![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/20517c800c85ee9e33ea82509c1ada86/d24d44d9-53fa-414f-97d2-337a7a1b263c_rw_1200.jpg?h=8c6a2bb0e438216bfe03883fe18ed634)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/20517c800c85ee9e33ea82509c1ada86/a6bd268e-2f34-4ea2-b3ee-86fe00c77503_rw_1200.jpg?h=95a8952d4b5304a7c1a8a5dde6bad024)
This personal piece was inspired by a sheet of thumbnail sketches (below) which I made while illustrating the druids in The Bewitching of Aveline Jones by Phil Hickes. Just for fun I also turned it into a cover for an imagined Young Adult fantasy series.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/20517c800c85ee9e33ea82509c1ada86/714f46ef-11ee-4eaa-a771-01383a7bed84_rw_1200.jpg?h=6fbddc99da1432be8e0e75f7ac9ed2bb)
Below are some process images. I often work digitally but this piece was made entirely with good old fashioned gouache paint. I masked off the stones to leave them white, while painting the sky and foreground in bold brush strokes. Then, I used masking film to isolate the stones and masking fluid to protect the figure of the druid.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/20517c800c85ee9e33ea82509c1ada86/3a1347f9-d26c-4281-ab99-3ce0be649f87_rw_1200.jpeg?h=132f17b6f32e0c488a3a2b7c1a8794a0)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/20517c800c85ee9e33ea82509c1ada86/904510c4-615f-4e62-848a-bcff49b26acd_rw_1200.jpeg?h=afce97c80a247b888431a1af9962891f)
With everything masked off, I painted a dark base layer for the stones and created textures in lighter hues using a paint roller. I always love the magic moment of removing a mask to see what you're left with!
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/20517c800c85ee9e33ea82509c1ada86/debff6fb-18d8-4028-94a4-065a64ec9532_rw_1200.jpeg?h=b471bc5a69ad2f7410741984a1bd99c7)
Finally, I painted in the details of the druid. At this point it felt as though the image needed a splash of red to create a focal point and well, things took a darker turn...
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/20517c800c85ee9e33ea82509c1ada86/e52f6dc6-e1ba-4b5c-92e1-bb6f9fa28bc6_rw_1200.jpg?h=da187c220c296579f350b27f285843f4)