Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Sunflower in progress - getting somewhere!



NOW you can see where this sunflower blossom is headed... it is actually beginning to look like something! I've done the background, and have put a few glazes on most of the leaves and stem. Now it is a matter of finishing those and creating more contrast in the petals as well as highlights. This is the stage I begin to get excited. This is the point where the potential for the painting is pretty clear - and I am really liking this blossom!

You might think that I used black paint for the background, but I hardly ever use black out of a tube except to finish the edges of a painting for hanging without a frame. Nope - this "black" is a combination of red, blue and green - mixing until it was the depth of color I needed to set off the yellows and oranges of the sunflower petals.

The next posting of this painting should be the finished product. Check back on Friday to see it completed. :-)

6 comments:

Jean Victory said...

Joanne,
I love the richness of colors here. Also, nice design!

Anonymous said...

i love it already, even before it's completed. I agree with Jean Victory. I too, love the richness of the painting's colors.

Paz

Anonymous said...

You're already there. That's how it looks to my eyes. Interesting, isn't it, that a black made of the primaries is much richer than a black from the tube.
It's a subtle enough difference to be complimentary to the subject rather than drowning it out.
And how do you already know you'll be done by Friday!
Confidence.
That's how.

Unknown said...

Hi Jean! So great to hear from you. I only wish all the computer monitors showed the richness of this painting in the same way as if you were seeing it in person... oh well, most people know that a painting always shows so much better in person! Have a great week!

Unknown said...

Hi Paz! How are you doing??? I know how much you enjoy sunflowers, and how you have an eye for composition and color, so I thank you for your kind comments! Have a wonderful week!

Unknown said...

Hi Bonnie... yes, for sure! Black from primaries is THE ONLY way to achieve a rich intensity that adds depth, not flatness, to a painting. I have confidence that I will finish by Friday - if nothing else gets in the way. Sometimes, life has a way of intruding into my plans, though...