Yellow Roses, step 2

Painting the roses



I started with the larger roses, and because they are past their prime, they are a bit whiter than the other roses. I painted them alla prima using a lot of pale yellow and pink, and added lavender for the shadow tones. I premix the pale yellow from white and cadmium yellow light, and the pink from white, quinacridone red, and a smidge of cadmium red light.

The images are on my laptop, which I have positioned near my easel. My roses aren't precisely the same as the photos, but close. I didn't trace them, but drew them as I saw them.

Since I have not planned this painting out 100%, I am hoping that these roses will be in the right place. Thoroughly planning my paintings is not one of my strong points. I always say I'll do better on the next one.

Yellow Roses, step 1

The drawing and under painting



We bought these roses for the garden...I wanted to paint them "en plein air," however, my time got scarce and I had to photograph them instead.

But I will paint them as if I were sitting in front of them. When I finish painting the roses and some of the leaves from the photos, I may bring the plant inside and paint the rest of the leaves and stems from the actual plant.

Since I was painting from photos, I had the advantage of taking my time arranging the roses in a more artistic manner than I might have if I had been on location. I fiddled with pencil and paper before settling on this arrangement, which has a nice flow to it. So far I like it!

Signs of Spring, step 9

The finish!



As you can see, I added a sprig of nandina across the table and a smaller one in an area that was bothering me. I think this helps a lot, as it moves the green into the lower portion of the painting and adds interest to the table.

I re-adjusted the background and repainted the leaves. When I squinted at it before, I couldn't even see the leaves...they were the same value as the background. I held my value scale up to the actual leaf and was truly surprised to find that the green leaf was a value 8! When I lightened the background, then I could see them.

Because the lighting is not absolutely controlled in my studio when I photograph my paintings, the photos on this blog look quite dissimilar. However, I am not changing anything, and I apologize for this inconsistency. I have a new camera, and I'm still learning about it.

I think the next paintings will be some plein air ones for Plein Air Easton.