Inside the Studio

From First Sketch to Finished Artwork

Every NeeseDraws painting begins as an idea.

Before there is colour, detail or a finished composition, there is simply a blank sheet of paper, a pencil and an idea that needs to be worked out.

I create my artwork traditionally, building each piece by hand through a process of drawing, composition, watercolour painting and detailed finishing.

The finished image may look effortless when it's complete, but underneath it are layers of decisions, corrections, experimentation and patience.

Here's a little look at how a NeeseDraws artwork comes to life.

1. The Sketch

Every painting starts with a drawing.

The first stage is about working out the foundations of the artwork.

I begin by considering the composition, proportions, positioning, expression, movement and overall atmosphere of the piece. Depending on the artwork, this can involve several rough sketches before I settle on the final arrangement.

At this stage, I'm not trying to create something beautiful.

I'm trying to make the right decisions.

A strong painting needs a strong foundation, and spending time on the drawing allows me to solve problems before they become problems in the final painting.

2. Building the Composition

Turning an idea into an image.

Once the initial concept is established, I refine the drawing and begin developing the final composition.

This is where I consider how the viewer's eye will move through the artwork, where the focal point should sit, how the subjects interact with their surroundings and how light and space can be used to create atmosphere.

Small changes at this stage can completely change the feeling of a finished piece.

Sometimes the most important part of creating an artwork is knowing what not to include.

3. Preparing the Painting

The blank paper doesn't stay blank for long.

Once I'm happy with the drawing, I prepare the artwork for painting.

I work traditionally with artist-quality watercolour materials and textured cotton-based paper selected for its ability to handle multiple layers of paint while retaining the beautiful surface quality associated with traditional watercolour.

This stage requires a certain amount of commitment.

Once the painting begins, every mark becomes part of the final artwork.

There is no digital undo button.

4. Painting

Layer by layer, the artwork begins to emerge.

Watercolour is a particularly fascinating medium because it relies on transparency.

Rather than simply placing opaque colour onto the paper, I build the image through layers of washes, allowing the white of the paper to contribute to the luminosity of the finished piece.

I gradually develop:

light and shadow;
colour relationships;
skin tones;
clothing and textures;
backgrounds;
atmospheric effects;
and the overall depth of the composition.

Some areas may require only a few carefully placed layers, while others can take considerably longer to develop.

The painting slowly changes from a drawing into something much more dimensional.

5. Adding the Details

This is where everything starts to come together.

Once the larger areas of the painting are established, I begin working into the smaller details.

This can include individual strands of hair, fabric textures, tiny highlights, facial details, environmental elements and subtle changes in colour and value.

These details might not always be immediately noticeable.

But together, they help give the artwork its sense of depth and character.

I often find that this is the stage where I become completely absorbed in the process.

Hours can disappear surprisingly quickly when you're working on a tiny section of a painting.

6. The Final Painting

Eventually, there is a moment when I have to stop.

One of the hardest parts of creating artwork is knowing when it is finished.

I step back from the painting, look at it as a whole and make those final adjustments that can bring everything together.

Sometimes that means adding another layer.

Sometimes it means leaving something alone.

And sometimes the most important decision is simply putting the paintbrush down.

The finished original is a completely hand-painted artwork — created from the initial sketch through to the final details by me.

7. From Original Painting to Fine Art Print

The artwork doesn't end with the original.

When an original painting is made available as a print, I want the reproduction to retain as much of the character of the original as possible.

The artwork is professionally digitised and prepared for printing, with attention given to colour, contrast and detail.

Prints are produced on premium textured cotton-based watercolour paper, chosen specifically to complement the appearance and tactile quality of the original medium.

The intention is for the finished print to feel like artwork in its own right — not simply a photograph of a painting printed onto ordinary paper.

The texture of the paper, the matte finish and the fine-art presentation all contribute to that experience.

Why Traditional Art Matters

In a world where images can be created, edited and reproduced almost instantly, I still love the slower process of making something by hand.

A traditional painting contains physical decisions that cannot simply be duplicated with a click.

The texture of the paper.

The transparency of the paint.

The slight variations between layers.

The marks made by the brush.

The hours spent developing a single image.

Those things are part of the artwork.

That's why I don't want the finished piece to simply look good on a screen.

I want it to feel good in your hands, on your wall and in your collection.

See the Process

I sometimes document parts of my painting process through photographs, videos and speedpaints, allowing you to see how an artwork develops from its first lines to its finished form.