I thought I would share with you the progression of High Summer, a 6" x 8" painting that I am selling at Daily Paintworks, http://dailypaintworks.com/. My goal is to post three times a week on Daily Paintworks. I have really enjoyed doing these little works. It's a way to try out different ideas, color combinations, studies and concepts for larger paintings. I hope you will find the following useful to you in your painting.
1. Gesture
2. Block-In
The Gesture and Block-In
There are so many ways to begin a painting. I began this with a color block-in on a lightly toned canvas. I kept the paint very thin. One reason for doing this is that sometimes colors can get a little muddy, so I'm trying to overcome that by putting down pure thin color. I want the yellows to be very bright. I'm also thinking about the gesture as I begin to lay in the colors. I'm trying to keep it loose and open and think about the larger areas and shapes of color. It's so important to not think sunflowers, but shapes, sizes and proportion for your lay-in. Once I'm satisfied with the placement, I begin filling in the shadow shapes of the vase, flowers and leaves. I'm also massing in the shapes of the butterfly bush from by mother's garden.
There are so many ways to begin a painting. I began this with a color block-in on a lightly toned canvas. I kept the paint very thin. One reason for doing this is that sometimes colors can get a little muddy, so I'm trying to overcome that by putting down pure thin color. I want the yellows to be very bright. I'm also thinking about the gesture as I begin to lay in the colors. I'm trying to keep it loose and open and think about the larger areas and shapes of color. It's so important to not think sunflowers, but shapes, sizes and proportion for your lay-in. Once I'm satisfied with the placement, I begin filling in the shadow shapes of the vase, flowers and leaves. I'm also massing in the shapes of the butterfly bush from by mother's garden.
3. Color Extremes
4. Background
Color Extremes and Background
Next, I begin to lay in my extremes, meaning the lightest light (which happens to be the highlight in the painting), the brightest colors (the yellows, reds and magentas) and the darkest colors. I use a palette knife to lay in the extreme colors in the light because the palette knife will lay the paint on thicker than my brush. For the darks, I try to keep the paint thin as I like to have different textures on the canvas to look at. Establishing these extremes early helps to have solid color relationships to work with. Next, I have to place my set up in the space it resides in, and that is done by putting in the background. I think about space all the time when I am painting, what is close to me, what is further away and so on.
5. Color in Light and Shadow
6. Edges and Finishing SOLD
Color, Edges and Finishing
I made quite a jump before I took my next picture. I'll try to do better next time. I am now refining my color in the light and in the shadow. I added a couple of peaches as I found the yellows, oranges, reds and magentas on them and they tied in with my color scheme. As I am refining the painting, it is so important to be thinking in terms of shape, form, dimension, space, value, color, etc., the language of painting rather than sunflowers, vase, peaches and butterfly bush. This is a very difficult concept for students to get and it took me years to get it as well, so stay patient and persevere! I revisit my edges to make sure they are not too hard in too many places. For the finish, I decided that my background was a little too warm, and so I cooled it down a bit. The sunflowers are beautiful this time of year. They are nature's gift of radiant warmth and their meaning is loyalty and longevity! Be sure to enjoy them and paint some for yourself this summer! Thanks for visiting!
Thank you so very much for posting this. Will you do more of these perhaps? I would love to see that. Thank you!
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