Usually, I like to paint from LIFE (still life setup) but this week we contrived the image from our heads and painted in a step-by-step manner focusing on: Perspective, Value, Color Temperature and Brushwork.
See below - the 7-step gray scale that we made in class; (read about it a few posts back) - we used it in this painting and I will refer back to it.
To start the painting we sketched a simple back-lit bowl with eggs inside, - onto a black panel.
If you paint from direct observation a lot this should not be a stretch to create a painting that works - however, to be on the safe side - I did bring an actual bowl with eggs into class so that students could use it for reference.
Using a #8 or #10 Flat brush and the gray scale as a guide, we mixed a dark, cool neutral in the value range of #6 and painted the front of the nest that would not be lit, and the inside of the nest behind the eggs.
Load the Flat brush with paint and make thin, twiggy, individual strokes with the narrow edges of the brush - NOT the flat of the brush. This may not sound hard but it does require disciplined brushwork and is a great way to PRACTICE using just the edges of the brush; 2 edges - 2 juicy strokes, then reload your brush. Pull a few strokes out beyond the edge for interest and to create more interesting negative spaces to paint around later.
Next, I went back to the gray scale and mixed light, warm neutrals in the range of #2-3 and painted more twiggy strokes in the upper left and around the rim of the nest to show that the light is coming from the back, upper left.
The background is 2 variations of a cool color - in the value range of #1-2. Use the FLAT part of the brush to paint negatively between the 'twigs' for depth and the look of light peeking in and around the edges. I purposely made my eggs darker than the background and correct light logic gives them a realistic feel.
This was fun to paint and would also work well in watercolor or acrylic. Remember - think twiggy, thin brushwork.
Happy Spring!
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