I'm taking a 3-Saturday floral workshop with Mary Padgett, a local artists who paints gorgeous flowers. While I have taken two other workshops with her before, this time around I wanted to concentrate on mark making and color.One of the things we covered in the first class was the importance of the paper color to better enhance the subject. To that end we prepared several sheets of watercolor paper using Golden's Acrylic Ground for Pastels, mixed with acrylics or Micaceous Iron Oxide (this one produces a shiny, dark gray surface with great tooth). While the prepared paper was drying, I had time for two small studies, both done on Uart paper. The first one (top), was well thought, and I purposely didn't do any blending with my fingers. The second one (lilies) was more for the purpose of handling complementary colors, and it was done in a hurry.
Today, I painted two more, using two of the papers I prepared: orange for the sunflower, and yellow-orange for the daisies. Each was done in about half an hour. More time than that and I would have started blending. For next class, we were promised some spring flowers...
4 comments:
These are beautiful florals, Adriana! Thanks for sharing the process of preparing the paper. I have never used Golden Acrylic Ground for Pastels but I have their Fine Pumice Gel. Which of your papers did you prefer for your flowers?
Hi Donna, and thank you! I definitely prefer the Uart paper! On first try, I found the Golden acrylic ground for pastel too coarse for my taste. I felt I had to think my strokes more carefully, which was good, but it took some of the spontaneity away. The good thing about the coarse ground is that it seems perfect for showing any underpainting, if done right. At this point I'm thinking that I'll use it if I feel like experimenting, that way I won't feel too discouraged if the painting doesn't come out right. I'll have to try that fine pumice gel you mentioned.
Something different for you, Adriana! I like it. I hope you enjoy your work shop.
Hi Tatiana! You are right. The technique was different for me. My mantra that day was, "don't blend, don't blend" :-)
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