Painting a Rose - Hit by Full Light

Here is "Part 3" of the Process for Painting Roses

In the previous two posts, I described a process I have found helpful for painting roses. 

First, I emphasized the importance of getting the size and silhouette correct as you find the correct values with which to fill in the different areas of your rose. (It's interesting how the silhouettes of roses are always so different from one another, yet we always recognize a rose silhouette when we see it!)
Next, I stressed the need to stay aware of temperature and color saturation. 

In this post, I am focused on the need to avoid using lines or dabs of color, but rather to build the form of the object with your strokes, paying close attention to both saturation and temperature. Try to notice the direction and other qualities of the strokes you see.

Remember -  you can click on any image to ENLARGE it.

 

1. Starting with a much warmer block in - since the bright light (from the above right) that is hitting the rose is warm in temperature.

2. Carefully adding rich darker values to the block in.

 

3. Adding cooler petals that are reflecting the blue light coming from the window to the left.

4. Adding very rich, golden light shining through the petals.  

 

5. Cutting in with the green of the background to create a more accurate silhouette (see petal on the far left/top).  Adjusting the values to be more consistent with the rose I see before me.

6. Adding the very high value edges of petals that are being hit directly by the light above.  

7. Backing up, now and then, to be sure the values and colors/temperature/intensity are reading correctly in relationship to the rest of the painting.   

8. This is also when the shadows cast by the center petals onto the outer petals were finalized.

 

8. The completed rose!

 I hope this series of three "mini lessons" was able to give you some insights for painting roses. 

 

 

 

Painting a Yellow Rose in Shadow

Here is "Part 2" of the Process for Painting Roses. 

In the previous post, I stressed a step-by-step approached for painting roses.  I emphasized the importance of getting the size and silhouette correct as you find the correct values with which to fill in the different areas of your rose

In this part of the lesson, I'd like to stress the need to stay aware of temperature and color saturation.  In the photos below, you'll see the stages of development for a yellow rose - mostly in shadow.

(The next blog post will show the yellow rose hit by full light.) 
 

1. Finding the silhouette, size and placement - using a cool neutral to begin the flower.

2. Color saturation is lowest in bright light or shadow, and highest where light is actually shining through an object, or hitting an object.  In this case, the object is a petal.

 

3. Squinting down to see shapes, edges and values.            4. Opening eyes to see color and temperature.

 

 

5. Starting to add the leaf behind the flower - to help it "come forward" in the bouquet.

 

 

 6. Notice how mild and unsaturated the color is in shadow? Only the deepest crevices or petals with reflected light have rich color showing.

 

 

7. Note the edges are purposely varied - some are soft/sharp, while others are lost/found.

***The next post will show the process used for painting a yellow rose in direct light.

A Process for Painting Roses

From the time I was little, before I actually knew anything at all about how to paint, I'd love to visit galleries and museums.  

How about YOU?  Weren't you in awe of those huge murals, lifelike portraits and lovely still life paintings - especially if they included roses?  

I confess, I'd practically press my nose against painting after painting to see brushstrokes and colors up close!  Amazed (and frustrated), I'd wonder, "How did the artists capture such lovely color?  How did they actually begin?  How did they get that shadow so soft - and portray the light so well? What steps were followed? If only I could watch as they painted!"

Perhaps the photos and comments, offered below (and in the next post) will shed some new light on painting roses in particular.  This illustrates a process that seems to work for me.  Some of the pink roses are in this post, and the larger, yellow roses will be included in the post that follows this one.

(*Click on any image you'd like to see enlarged.) 

1. First, I filled in the various tones of the green background around the roses.  

2. Then, I tried to determine the size and silhouette of each rose. (I chose to start with the darks, first.)

 

3. Here, I tried to stay true to the size and silhouette of each rose.  

4. I started painting the middle tone areas (keeping in mind that where the light was hitting).

 

 

 

 

5. As I painted, I tried to be sure the "bowl" of each bud was facing the vase at the correct angle. That way, when the stems were eventually added, they would truly seem to be in the vase.   

