Still Life Demonstration
| Step
One. My initial sketch, done with a small bristle brush,
immediately establishes the design using a minimal amount
of relatively dry brushwork. I try to avoid using too much
paint at this stage so that I can easily alter the composition.
I focus on placing the center of interest in a well-balanced
arrangement of shapes. The canvas has been toned in a light
golden hue that will keep the center of interest, a pair of
vibrant orange poppies, glowing and fresh. The toned canvas
also establishes a warm dominant mood that will make is simpler
to suggest the light effect that I have in mind. The light-
to mid-tone violet-blue color of the sketch immediately establishes
color contrast and suggests the color of other shapes that
will appear in the finished painting. |
 |
| Step Two. The major shapes are massed in quite simply with a large (#10) bristle brush using colors that will approximate the finished painting. In this step, I am most concerned with establishing the colors that will carry the composition and create an interesting variety of hue, temperature, intensity and value. |  |
| Step Three. As I continue to pull the composition together, refine the main shapes and add some smaller, subordinate shapes, I spend more time developing a cohesive value pattern. My aim is to create a simple but arresting pattern of lights and darks that simultaneously suggests the source of light on the subject. |  |
Step Four. I complete the painting by applying thicker paint, using the largest brush possible to avoid over-painting and keep the brushwork spontaneous. Final adjustments to values, shapes and colors are made with a few decisive and carefully-placed brushstrokes, paying special attention at this stage to creating a variety of lost-and-found edges. I introduce calligraphy using a rigger or #1 bristle brush to suggest detail, introduce greater variety of shapes and color and add interest to the composition. |
"Poppies
and Posies" |
