Sunday, December 06, 2009

Sunflowers for Torch Lake - 2' x 6'

Here is a picture after the first wash-in which is where I cover all of the white with an "underpainting" of pigment. To enhance the depth and luminosity of an oil painting, the old masters worked in layers from dark to light. Light tones and bright highlights being added in the final stages. The one exception that I have found is yellow. Most of the yellows are extremely transparent. So the yellows in the petals are more in the mid-range with shadows and highlights both being added in subsequent layers. This piece will be painted entirely with brushes. I am using M. Grahams oil paint and Walnut oil medium to move the paint. If you are a painter, Graham's products are solvent free and non-toxic as long as you do not eat them ;) It usually takes 3 - 6 layers in various parts of the subject to get the final expression that suits me. Any suggestions for names out there? "Sunseekers of Torch Lake" is rolling around in my head.

1 comment:

Claudia Finn said...

Thanks for these thoughts about painting sunflowers in oil, i often paint them.