In the following image (image 4) I corrected some things on the figures by copy/pasting elements onto new layers, moving these and merging them back down. I also changed the overall colour balance and the levels. Most of the time I use adjustment layers to do these corrections, mainly so I can apply more or less effect by painting on the layer mask. When I am satisfied with the result I merge the adjustment layer down, trying to keep the layer numbers to a minimum. I also use new “temporary” layers to paint and test some new elements in the composition like the dry roots below and the spikes on the fountain above.

In this image below (image 5) I was so immersed in the painting process that I actually went a step back by altering the colour scheme to a monotonous red and also by giving too much contrast to the forest in the background. In order for these things not to happen, I advise to make continuous pauses during the painting process, and also to compare your present stage with previous steps to confirm that you are actually improving the painting and not the other way around.

I also brought the image into Corel Painter to finish off the skin areas; it is so much easier to blend colours in Painter to get smooth colour transitions with the Blenders/Just Add Water Variant.

Nearing the end (image 7) I changed the greenish background to a less vibrant blue. This step is apparently similar in detail to the previous step; however there are a lot of minor corrections that I did, like the heads and hands of the figures, and the rocks and branches in the background. I do this often in the latter stages of the painting process, to correct every detail I see to improve the painting as a whole.

In the final step (image 8) I made a lot of colour and value corrections to the painting. The most significant being the desaturation of the figures’ skin so it actually looked like stone. I also reintroduced some of the green of the previous steps to suggest some evil light penetrating a thick fog. It also helped me better define the branches which resulted in an interesting texture for the background.I also gave the shadow side of the fountain more detail by adding a layer in “Overlay” mode and painting in reflected light with a light blue brush.

The figures were standing out too much and they somehow did not look like they were integrated in the whole forest ambience, so I added a new layer in “Multiply” mode and, with a soft-edged brush, I painted in the shadow of some nearby off-frame trees. The “topping” of the fountain also got an overhaul to spice things up and hint to something that is quite alive with this fountain. Ironically they almost look like tasteful cherries on a cake.

The final step to help frame the image, was to mimic the effect you sometimes get with camera lenses of darkening borders. I simply took a new layer, stroked the outer edges with a thick brush, added a strong Gaussian Blur and reduced the layer’s opacity.