min.jpg. I've been wanting to do an "alien" landscape for a while now having been inspired by Toratarsus and his posts of distant worlds he titled "MyLand"

Many thanks to you both for the inspirations. Here in series is a work in progress of my own with this theme.

I start out here using oils on the default AR paper 1600 x 1200. I'm thinking about the dominant color and the basic shapes I want in the landscape. In this case I'm thinking of an environment that is very arid and (because it's my story) is exposed to intense heat every few centuries when its celestial path takes it close to one of its two suns. As the sands melt in the heat, the winds shape and re shape them into imense ridges of stone and glass.

[Fashmir]

Here I continue with the oil brush. I am making choices about depth and refining and emphasizing shapes.

[Fashmir]

Now using the Oil Brush I added some highlights and a bit of complimentary hue. Using the eraser set to very low pressure and 100% softness at full size I gently scrub away at the deeper edges of the highlights in effect making a gradient.

[Fashmir]

At this point I chose to switch over to my burlap "canvas" grain for all the layers (which you can't see very well at the forum scale). Still using the Oil Brush I added more dimension using lights and darks and shifting the hue here and there for added interest and richness.

[Fashmir]

Here I've added more dimension and texture to the main peak and pushed back the others a bit by flicking in some blowing sand using the Oil Brush followed by the pallet knife and Soft Eraser.

[Fashmir]

Here I've opened up the sky with a complimentary hue allowing the sandstorm to become more defined and enhancing the color scheme. I've continued to play a bit with the more distant peaks and laid in a base coat for a dune in the foreground.

[Fashmir]

Here I've added more blowing sand and a couple of figures emerging to the heights from the valley below the main peak. The figures are just blocked in with the Oil Brush and the blowing sand was done with the Air Brush.

[D Akey]

Wow!

What an animation!

Very cool

[AndyRage]

Stunning stuff, Fashmir! I really love seeing finely detailed works like this in progress.
Brilliant painting.

[jacktar51]

Yes ...Its a good picture alright...its inspired,when you get going like this ... really good David,and a very neat and tidy tutorial it is....you did a very good job on the sandstorm,,dust picked up just a few inches above the surface, whipping around all over the place...even gets in your sandwiches.....Darn it....Love it, excellent picture.....Jack.