Here’s my latest painting obsession: linemen working through the night to restore power after a storm. The truck is a 1:34 scale die cast from First Gear. It’s about 7 inches long and the bucket extends about a foot upward. The model sits on a piece of clear acrylic which approximates the reflections on the wet road. Lighting is from two LED headlamps and a small LED button light which sits in the back of the truck. The running lights were added in Photoshop. I’ll probably make a telephone pole out of dowel and balsa and then add some broken tree branches.

Once I get the scene designed and looking good in the camera, the plan is to drag the easel over and paint it from direct observation. Technically speaking it will be a still life, but my intention is to make it look fairly realistic, while dialing up the drama.