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Monday 28 June 2010

Boatscape


I think I am going to stop with this one now as I could end up fussing at it and not really getting anywhere. So lets just say that I learnt a lot doing it!! Maybe I will choose a slightly less complex scene for the next one.

Saturday 26 June 2010

Boatscape


next stage - I have toned down the sky, put in the background and started the detail on the boat. After this I need to tackle the reflections.

Landscape?


I have wanted to try landscapes for a while but it's a completely different discipline to what I have done previously. Here are a couple of pictures of what I have done so far. I might have picked quite a tough one but couldn't resist as it was such a lovely photo!! Should this be called a landscape? Perhaps a boatscape.

Wednesday 9 June 2010

Second study of cherries - 7 (sold)


I am getting into my stride with these now! I learnt a lot from the last painting and was more careful to preserve the areas of highlight, which I put on last, to avoid getting them muddy. I have used black for the darkest shadows which is something I don't usually do (because I'm a bit afraid of it!) but it was just right here. Preceding photos show the work in progress.

Second study of cherries - 6

Second study of cherries - 5

Second study of cherries - 3

Second study of cherries - 2

Second study of cherries - 1


Looks pretty rough!

Sunday 6 June 2010

still life painting - cherries finished


I struggled a little bit with this one but it's all about the journey! Part of the problem was not having quite the right reds. Red is a funny colour with such a big range. The blue makes a fantastic highlight but working out the order in which to lay the colours so that they don't turn to mud is going to take a bit more practice. The preceding photos are to show the work in progress.

still life painting - cherries 6

still life painting - cherries 5

still life painting - cherries 4

still life painting - cherries 3

still life painting - cherries 2

still life painting - cherries 1

still life painting - cherries

Tuesday 1 June 2010

Pastel painting - pears finished

Pastel painting - pears


Getting the colours right involved quite a range of pastels. There's more there than you'd think (once again credit to the photographer).

Pastel painting - pears foreground

Pastel painting - pears foreground


It's the foreground reflections that are the real interest in this painting. The pears are sat on a highly polished surface that created some fabulous highlights and reflections.

Pastel painting - pears background


The far background was fairly straightforward

Pastel painting - pears


I found a lovely photo in the image library on Wetcanvas.com (my thanks to Sundiver for allowing me to use it). After my last (also my first!)attempt at a still life I really wanted to loosen up with my paintings. This is quite difficult and in addition to this I wanted to try out the colourfix primer which gives you a sanded surface. I am so glad I had a go! The colourfix really grabs the pastels and it seems like the colours are more vibrant - probably because of this quality. I have also tried to take photos through the stages of the painting.