I didn't want to give up on this one - so I darkened the bg and calmed it a bit from that pretty color. I tried to lift some of the cerulean but it wouldn't lift so just blended more and dulled that, too. Also, after Jerry's suggestion to tip it differently, I did, and added another branch coming off the top.
Better? Or still one to throw in the trash?
Also, 2 painting friends (hi, Deb! hi, Ann!) and I are doing pears together as a type of fun project. We are trying out a grisaille style (a grey underpainting) with the pears, trying to get a gray from a mix of burnt sienna + prussian blue (I couldn't get anything but a greenish-grey color from this). This is based on a study done at WetCanvas (which isn't working again today :( a long time ago. This woman got a charcoal grey from the mix of the 2 colors but I guess I need to work harder - or use different colors! haha Here's what I have so far and they don't look good at all...I'm going to keep trying to get the grisaille pale enough underneath the colors and grey enough without any other color before adding colors over the underpainting.
My sweetie, Jerry, won several awards for his photographs at the TriState Photographic Society annual banquet last night!!! He got Overall Photographer of the Year + Photographer of the Year, Nature + Photographer of the Year, Pictorial!!! He rocks! So he brought home several plaques and several ribbons in all colors.
6 comments:
Rhonda,
First of all, congrats to your "sweetie", I am sure you are so proud of him! That sounds to have been a fun reception, lots of honor for him.
For the pears, all I see is that the gray areas for the shading are too abrupt, like they should have been softened and feathered out to the lightest parts of the pear. They look like spoiled areas of fruit, like where they cave in a bit? If you feathered those areas out from darkest to lightest I think you would like the effect. The only grays I have used were Yvonne's mix of Aliz crimson and Hooker's green and a blue leaning ultra blue mixed with quin burnt orange. I think you may have used too strong of a mix for this and could have gone lighter. Keep trying with the grisaille, it isn't for everyone or everything, but I do like it for some things.
Susan
Hi Rhonda - Firstly, congrats to your man...you must be very proud! Very cool. Secondly, I love the way just turning the picture gives it such a different look...I like it! And, I use Burnt Sienna and French Ultramarine blue for a nice gray color. I'd like to try this technique too...hhhmmm...time to bring out the pear pics...
Congratulations to Jerry! He must be walking on air!! That's awesome!
Love your changes to the magnolia. Did you see the beautiful gray Ann achieved? (Not with prussian and bs, though!) Did you put the grays on underneath your colours in this one?
Deb
Way to go, Jerry! How exciting!
I like the second pear because of the smooth colors. I know this is just be beginning on both sets and I'm staying tuned to see what you do next.
I like the magnolia much, much better. I'm glad you stuck with this one in resolving what was bothering you about it.
Yes, I'm proud of him - I think we need to add 2 rooms onto the house, though - one for his photography studio and one for my art studio - as things get a bit messy around here!
Yes, the greys are not pretty in the first place plus I put them on too dark :( I'll keep trying. I'm going to research some better greys.
Deb, I did put the greys on under the other paint but it's just ugly. I'll have to check out Ann's greys and see what she has.
Thanks for your comments and your congrats to Jerry, Susan, Deb, Ann and Tracy (jump right in and join us, Tracy!!)
Post a Comment