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Luna Moonz
https://www.instagram.com/lunamoonz1111/
Welcome to Block Party 1 where a whole bunch of paintings get started at the same time and somehow I convince myself this is more efficient.
This week, we’re blocking in pirates for Upon Dark Waters.
I like to work on one larger piece alongside several smaller canvas boards. The small paintings give me a chance to experiment with future compositions while I’m waiting for the real-world photo shoots. I can test poses, lighting, camera angles, ships, backgrounds, and storytelling without committing everything to the final canvas.
For these early concepts, I use 3D meshes in Blender as stand-ins. They aren’t intended to replace the models. They’re basically digital mannequins that let me move the camera around and figure out what works before everyone gets on location.
And when real people contribute to the artwork, everyone should get paid. Models, photographers, and collaborators all create overhead—and that’s part of making the work properly.
The bonus? These little practice paintings become finished pieces of their own. They’re smaller, experimental, and more affordable than the larger works.
There’s also a reason I start several paintings together: batching tasks. Henry Ford figured out a version of it with the Model T, and apparently I’m trying it with pirates.
Prime them together.
Block them together.
Experiment together.
Learn from one and apply it to the next.
It might look like madness when they’re all scattered around the studio, but there’s a method hiding underneath.
Leaps of improvement. Bounds of quality.
Trust the process.
Welcome to the Block Party.
🏴☠️ Upon Dark Waters continues…
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