Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Work in Progress -- Poppies in Vase



This is a work in progress from my painting class last week.   This is the underpainting.  I blocked in the colors and will work on adding detail this week.  I hope I don't overwork it.  I always start out  thinking big strokes, keep it loose.  But my own personality kicks in and I overwork the details.  

I am in love with cadmium orange light!   I haven't used it before.  I always use a limited palette, because that's what my instructors told me when I first started painting.  

And they wouldn't let me use black, either. I sometimes cheat a little by using black, though.  Not in this painting.  But a couple of paintings with lots of dark background just needed black. 

12 inch by 16 inch oil on stretched canvas 




13 comments:

  1. Beautiful colors, and I like the shadows. Maybe you could come up with a chant for not overworking. ;-) But your paintings look nice. Maybe you just like detail.
    And it's good to experiment with the colors.

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  2. Really pretty composition and enjoyed seeing your process. I have not tried cad orange light...looks beautiful here. Have fun finishing it and keep it loose:)

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  3. I like this painting just the way it is, Virginia! It has a lovely gesture, great placement of your reds against greens. If you do paint on it again, don't do too much!!!

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  4. Good luck on this painting! You are off with a strong start!

    I like to use black sometimes also, the fun thing I have recently discovered is if you thin ivory black with lots of white it turns very blue and can sometimes be just the color you are looking for...

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  5. Votre travail en cours est déjà extraordinaire. Une lumière généreuse enveloppe votre sujet. J'aime particulièrement vos tons orangés... Votre fond contraste à la perfection.
    J'ai hâte de voir la suite...
    Gros bisous

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  6. Those big shapes are beautiful. I always try to listen to that little voice that tells me, "stop, stop already" rather than the little other voice that says, "one more dab will make it better."

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  7. I love this one, Mom! It is even prettier in person!

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  8. Lovely color Virginia. The warms and cools are beautiful.

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  9. Don't know what else you are planning for this painting, but it is already lovely with such vibrant colors and pretty vase. I like the simplicity. I am sure the next stage will be even more wonderful.

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  10. very luminous colors, Virginia,a warm painting!

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  11. Virginia, if I were you, I'd do a little more 'modeling' on the vase, to show that it's 3-D.. but, I'd leave the flowers Alone ! I think they are perfect.... and not over worked... (I'm the expert on over-working !) ha ha !

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  12. Too late!! I went to class today and overworked the flowers. I wiped off a couple at the end and I'll try again tomorrow.

    Thanks everyone for your encouraging comments!

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  13. Comme Martine le dit votre fond contraste très bien avec les orangés, j'aime beaucoup c'est très lumineux, superbe composition !

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