6. I began to use more of the assorted greens found in the background to fill in the remaining areas between and around the roses.  

7. This is also when I added the bits of "super saturated" color, a fairly dark, rich red that made the roses more defined.

 

8. Then, I began to add the tops of the stems, carefully angling them to face directly into the vase.  

9. I used a grayed-down green on the left of each stem, and a medium value on the right of each stem. 

 

 

Here is a final photo of the roses - please note, the photo has altered the color a bit - they aren't quite this vivid, but they are close.   

Notice the different colors in the foliage - there are no solid green leaves and stems - the cool and warm light hitting them create variety of color and temperature. 

Through continued practice and experimenting, you'll soon be painting roses that "sing!" 

Color Mixing Workshop Details

 

 

"The FUN-damentals of Mixing Color "

 

 

Imagine how much more fun painting could be if we knew, without question, we could mix each and every color we needed for a painting!!!

 

One common but laborious way to approach "learning to mix color" is through a hit-and-miss practice.   However, there is a better, more efficient way - through a few carefully selected lessons and exercises, we can actually  begin to learn a sound and systematic approach professional artists use to "find the colors we need." 

Using this process, we find we are making correct color choices more and more frequently;  we subsequently develop the skill (not intuition) to select and mix colors well.  We continue to become more comfortable with the process, so we become faster and more accurate, until we're on "automatic pilot"!

 

It's somewhat like learning to drive a car.   At first, there is so much to consider and remember - all at the same time.  Mixing color can feel like that!   We must consider the relative color/hue, temperature, value, and intensity - as well as how various paints interact with each other as we mix them!

 

Well, the good news is, just as we learned to drive a car, we can learn to mix color!  Each time you parked well, missed hitting the mailbox or drove safely in the rain, your confidence increased, which in turn helped you build your skills. 

This same premise holds true for color mixing....each time we mix a color accurately, we build our confidence as we are building our skills.

 

To that end, there will be a special workshop offered at The Art School to help painting students learn steps to take to more quickly and accurately mix correct colors. 

 

 

"The FUN-damentals of Mixing Color!"

Saturday, December 7, 2013

9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon

 

&

 

Complimentary Follow-Up Practice Session

from 12:00 Noon to 1:45 - the same day, at no extra fee!

 

 

Bring those particular paints, paint palettes, clean quality brushes, a small palette knife and other painting supplies, which we normally use in class, with you to the workshop -- plus a large pad of canvas paper for some of the practice exercises. (*See Supply List provided by the front office at time of registration - or download it from the Art School web site.)

 

A specially prepared full color workbook of concepts, examples and exercises as well as additional materials for the day's activities, will be provided by the instructor.  (*As noted in the course catalog, there is a $10 materials fee for each Color Mixing booklet.). 

 

Sure hope you will join us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Creating Color Charts Just Got a Whole Lot Easier!

 

Creating Color Charts? 

Here's a great new tool to make it faster and neater!

  This grid is a wonderful invention that makes creating color charts SO much easier - although I have only just discovered these gridded board, I am a fan!  I completed a four color chart on one of the boards and it looks terrific thanks to the peel away grid - and they are endorsed by Richard Schmid, so that's good enough for me!

 

"For anyone deterred from making the very important color charts because of the work involved in preparing the boards and squares, I recommend Randal McClure’s product. I wish his boards were available when I was doing my charts.” -Richard Schmid

 

 

You can take a look and decide for yourself at the website featuring this product.  Just click on the link provided, below:

 

http://colorfrontier.com/
 

 

They are reasonably priced considering the time they save and their durability - and I haven't found anything like them until now. 

These boards will be a huge bonus to those of us who may put off actually making color charts due to all the time needed to "measure and tape off each little square" on each board!

(**Ask me to show you a completed example when I see you in class! )

 

Warmest regards,

DianeI
 
*Special Note:
If you are attending the FUNDAMENTALS OF MIXING COLOR ACCURATELY WORKSHOP on December 7th, I've already ordered a box of these boards and plan to have at least one available for each person attending the workshop - just in case you'd like to try one before ordering a box for yourself.

