YELLOW CROCUS - START TO FINISH

We will be painting beautiful yellow crocus next week, during our new Flower Painting class!  Here are some images of the set up, as well as the steps used for the sample painting. 

 

Important: Be sure to notice how dark and dull the yellow crocus initially appear on a similar yellow background - yet how bright and engaging they suddenly become when a dark background is added for contrast!

 

HERE IS THE SUBJECT OF THE PAINTING - 

BEAUTIFUL YELLOW CROCUS!

 

(Note: I DECIDED TO KEEP THE BOWL RATHER NEUTRAL

SO THE FOCUS WILL REMAIN ON THE FLOWERS.)

 

 

STEP ONE

GENERAL WASH AND BEGIN BLOCK IN

WITH THINNED RAW SIENNA

AND A BIT OF UMBER

 

STEP TWO

BEGIN FLOWER HEADS

FOCUS ON CAPTURING DIMENSION

AND AN ACCURATE SILHOUETTE

 

STEP THREE

GIVE WEIGHT TO BOWL

DEPICT STEMS COOLER/DARKER THAN PETALS

 

STEP FOUR

ADD MORE "LOCAL COLOR" IN MASSES

OF LEAVES, FLOWER HEADS AND BOWL

 

STEP FIVE

BEGIN TO FORM BULBS

EMPHASIZE THICK WALLS OF BOWL

AND PALE, COOL LIGHT STRIKING SUBJECT

 

(*NOTICE HOW THE PALE YELLOW BACKGROUND

TRULY "WASHES OUT" THE YELLOW FLOWERS)

  

STEP SIX

ADD DARK BACKGROUND FOR CONTRAST

ADJUST EDGES* OF FLOWERS, STEMS, BOWL

(*HARD, SOFT, LOST, FOUND EDGES)

 

LOSE SOME EDGES IN THE BACKGROUND

ADD HIGHLIGHTS AND SHADOWS

 

Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.

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NEW FLOWER PAINTING CLASS BEGINS

My new "Flower Painting" class began last week! So delighted to meet my new students and get started!

 

On our first day, students learned about supplies, from paints to brushes, and from set up to clean up.  Special emphasis was given to the characteristics of hues on the floral palette, including the importance of being aware of the relative temperature and transparency of each hue! 
 




"Her Favorites" Emphasizes the Quality of the Light



Our initial lesson involved foliage.   The importance of keeping the "green" hues consistent (either warm or cool) to depict the quality of light hitting the leaves was emphasized.   The effect of including assorted reds and violets in foliage was also discussed.


There was a short demo offered, showing how to approach painting leaves and stems.   Students soon saw using an appropriately sized brush and loading enough paint were key!



 

Toward the end of the demo, it was fun to show just how easily and quickly we can adjust, or even erase, shapes (such as leaves) with a few carefully positioned swipes of the brush!    Students also learned the angle at which we hold the brush can allow us to apply paint more generously.



Cool Light Hitting a Composite-Design Leaf

Above and below are two paintings of foliage

completed as reference guides for my students. 

In my first painting (gold background, above) the cool light is striking a dark green leaf with three separate sub-divisions.  Notice how the leaf twists, allowing some sunlight to filter through the left section. The sunlight only hits and bounces off the leaf in the top/central section, and the far right section of the leaf is mostly in shadow. Three lighting effects in one leaf!

In my second painting (gray background, below) there are several leaves depicted, with a warm light striking them. The form shadows show us the bottom leaves are curved downward, while the top leaf is cupped and facing upward.  Weak versions of violets and reds were included to give a natural look. Consistent size/shape and color of each leaf is crucial for a natural look.



Warm Light Striking Concave Leaves




 


*The next blog entry will show the steps followed to paint a yellow crocus - notice the foliage.  It includes long, tapered leaves, yet another kind of foliage!