Sunflower Surprise

The first sunflowers painting is done, might glaze it tomorrow. I will do one or more, different perspectives and making a small series. This one got a green garden-like background, it is what kept coming to me, no matter what else I tried, I kept coming back to this. A garden jungle of friends for he sunflowers. I really had fun with the foliage and enjoyed working on it. But the sunflowers I painted began to turn color swiftly yesterday, especially their leaves. Their flowers were not very open before, but have begun to change and open quite rapidly, almost before my eyes ! I have trimmed their stalks and given them fresh water, and they are looking good and ready to pose for the next painting.

And after I finished the painting, I discovered a small surprise in the painting. See if you can find and figure out what it is..... Or read the next post for the answer !

Winston here helps me wish all a Very Happy New Year 2010 ! (but he refuses to wear a party bow or hat for a festive photo shoot). I'll be back with more posts next year ;)

Green Leaves

I did a bit more on the sunflowers today. Mostly work on the leaves. Adding more hues and shades of greens. Brilliant Green, Bright Green, Pthalo Green Hue (mixed with other things), Sap Green, Australian Yellow Green, Hookers Green...and greens made up of these. You can say I had a very green day.

For a bit of excitement, I (accidentally) got paint on Pookie's fur, and his hind flank was smeared in Bright Green ! Must have happened when I moved him from a place he should not have been to a more suitable napping station. I guess wet paint on my apron got on him. He was actually quite understanding while I cleaned the (dried acrylic) paint off his fur with methylated spirits, and then while I washed the white spirits off (so he would not get ill from them). Even though it matched his eyes, he looks better without green painted fur !

Still not sure whether I will finish the sunflowers in oils or not. Now thinking maybe not, because I have some other new things to start and may want to move faster on this for the next sessions....

Sunflowers

It finally felt like vacation, with a short to do list and lots more time today. I got to make a start on painting sunflowers, the ones I bought on Christmas Eve with all the holiday flowers and greenery. I had gotten some sunflowers a few weeks ago, because sometimes you have to get what is available. But I did not have any time to paint them. So today I got to right that :)

I will not be making the painting's background brick colored, but the light was best on them here and there was a good place to paint them from life, with room for my easel and paint supplies in the right places for this. I sketched a rough sketch composition in willow charcoal and applied fixative.

Then I prepared a color chart, just so I could get them right and match to what I saw. I made up my paint table pretty neatly too, and everything was ready (see above).

Here is a simple underpainting, will get lots more work, but has a good start going now. I have made some corrections to the unopened flower, which got painted up out of proportions and I need to do that over again tomorrow. And then start adding definition to the leaves and shapes in the greenery parts.

I am not yet decided whether to use oils over this. But it is quite possible, I am over 50 % inclined to move in that favor. I think the greens especially will look really nice in oils.

More soon !