Italian Restaurant
Using SketchClub and iColorama, and inspired by a snapshot of mine, I was able to create this scene of an empty restaurant with a palpable feeling of expectation about it. Originally I was going to put frames paintings on the wall, but windows are so much simpler, plus it allowed me to add the light beams, which add so much to the feeling of expectation.
I snapped this photo on a recent trip to Carmel, CA, looking inside the restaurant through a window, from the street. It’s not a great photo, but I liked something about the composition.
I opened the photo in SketchClub. I reduced the opacity of the photo layer so I could still see it as I painted, but it would not be so dark that I couldn’t see what I was I was painting. I kept this layer as the top layer throughout the rest of the painting process, turning visibility on and off to check my work as I went along. In the end, we will turn off visibility for this photo layer, so that nothing of the photo remains in the final image. On a new layer below the photo layer, I started by painting these shapes using the Vector tool. These represent the tablecloths.
On a new layer above the yellow tablecloth layer, I used the pen tool to draw the red lines, and the Vector tool to paint the red shapes, of the design embroidered on the tablecloths. Then I used the pen tool to draw the white design over the red shapes. I used the pen tool to draw the foliage design onto the tablecloths.
On a new layer above the tablecloths layers, I used the Vector tool to paint the chairs. I used the pen tool to create accent lines on the chairs.
On a new layer below all the other layers, I used the Vector tool to paint the maroon column. I used the pen tool to draw accent lines on the column. Then on another new layer above the tablecloths layers, I used the Vector tool to paint the wine bottle, the cork, and the highlights on the wine bottle. I used a soft gray brush to paint the shadow of the wine bottle.
On a new layer at the bottom of the layer stack, I used the Vector tool to paint a large rectangle for the floor. Then on a new layer just above that one, I used the Vector tool to paint white diamond shapes onto the floor. I reduced the opacity of the white diamond shapes layer, so that there would be just a suggestion of the floor pattern, since the floor is in shadow. On another new layer above the white diamond shapes layer, I used a soft dark gray brush to paint a shadow under the table. I reduced the layer opacity until the shadow blended in naturally with the floor. Then on another new layer below the tables and chairs layers, I used the Vector tool to paint a large orange rectangle for the back wall. On another new layer above the orange wall layer, I used the Vector tool and the pen tool to paint windows onto the wall. I used a soft white brush at low opacity to paint a suggestion of glare onto the windows.
On a new layer at the top of the layer stack (visibility of the photo layer is by now turned off), I used a soft round light yellow brush at low opacity to pint light beams onto the scene. Now I revisited all the other layers, to make corrections. I used the Eraser tool to erase stray bits that I didn’t want showing. I painted the completions of the tables and chairs on the right and left edges of the canvas. I painted a completion of the tablecloth pattern on the right side of the left rear table. I double checked the ordering of the layers to make sure everything I wanted to be visible was visible and not obscured by objects on higher layers. I exported the image to my camera roll.
I opened the image in iColorama. I used Adjust/Tonelab preset 4 at low opacity as well as the last Adjust/Tonelab preset at low opacity to pop the color and contrast. I used Effect/Glow at very low opacity to add depth and enhance the glow of the light beams. I sharpened slightly using Effect/Sharpen Preset 4.
I used Texture/Vintage to add a wallpaper pattern to the wall, at low opacity. I used the Lighten mode so as not to lose any of the window glow. I used a brush mask to keep the pattern from affecting the rest of the image.
I used Texture/Organic to add a burlap pattern to the tablecloths, at low opacity. I used a brush mask to keep the pattern from affecting the rest of the image.