 

 



Make Up Dates/Times

Hi Everyone!  Happy Friday!

What a great week - lots of wonderful learning and painting by new and experienced students, alike!    Mini lessons on color, value, temperature an edges are beginning to "sink in and pay off" so well!  I'm excited to see the gains everyone is making.  

A few folks were absent this week -  or will be due to celebrating Thanksgiving and Hanukkah -  and I wanted to assure you we'll try to find a way to work out a make up class convenient to you.  After all.......

MAKE UP  CLASS OPTIONS

Wednesday Evening Students: 
You are more than welcome to arrive each Wednesday, throughout the rest of Term 2, at 5:30 instead of 6:00. This arrangement will provide an extra hour and a half of make-up time for those who missed a class.  

Each week, at 5:30, I will have a set up prepared (presently, the sunflower still life) and provide assorted demos  (such as painting folds in fabric, completing a background, etc.).  If starting class at 5:30 is not possible for you, and you have missed a class, you may prefer to do a make up on a Friday morning during Term 2, from 9-12:00.

Friday AM and PM students:
You are more than welcome to stay late/come early for an extra half hour of class - from 12:00 - 12:30, on each of the remaining classes in Term 2. This arrangement will provide an extra hour and a half of make-up time for those who missed a class. 

During that half hour lunch break, I will have a set up prepared (presently, the sunflower still life) and provide assorted demos (such as painting folds in fabric, completing a background, etc.).  All I ask is AM people clean up by noon - and PM people wait to set up till 12:30 - if you are watching the demos.

Please check out the next blog entry for a wonderful new tool that makes creating color charts a SNAP!  (Hint: No taping off of little squares necessary!  Really!)

I'm up loading that entry in just a few minutes!

Take care,
Diane

Alla Prima and Alla Prima II

As a painting instructor, I'm often asked by my students about the artists I follow, those who I truly admire, and which I've trained with in the past. 

Therefore, this blog entry will address some of my favorite contemporary artists, specifically:

Daniel Gerhartz (brushwork and use of color and light)
Rose Frantzen (incredible accuracy and depth of feeling)
Casey Baugh (remarkable draftsmanship and value control)
Susan Lyon (delicacy of portraits and color - and portrait drawings)
Scott Burdick (bold, thick brushwork and rich color)
Daniel Keys (use of direct light and simplified direct painting of complex subjects),

 These artists share a common thread.

Each one of these artists was significantly influenced and/or mentored by Richard Schmid, a phenomenal artist in his own right, and a dedicated teacher to many.  He used to paint at the Palette and Chisel in Chicago, where many students benefited simply by watching him paint.  Richard Schmid is responsible for influencing, to one degree or another, the development of all six of these renowned contemporary artists! (Ironically, I was drawn to each of these artists long before I realized Schmid was their common mentor!)

 

When I studied with Rose Frantzen, Daniel Gerhartz and Susan Lyon - I realized they each consistently quoted what Schmid has taught them, passing on his lessons to us!   Likewise, Scott Burdick, Casey Baugh and Daniel Keys reference (via their DVD lessons) what they learned from Richard Schimd.  

 

Indeed, Schmid's uncanny ability to capture the scene or subject before him will floor you.  He's a master artist with skills to emulate as you develop your own style, whether you focus on portrait, figure, still life or outdoor scenes.  He is a masterful painter and generous teacher!  He and his wife, Nancy Guzik (a very gifted artist in her own right) regularly host the Putney Painters at their home in Vermont.

 

Here is a well deserved description of Richard Schmid:

 

"Throughout his distinguished career as a painter and author, Richard Schimd has been a candid spokesman for what is known as the Grand Manner, a certain mingling of virtuosity and unrestrained joy in Art.  Since 1958 he has had more than fifty one-man shows and received every major art award in the United States."

