SPECIALTY PROGRAM

Painting Mood and Atmosphere

in Gouache
Tomb Raider

OVERVIEW
In this assignment we have a rather “Film Noir” approach that has become standard procedure for
this genre. A low, dramatic camera angle is used along with a very strong light from a hidden source
which along with adding mystery, casts a faint unrecognizable shadow of things around the corner.
The light also casts a shadow of our player which effectively doubles his size in the scene. The dark
arch/foil object on the right framing the scene also stops our downward slide to the right. The compo-
sition is a near circle. As with the other illustrations in this series, approximately 1 1/2 hours is just
barely enough time for a good study. Lots of work would be required to make this a finished piece since
all is from imagination to this point. It is great fun to see just how good your memory is by inventing,
plus you are freer with poses and exaggerations than when you are the prisoner of a piece of reference.
Included below is the original rough idea sketch.

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 1
 SPECIALTY PROGRAM
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Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 2
1
 SPECIALTY PROGRAM
Painting Mood and Atmosphere
in Gouache
Tomb Raider

Wet the board and apply a

yellow wash over the entire
board. Next to the dark arch
it must remain very light.
Add some orange and more
yellow and working from
lower left with a large brush,
add darker value gradating
to light yellow as seen here.
A bit of Ultramarine Blue
added to orange will be used
to first darken the left side a
bit more and then even darker
to create the soft shadow of the figure. A mixture of orange, Ultramarine Blue, and Alizarin Crimson will
be used for the dark arch. Wait until the board is just damp to avoid darks leaking into the very light wall
beyond. Don’t overbrush it as the variegations that resemble stone will disappear. Fill in shadow zones
of the figure as above with orange and a bit of Ultramarine Blue. Let dry.

The pencil work has been purposely darkened above for clarity. We will start by painting the stone joints
pale, bright yellow-white at the right and getting gradually darker with more Ultramarine Blue and orange
as we go left. Darken the arch wall with a wash like used before. Repeat as needed. Darken the shadow of
the raider and let dry. (One light stroke of water over the general area will allow a fuzzyshadow.) Darken
the shadows on the figure
with the same type of mostly
orange plus blue mixture.
This color can have a dash of
green added in some of the
darker areas. A little orange
wash on the flesh and some
pale yellow-white highlights
fade away quickly as they
leave the face and shoulder
area. They should be a touch
darker than the light source
yellow. Darken belt holster.

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 3
 SPECIALTY PROGRAM
Painting Mood and Atmosphere
in Gouache
Tomb Raider

We continue to darken some of the darks and increase contrast. The arch is even darker as is the hair on
the raider. Note the pattern of darker strokes used. Also, take note of highlighted areas and how the color
gradates and changes hue. Notice how the hand with the gun changes from light to shadow. The holster
belt and bullwhip have been gradated and detailed in a conservative fashion to match the development of
other areas. The facial highlights have been adjusted and a five o’clock shadow added plus a few lighter
strokes in the hair shadow. Note the mouth with just a hint of pink on the lower lip, a hot spot in the eye,
a slightly pinker ear and some design work on the lit hair. Keep adjusting shadows and do some continual
softening of most edges with strokes of a damp brush. An outline of a medium, dull greenish-brown has
been added to help define and separate in subtle fashion the figure from the background.
A few notes on color: brown is best achieved with a mixture of purple (blue and red) and orange. There
are many variations such as adding a touch of green or yellow which will allow matches for umbers to
siennas. Ochres are typically a mix of yellow, orange, and some green. This, too, can be altered by adding
a bit of red or blue...ranging from Yellow Ochre to Raw Sienna. Near black can be achieved by a mix of
Phthalo Green and Alizarin Crimson. This can also be modified by adding blue or orange in a small
quantity.

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com 4