Pink tulips.....

With all the floral paintings I have done over the years, it's funny that this is my first tulip painting! This was done as a gift for a friend, and I was happy to paint these
beauties! The only reason these grow for me is because they are planted underneath a weeping cherry tree, surrounded by a ground cover that provides a great barrier for the rabbits that would want to have these for a snack!
To begin with, I took many photos of them, from as many angles as I could.
The painting is a composite from several photos. This is one huge benefit of
digital cameras. You can take a ton of photos of your subject and not have to worry about film costs!
After the drawing was completed, I first put down a glaze of Windsor Lemon on each tulip. I also used Windsor Lemon as the main yellow on the leaves and stems. Once dry, I then used Rose Madder Genuine, Dragon's Blood, Alizarin Crimson, and some Vermillion (discontinued....arg!) for the blooms. I always like to add some of the flower color to the leaves and stems, for whatever flower I'm painting. It helps to make the stems and leaves look more realistic.....rarely are leaves and stems just a solid color. Because I wanted the tulips to really stand out with full saturated color, I kept the background cool and simple. The actual background was brick with blue forget-me-nots surrounding the leaves. I thought simple was better here. These tulips are beautiful and regal and deserved to stand alone.

An approaching storm....

The way our weather has been lately, I am so very glad we keep our camera out and ready to go at a moment's notice! Two nights ago, we had tornado warnings and my husband got some gorgeous video of the black clouds rolling in. No tornado, but for half an hour the wind was pretty remarkable! This morning, I was awakened by more wind gusts. When I looked in our backyard and saw the sunlit trees with a backdrop of storm clouds....it was a race to get the camera. The sky was actually more multi-colored that it shows in the photos! So if I were to do a painting of these scenes, I would definitely show that!

I love how, in both of these photos, the trees look as though they are glowing against the stormy sky. And now.....20 minutes later....the sky looks nothing like it did just a short time ago. The storm threat seems to have dissipated...in just a matter of minutes. Very glad I keep my camera at the ready....you never know when that one glorious "photo op" is going to happen!

Toronto motorcycle show....

I'm having a fun time working on a commission at the moment, so I can't post photos of that piece. However, I decided to put up some photos of the motorcycle show I attended earlier this year. For anyone with a love of bikes....this was the place to be. The custom cycles were absolutely magnificent. So much work went into each and every one....I cannot imagine how long it took to not only build each one, but all the airbrused artwork on them took my breath away. I love the photo on right! The lighting on the bike is so dramatic that it makes for a wonderful photo....and hopefully a painting in the future.

The bike on the left has some wonderful airbrushed artwork. The portraits of Jimi Hendrix and George Harrison are beautifully done. Doing a portrait is challenging enough....I can't imagine how difficult it must be to do one on a bike!

Motorcycle madness nearing the finish line...

Yes....the end is in sight!! It looks like this painting WILL be completed before the snow falls! *sigh of relief*

I left the tire and the black glossy floor until the painting was nearly done. I knew those areas were going to be difficult, but I needed to get the chrome of the bike firmly established with the correct perspective first. The painting wouldn't work if those areas were done incorrectly. The deep black of the tire and the black glossy floor had to look a different "black" than the black reflections in the chrome. I wanted the tire to read like it was made of rubber.....to be made of a different material than the other black surfaces. Not an easy task, for sure!

So I mixed a deep black, took a deep breath.....and laid down the color. I did wet the surface first to help the paint flow....and worked quickly to prevent backruns. I wanted to include the reflected gold color in the tire...I loved how it looked and it helped prevent the tire from looking like a dead solid block of color. Then I used a similiar mix of deep black and laid down the glossy floor. After painting those sections....I set the painting aside to dry....and to give me time to just look and see what to do next.

Now that those sections are done....I can see that I need to deepen other sections of the bike to balance out the values. For one....I want to deepen the red flames. They looked so bold earlier....before the deep blacks were painted. Now they look pale in comparison.

So I am not done yet........but I will be done very soon!! And no snow!!!

The madness continues....

The madness continues, yes....but Oooooo so slowly!! The differences between the last post and this one are slight, but they do exist....promise!! The detail work on the gorgeous chrome wheel spokes, if that's what they're called here, is quite time consuming. Each one has a different reflection....and I wanted to take the time to get each one just right. I also take the time to adjust the values on the already "done" sections.....the done in quotes, because a painting like this is constantly needing value adjustment. You can think that a section is done, but then once the paint settles in and you complete another section near it, it can suddenly look not quite right. So with a painting like this, it's important to set it aside, and take the time to really look at it. Then what needs to be done.....shows.

For the flame work on the bike, I'm certainly not matching that line for line. The bike artist did free form flames, and I will do that also. When it comes time to do the tire and the black glossy floor.... the whole entire look of the painting will change. And I will need to adjust the values on the entire bike.....most definitely. You want the whole piece to jell.

I'm hoping to complete this within the next few weeks......hoping?? Fingers are crossed!

Motorcycle madness continues.....

Like they say on American Chopper, the bike is coming together!
The detail work on a piece like this is amazing....sometimes I will work on it for hours, and swear that it almost looks the same as when I began that day! But that's all part of the process.
I've been putting a lot more darks in, which always helps to pull ths shape together. The cloth underneath is various washes of vermillion, alizarin crimson, and dragon's blood....with a bit of lemon yellow underneath to shine through. The black on the bike will take layers and layers of Payne's grey, sometimes with some Indigo added. I really like how the handlebars came out....when I saw the bike in person I kept thinking about how difficult a bike like this would be to ride! The most unusual handlebars I've ever seen!
The work I have left to do will be quite challenging! The tire is a deep black blending up to a deep grey, and the platform it is sitting on is a very shiny deep black. Oh boy. I think it'll be best to tackle all that in the morning when I have all day to spend in the studio.....'cause I think it will take many hours to get it all looking like I want it to! This will end up being quite a dark painting, and won't look much like a watercolor at all, I imagine. And I hope to finish it, like I said, before the snow flies!! So I'd better get busy!

Motorcycle "madness......"

Does it only seem like forever that I've been working on this bike? I do like seeing the progress I've made, especially comparing how the painting looks now to how it looked a month ago! I knew this painting would call for a deep background. In the photos I took of the bike at the Convention Center, the surrounding colors of the Center were reflected in the chrome of the bike, so I had to stay true to the photo to accurately do justice to the painting.
Once I had laid down more color on the bike, I knew it was time to tackle the background. I put frisket on the outer edges of the bike, even on the already painted areas. Then I gritted my teeth, and laid down the wash. Boy, I was not happy when it dried! I recall one of my teachers saying that all paintings go through an ugly stage. Man, she wasn't kidding! After a few days of staring and it and debating about tossing the whole thing out, I grabbed a brush and added another deeper wash on the background. That saved the day. The deep background was what was needed to pop the bike and really intensify the areas I have already completed.
Major crisis averted.....now I just need to finish the bike itself. Many challenges await...the tires....the tiny details on the engine...refining the handlebars....!
Will it be snowing when I'm done????