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Today I'm going to explain how I make the initial drawing for the painting onto my panel, using comparative measurements. Here's a photo of the subject.  To make the measurements, I hold out a paintbrush, keeping my arm straight at the elbow. I mark the measurements with my thumb on the paintbrush. First I measure the height of the arrangement, and then keeping my thumb in the same place on the paint brush, and my arm still held straight, I rotate the brush by 90 degrees to compare the measurement to the width of the arrangement.   I find the height of the arrangement is slightly greater than the width, so I mark a rectangle with these proportions by eye on my panel. I'm using a mixture of burnt umber and ultramarine blue thinned with medium to make the drawing. If I make any mistakes, I can easily wipe them away with some white spirit.   Next I make some comparisons of the main proportions within the still life arrangement. The first comparison I make, of the width of the flowers to the height from the bottom of the jug, shows the width is approximately 3/4 of the height   Next, I note that the width across the bottom flower to the right hand edge of the jug, is approximately the same as the width of the top flowers.   I find the height of the jug, and compare it to its width. I find it's about twice as tall as it is wide.   I plot the points I have measured within the initial rectangle I marked out.I draw another rectangle divided vertically in half to help draw the jug. I find marking the halfway point helps me to keep the jug or vase symmetrical. I check the angles of the sides of the jug with my paint brush.   Here I'm working out the relationship of the handle to the rest of the jug.   Now I have enough information to plot all the outermost points of the arrangement, at this point you can carry on using comparative measurements to complete your drawing, but I usually fill in the rest by eye.  Heres the finished drawing. The proportions aren't 100% accurate, but they are close enough to make the painting work.  If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave them in the comments below.
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I've been meaning to paint cornflowers all summer, and finally today I got round to it. Just in time too , most of the cornflower plants on my have died back now and I just have one with a few flowers left. Heres a photo of the arrangement.  Here's the initial block in. I use hog filberts for this stage, I like the texture these brushes create, which is useful for suggesting details which would be fiddly to paint in.  Next I use some small round kolinsky sables to pick out some details, I also build up a little impasto here and there in the lightest parts.  I mix up a pile of colour for the background, and with another sable, cut in the outer shapes of the petals more accurately, tasing negative shapes. To give a bit of variety to the edges, in some places I paint the petals back over where I cut in with the background.  Heres the finished painting. When Its dry and varnished I'll update this photo with a better one ( this one is taken on my phone)  |
About meI am a realist painter, working in oils, painting landscape and still life. Archives
April 2021
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