My steps in creating a digital painting are pretty much the same as it is in creating a traditional oil painting. After determining the composition I paint-in large areas of color. Below is the original photo from one of our travels to Venice. You can see some changes in the composition from the original composition. The overall scene has been cropped on the right to create an arrangement according to the 'rule-of-thirds'. Some areas (the canopy, especially) have been repositioned to create a more compact design.
Second Stage
Final Painting
Original Photo