Half an apple a day....

Oil on canvas, 8x10 inches

...Keeps the doctor half-away? Away every other day? What? hehe

I decided to give myself a little break from the layering thing today, and this was the result. It's been a long while since I did a 'from life' wet-in-wet piece, and I suspect it shows! It was fun to paint though, which is the main thing!

It almost didn't happen at all - after I'd set it all up, balanced my whites, and sat down to start painting, the bulb in my main daylight lamp blew. I don't know how long they're meant to last - but I would've expected it to last longer than that! Of course, I didn't have a spare bulb that would fit (it's a different lamp to my others, and of course, I've got spares for them, but they're totally the wrong shape!), and I couldn't find my spare lamp anywhere (must've put it somewhere 'sensible' during my big painting room tidy up a couple of weeks ago!) so I had to hunt around the house for a new light source (and put the room back together again, after taking it apart hunting for the elusive spare lamp!) before I could start!

Peach Rose - 1st colour layer

Oil on canvas, 8 x 10 inches

Well, this layer took me all day to do - so much for me saying it was quicker using this technique in my last post about this particular painting! I'm happy with how it is coming along though, which makes a change! It still needs another layer, and now I am looking at a photo of it, rather than staring at the real thing close up, I can see that I need to soften a lot of the edges, and bring the front petals further forwards. A job for another day though I think!

White Rose... Almost there....

Oil on canvas, 16 x 16 inches

This is the first complete colour layer for this painting. Well, I guess it is sort of the 1 and a half colour layer - as I re-did a lot of the work I did last time! I changed the background colour totally, although it is fairly hard to see a major change in these photographs I think. It's now a lot more purple than red. I just felt that the colour scheme really wasn't working unfortunately, and had to have a rethink of the whole thing. It's meant that some of the shadow colours etc in the petals are a ways off where they should be - but I aim to correct that in the next layer. I did make a start on it today, but the previous colours are still having a huge influence, and will need to be covered a little more fully next time. At least that is one of the advantages of working in oils (and in layers!) - if I was trying to do that in watercolours or something, it would be impossible!

I'm still undecided at this point though, whether or not I prefer working in layers to painting directly, as I have done in the past. It's got its good points for sure, but I do love the immediacy of working directly, and the challenge of getting the colours (almost!) right first time. I'm not sure that I have the patience to work like this all of the time!

I haven't posted in a while - it was my birthday last week, and with my OH off work for that, not much gets done! I did get to spend the day of my birthday mooching around The National Gallery, and Tate Modern in London though, looking at amazing paintings, which was fantastic. I could quite happily do that all day, every day I think!

I did start work on 2 more, much smaller roses last week though - and shall post pictures once I've completed the next layer (second umber layer) - probably tomorrow, or the day after. I'm hoping to complete the first colour layer on the second rose tomorrow as well - I'm determined to get at least 4 finished by the end of the month!

Rose (grisaille)

Oil on canvas, 8x10 inches

Another layer on this little one today, whilst the biggun dries. This rose is actually more complicated than the other one, but it came together really quickly - this layer only took a couple of hours, including mixing the various tones of grey (which always takes me a while - first they're too light, then too dark, then too light again... lol)

Getting there...

Oil on canvas, 16 x 16 inches

Almost finished with the first colour pass on this one now! Just the stem/leaves to go, and a quick fix on the petals in shade on the far right. The dark, diagonal mark showing on the bottom right of the canvas isn't actually paint - it is the shadow being cast from one of my brushes, sitting in a pot in front of my easel! Really should be more careful when I am photographing my paintings indoors!

Small update...

Oil on canvas, 16 x 16 inches

Started work on the 1st colour layer today. Still got a way to go before I finish it, and another couple of layers before I finish completely, but it is starting to come together!

Rose

Oil on canvas, 8 x 10 inches

Second Umber layer. The first (slightly blurry - sorry!) pic is of the rose's second layer, before the background was added. Obviously, the second includes the background. I am enjoying this technique much more than I thought that I would (I've never been noted for my patience - which is what this method requires!)
This layer will now need to dry, which will take at least a week, and then the 4th layer, the 'dead layer' will go on. I'm looking forward to seeing how it comes out already!