  West Wind Fine Art, American Art Review, February 1999

 

Schmid's books and DVDS are valuable in content as well as for their illustrations of his works.  His most recent books are mainstay sof most art schools that offer studies in realism or representational art:

 

Alla Prima - Everything I Know About Painting

Alla Prima II - Everything I Know About Painting and More (Expanded Edition) 
 

Here is the link to his website:  http://www.richardschmid.com/Books.idc

Hope you enjoy viewing his work and encourage you to read his book!

 

 

 

(*NOTE: I'll take a look at two great books

by Daniel Gerhartz and Rose Frantzen

in a future blog entry.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Color is White?

White light is actually all the various colors of light united together as one - every single color of the rainbow combined gives us the miracle and beauty of light!  Remember, as a kid, looking through a prism?  Remember how the prism would separate white light into a "rainbow"?  Gorgeous, right?  Well, that multitude of color found in white light is what I try to capture in  the white objects I paint.

 

Take a close look at this photo of the small white pitcher, to the right.  Notice the myriad colors included in the white of the pitcher? See violets, golds, blues, greens, and even fuchsia? In shadow areas those colors were layered, producing "colorful grays," as well!  Notice on the bottom of the pitcher the rich golden reflection of the tabletop? (*You can click on the photo to enlarge it.)

 

Where on the pitcher can you find "true white"?  Surprisingly, nowhere! Even the "lightest light" is not true white; though it's a bit warmer than the white paint from the tube, it's been warmed up with a bit of yellow.

 

In fact, the other areas of the pitcher are significantly darker and more colorful than the "lightest light" on the pitcher, yet the eye sees them as "white" because those darker areas are within the value range that our brain registers as "the value of a shadow on a white object."

 

Also, notice how the richest color occurs where the shadow meets the light - there, we see gorgeous lavenders and pinks.  (Note:  See the reflection on the right of the pitcher?  It was light reflected by the lemon laying on the table, next to the pitcher, but not yet painted.)

 

Now look , below, at the pitcher with the blue design added to its surface.  Doesn't the reflection on the right of the pitcher make even more sense, once you see the placement of the lemons?  (***You can click on any of these images to view them larger.)

Scroll down further, if you'd like to see the finished painting.

 

Here is the completed painting, The Fragrance of Summer, showing additional objects that are also "white"! (Note: The black borders on the right and left of the image are not part of the painting - they were recently used to create a "square format" for publication purposes.)

 

 

The Fragrance of Summer by Diane Reeves

 

 

Hope this little Mini Lesson helps the next time you paint a white object!!

See you soon!!

 

 

 

A Few Exciting Announcements

Just wanted to share a few announcements regarding art-related events that have occurred in 2013.  I'm so grateful and excited about the following wonderful blessings!  (Please Note: You can click on any image to see it larger.)

1. I'm delighted to announce my painting, Study for In Her Arms, was selected for the Scottsdale Artists' School's BEST & BRIGHTEST Annual Competition and Exhibition, in Scottsdale Arizona. 
The show runs from January 10, 2014 through March 31, 2014.



Study for In Her Arms by Diane Reeves 16 x 20

2. Beautiful Harmony was selected for the NOAPS (National Oil & Acrylic Painters Open Online Exhibition.  You can view it at this link and then view the other works selected by NOAPS.
http://www.noaps.org/ON-LINE2013/109.gif

 

 

 Beautiful Harmony by Diane Reeves 24 x 36       

3. Six artists belonging to The Artists' Guild, affiliated with the Boca Raton Museum of Art, were selected for a feature article in the Palm Beach County Edition of Travel Host and Clubhouse Living Magazine, a publication subscribed to by hotels and resorts around the world.  Five of my paintings were featured on  page 35, in the Spring 2013 issue.


4. Last but not least, Tea and Roses, was among those works featured in Southwest Art Magazine Special Section, "ART OF THE SOUTHEAST" - and my work is featured on page 102. 
I also had an ad on page 106 that featured two other paintings, Gathering Peaches and Exquisite.

