Work in Progress Wednesday

I began this piece by painting the canvas black, then painting a layer of red over it after it dried, letting hints of the black peek through. I then mixed a little purple with black and loosely established the lines of the table and the shape of the flower pot.


I dry brushed a warm yellow on the background, added a purplish red color over the flower pot, and used the same color to create the flowers. I also brought some of that same purple/red color into the table. When the first layer of the flowers was dry, I began to build up color, starting with a very warm orange/red. I applied this with my fingers and was careful to leave the dark outline of the flowers.


Next I added a very pretty pink over the flowers, applying this with my fingers as well, using a soft, circular motion, skipping some parts to allow the previous layers to peak through. This gives it an organic feel that is vaguely roselike.


Now I start adding in the highlights by applying bit of white on the flowers, letting it blend with the still wet pink. I have added a turquoise blue on the left of the pot and a brighter green on the right, as well as brought those colors into the table. A general rule of thumb is to repeat colors around the painting, which helps with balance and to keep the eyes moving.


To tie everything together and balance the painting, the last thing I do is dry brush some of the pink I used on the flowers onto the table, allowing hints of the previous layers to peek through. I blended a little white with the pink on the right side, so that the shadow is on the left and light is on the right, as I did with my flowers. This reinforces my 'light source', which appears as if it would be shining from the right.

On this painting I used a color combination that I rarely, if ever use. I'm not usually a huge fan of pink, yet it just really felt right here and I love the final result.