Introduction to my process...

The background is primarily acrylic on canvas. The foreground is a separate pastel cutout on drawing paper that gets layered on top and sealed with matte glue. Details are fine tuned on top as a final third layer. The final object will be a 2D print, ready for framing.

Note: One of my favorite comments from viewers thus far has been the fact that many people see the final image of this child as either a boy or a girl. I love this because children are androgynous at such a young age! I refuse to add stereotypical long eyelashes to show that someone is a girl, or wear gender specific "colors" to differentiate what is a boy or a girl. Let the child be a child, and let their own personality stand out.

The Inspiration.

Painting just the background.

Adding the fish as the final and separate layer.
They were composed with soft tooth paper and pastels.