As always my first step is to find an inspiring reference image from my digital photo archive. Every year it seems to double in size! This particular image came from a last year's visit to the Royal Botanical Gardens to see the Roses in bloom.
After I've adjusted the levels and found a suitable canvas size (I crop the image accordingly) in Photoshop, I print the reference out onto an 8.5 x 11 sheet of double sided matte paper. Sometimes I enlarge a section that requires more detail. In this case it was the waterlily.
Now I'm ready to start using oils!
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| reference image with close up of flower |
I roughly transfer the image onto canvas using thinned out oil paint. The colour really doesn't matter as I will end up painting over the lines. Sometimes I go over areas with a darker shade to reinforce the proper shape. I really believe that a strong drawing will save time and avoid frustration when it's time to paint. I prefer to concentrate on the proper colour when I start the painting process and not on whether or not the object is in the correct place and if it's the right shape. Obviously I adjust the shapes as I paint, sometimes making them exaggerated or eliminating odd bumps, etc...
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| transferred image |
My next step will be to start colour blocking the shapes. I'm not sure what I will tackle first. More than likely the lily pads and then the water. It also depends on how ambitious I'm feeling...I might decide on the water lily instead!
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