The first step - Painting in the Composition - is described below:

Painting in the composition: Above is my easel on which I have set a 16"x12" canvas.
I start out with a palette of primary colors - one cool and one warm yellow, one cool and one warm red, and one cool and one warm blue - plus white. I use only these clear colors which contain no black and I don't use black paint in any of my work. This makes for rich and beautiful colors in the final piece. If I need a black hue or any other color, I'll mix it from these six primary colors.
In the picture, you can see that I've painted an outline of the composition using a mix of red and blue, and started testing out some soft colors in the background. I am using as reference a photo that I took of the irises I want to paint (on the right). You can see that I've simplified the composition. I will be changing the colors slightly as well. The next step will be painting the background:

I am painting directly on the prepared white canvas rather than tinting the canvas with a color first. Many of my artist friends do tint the canvas, and sometimes I do as well especially if I want to create a certain mood. But I also like using white as a base color especially for flower paintings. Next I'll paint the tall, spiky Iris Leaves:

There will be additional work done on both the background and the leaves as the painting progresses, but this is good for now. It's time to start painting the flowers!

I paint in a style called "Alla Prima" meaning "all at once." This simply means that I don't wait for the paint to dry and then glaze or paint the details over a dried layer. Instead, I paint "wet into wet" - blending colors as I go and painting details on top of wet paint. I'll continue to paint flowers and adjust colors:

I have decided to make the "falls" - the lower petals - a deeper purple, so I'll mix a stronger blue and red and blend it into the falls on all the flowers.
I also blend and adjust the background colors as it becomes evident what is needed. As an artist, I do not have full control of any painting that I do. I start out with an idea, but once a piece develops to a certain stage, the painting tells ME what to do. If I can listen to the painting well enough, I will have a successful work of art! As I paint from top to bottom, I also paint the canvas edge:

Only a few more details left to finish:


I use a pointed brush and red paint to sign my name. Finished!
People often ask how long it takes to finish a painting like this. It's difficult to say exactly since I work on more than one painting at a time. For this piece, I did several of the steps, then put it aside to do some smaller daily paintings. The next day I continued it and again put it aside until the next day and so on. In all, I worked on it like that for four days.
The "breathing" space between stages is good because it lets me get away from the painting for a bit. When I come back to paint, I can see it with fresh eyes and know better where to make adjustments in the colors and design.
Thanks for stopping by my studio today.
5 comments:
Nice blog. I am amazed to see the picture of Irises flower. It looks awesome. All I want to say that you are a blessed artist.
Thank you, Flowers for your comments - I appreciate that!
Oooh, I just love step-by-step, in-progress paintings! Every artist has a different pattern and thought process. I love how you say that the painting takes over and tells you what to do. I've had stories tell me what to write, but I've never had that happen with paintings.
And you've made me want to paint with real media SO BADLY. But two toddlers in a 1-bedroom apartment and an oil painting just don't mix. Sigh.
I'd love it if you posted a few more of these in-progress pics.
I understand. Two toddlers and oil painting don't mix at all! But watercolors might as long as you don't let them get into them - certain colors are toxic even with watercolors. I'll be posting more demos. The next one may just be a watercolor.
Your style of presentation is very impressive. The meaningful contribution of your mind reflects on those people who are looking for new ideas and informations regarding Art Gallery Paintings. I would like to tweet on it and keep spying at every moment you blogging.
Post a Comment