Tea and Roses by Diane Reeves  36 x 24

Gathering Peaches by Diane Reeves 10 x 20

Exquisite by Diane Reeves  16 x 20

 

 

That's the latest news!  See you soon!

 

Three Ideas for Adding Interest to Still Life Paintings - Beautiful Harmony

Beautiful Harmony (36 x 24)

Three Ideas for Adding Interest to Still Life Paintings

1. Consider including assorted textures to add interest.  In this still life, I included an old wooden cabinet, a shiny wood tabletop, a silk scarf, an ivory statue, a woven basket with a metal base, a velvet throw, a smooth porcelain bowl and delicate flowers. 

2. The play of light across the scene adds drama and interest, as well.  I chose to place the brightest light on the rose, with warm, ambient light hitting the ivory statue. The shadows in the cabinet and on the basket add balance for the lights in the painting.

3. You can try to keep objects "moving" with your composition.  Here the branch of leaves crosses the plane of the cabinet door, leading the eye to the statue - which "looks" at the rose, which causes us to notice the blue flowers, which lead us to the tiger lilies, which lead us to the branch and back around again. The corner of the cabinet and the tiger lily resting on the table both prevent us from going off the left side of the painting, as does the shadow on the far right.

Drawing Magazine - Bonus Issue Offer

Quick note:
For those students (or anyone else) interested in honing their drawing skills, I just learned of a great offer from Drawing Magazine. Basically, if you pay for a year's subscription (four issues) now, you will receive five issues for the same price.

The newsstand price is steep, running $8 or $9/issue, but the subscription rate is only $6/issue, and with this offer, you save even more - by receiving an bonus issue.  (*This offer only applies if you pay with a credit card - it is not offered if you are paying by mail.)

I have found this to be an informative magazine - with many basic/advanced methods clearly taught, and with many inspiring articles and artwork in each issue.

Here is a cut/paste of the link:
https://w1.buysub.com/pubs/S7/DRW/NewSub_2395_ALL.jsp?cds_page_id=133756&cds_mag_code=DRW&id=1383604722853&lsid=33081636417032750&vid=2&cds_response_key=V3HUBQ&rid=236524047&et_mid=643082

Step-by-Step: Painting a Teacup in Strong Overhead Light

*CLICK ON ANY PHOTO TO VIEW THE FULL SERIES OF STEPS MUCH LARGER! 

 

First Pass:

Begin the Initial Lay in for the Teacup

 

The image above, as well as the photos that follow, will show a progression of steps that were followed as I painted a teacup - one of the many objects found in my larger painting called "Illuminated."  I hope these photos and captions help clarify my approach to painting an object like this in a still life. 

 

 

 

 

Second Pass:

Add "Lightest Light" on the Teacup and the Value and Temperature of the Shadow. Notice how the values in the shadow are unified in value, but vary greatly in temperature.

(*NOTE: The camera had difficulty balancing the strong white, 

so glare showed on the brass in the photos.) 

 

 

Third Pass:

Form Scalloped Rim, Add Gold Trim & Lots of Color in the Whites,

Add Base of Teacup  (The teacup is becoming "firmer" in form and more distinct from its surroundings.)

 

 

Fourth Pass:

Add Handle and Reflection on Right Side, Add Floral Designs, Finish Gold Highlight  (I begin to check for symmetry and realize the bottom left of the cup is   too narrow at this point.)

 

 

Fifth Pass:

Emphasize Glow Inside, Add Reflections Near Scalloped Edges,

Straighten and Broaden Left Edge of Cup to Create Symmetry at Base

 

 

This is the full "Before" Picture.

(*Colors are a bit off - see below for fuller, rich color.)

 

 

 *PLEASE CLICK ON THIS PHOTO TO VIEW IT MUCH LARGER

 

Last Pass:

Add Rich Wood Tabletop with Reflections of Shine, Darken Bowl, 

Finish Candlelight Glow and the Crystal Candlestick

 

Hope this series of photos/captions was helpful!  See you in class!