People have been asking me how commissions work: It involves a fair amount of pre-production. If the person has an idea for a subject, I will use that subject and create sketches of possible compositions for a painting, such as the above fall scene. The composition is influenced by what mood and emotions the painting should convey, as well as the anticipated size and dimensions. Other considerations include where the painting will be displayed, what else is in the room, and the surrounding color scheme.
Once the sketches are complete and a composition is conceived, I construct and prime the canvas to begin painting. The sketches, of course, are merely a skeleton (or blueprint) of the final painting, since my paintings sometimes incorporate a decent amount of abstraction.
Thus, a person should not feel pressure to come up with the "perfect" subject for a painting. Ultimately, the subject matter is not what makes a painting -- how the color is applied, the brushstrokes, layers, and texture is where my work is uniquely a "Lucas Aardvark" painting.
