SBS: Canvas - Elephant

Good Morning Jungle, 

well today it is something different than miniatures.
Once in a while I do paint on canvas. Sometimes for myself for pure joy and variety from miniatur artwork. Sometimes I even get comissioned. I am very grateful if the comission and my wish to create it in my way fits well together. I think the comission was inspired by the lion I did paint earlier:
https://massivevoodoo.blogspot.com/2018/05/sbs-painting-lion-on-canvas.html

So it happened with this comission.
I got asked by Christoph, whose wife loves elephants if I could paint up a large elephant in my very own way of painting. We did this all in secret and it has been a birthday surprise gift for her. I can not even describe that way at all, but I am happy if people enjoy it. There is even a small section of this sort of artwork on my homepage - enjoy:
https://www.romanlappat.com/illustration-canvas-painting

Well, well, when was the last time I painted an elephant on a two metres to ninety centimeter canvas?
Well, never before. I had no idea how to tackle it, but happily accepted the challenge. Here is a little insight into my process - it is ok to be confused while reading it, I was too :D

#01
I started on black canvas and took tape for areas I wanted to keep black ... of course I took a basic elephant photo as reference, but went far away from it very soon. I mean already now :D

#02
I was still scared to tackle it so I took more tape ... different one:

#03
When there was no tape left I threw color on top of it ...

#05
Smeared it all in with my hands ...

#06
Smeared in all the yellows ...

#07
After this was dry I took away the tape ...

#08 
Mkay, now I needed a moment to understand this ...

#09
Added color splashes from below ... energised.

#10
Lost my elephant, did bring him back ...

#11
Stayed out of that room for quite the while. Do not think this was done in one go. I needed time to think. Deeply. Once in a while at least :D ... thinking made me bring back a colorful greyish shape of the elephant ...

#12
More ... greens I feel. Glowing ones.

#13
Do not go to close ... tschak! tschak! Bam! Bam!

#14
Dayumn, this is huge ...

#15
Understanding things while observing. This will be unique.

#16
I start to like it as I can feel an elephant ...

#17
And he is staring back at me ...

#18
A little more whites to the top will make him spot on in the colorful jungle ...

#18
Still staring at me ...

#19
Abandoning it, when I felt that I painted an elephant on large scale canvas in my style and after checking back with the client we both were happy ...

That was fun and so relaxing compared to some other things I usually do. Thank you for the oppourtunity and the trust. I am really happy that I made you both happy with this.

Keep on happy painting!
Roman

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