Golden Rose-Color Stage 1

Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer

Iechyd da!

Cherry Bowl-Dead Layer Stage 1

I have begun the grisaille on the Cherry Bowl.  This is a very thin layer of paint.  If you look closely, you can seek bits of the imprimatura and umber stage showing through.  No problemo, it's got several more layers before it's finished.  Like the Golden Flower, it supposed to have the appearance as if it were lit by moonlight.  I think I'm ready for color, but it's got to dry for a week or more first.

Golden Rose-Dead Layer Stage 1

As you can see from my work in progress, I painted right over the Burnt Umber stage.   I looked at my black and white picture printed from my lazer jet printer.  (I know you mighta' thought I painted this from my imagination...nope!)

To get the dead layer I mixed Ivory Black with Prussian Blue, Yellow Ochre, and Burnt Umber for what is known as an "optical black,"  (which is not really black, but more of a really dark blue).  I mixed an equal amount of Titanium White, with Flake White.  I then mixed these two combinations together on my palatte.  I painted darkest areas first, then light and then mid-tones and blended it with a "dry" brush.  

For the record, I do not like the composition of this picture.

Small Cup-Color Stage

"Small Cup"

10"x10" Acrylic on Canvas

I painted this in approx. 10 hours.

Small Cup- Dead Layer (Penumbra)

I got a little too much blue in the black and it came out lookin' like this.  A little dash of color glaze hither and yon and I'll be done.

Small Cup-Umber Stage 2

Good to the last drop...!  Next stage is the Dead Layer.  I cover everything you see here with black and white.  Can you say penumbra?  And then it's onto color glazing.

Small Cup-Umber Stage 1

Quick...someone help!! I've got a paintbrush attached to my hand and can't get it off!

I've used the same technique on this as I did the Cherry Bowl. Only difference is I used acrylic paint rather than oil. Acrylic paint dries in about 10 minutes, oil takes days to dry. I can move much quicker, but I have less flexibility. There's still much work to be done on this, but at least it's taking shape.

Cherry Bowl-Burnt Umber Stage 1

I spent about three hours on this stage. The cherries will eventually be red.

Small Cup- Drawing Stage 1

This will be a 10"x10" acrylic painting of a cup of coffee.   This will be my first attempt at painting something "square."

Cherry Bowl - Drawing Stage 1

This is will be an 8"x10" bowl of cherries painted in oil.

Golden Rose-Burnt Umber Stage 2

Oops! I discovered I had the picture turned the wrong way in my previous post. This is the right way; The sun shines down onto the flower.

I worked on details on this 2nd stage of burnt umber. This is only one color painted over top of the imprimatura, (which was an olive green color). What you see here will be covered by several more layers of paint. It may seem pointless, but I'm working out the problems early on. Actually, a painting like this is all about working out the problems until it looks like what I want it to look like.

The painting was not fully dry, so I had a bit of difficulty, making things look smooth where I wanted it to look smooth. It will have to dry thoroughly before I move onto the next phase.

I'm not happy with how dark I painted the shadow in the flower petals. It's a bit too contrasty for my liking. However, I believe I can fix it on the "dead layer" which will be the next phase. In the "dead layer," I'm supposed to get an effect like moonlight. We'll see.