# Turn a reference photo into a step-by-step painting plan

A painting plan from your reference photo: simplified composition, colors to mix, and the order to paint it in.

- Topic: Images, Video & Design
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Design, Plan, Fill-in Template, Step-by-step
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/turn-a-reference-photo-into-a-step-by-step-painting-plan

## Prompt

```text
Help me plan a painting from a reference photo. I will attach the photo.

**Medium:** [e.g. "watercolor", "acrylic", "oil", "gouache", "digital"]
**Paints or colors I own:** [LIST, e.g. "ultramarine, burnt sienna, lemon yellow, alizarin, white"]
**Surface and size:** [e.g. "cold-press paper, 9x12 in"]
**My level:** [beginner / intermediate]
**What I want to emphasize or change:** [e.g. "the light on the water", "remove the car", "more dramatic sky"]
**Time I have:** [e.g. "one afternoon", "several sessions"]

Give me:
1. A simplified composition: what to keep, leave out, or move to make a stronger painting, and where the focal point should be.
2. A value plan: describe 3-4 value groups (lightest to darkest) and which areas belong to each. Suggest a quick thumbnail sketch first.
3. A color mixing guide using only the paints I own: for each main area, which colors to mix and roughly in what proportion, plus one limited-palette option.
4. The painting order, step by step, suited to my medium (e.g. for watercolor: preserve whites, light washes first, darks last; for acrylic or oil: block in darks and midtones, then lights).
5. Common mistakes for this kind of subject and how to avoid them.

If the photo isn't mine, remind me that for paintings I sell or show, I should use my own photos or references with permission.
```

## What to fill in

- e.g. "watercolor", "acrylic", "oil", "gouache", "digital"
- e.g. "cold-press paper, 9x12 in"
- beginner / intermediate
- e.g. "one afternoon", "several sessions"

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.