Sunday, August 15, 2010

Pat's Sunflower~center reworked






This painting won't be going to market but I've sure had some fun with it. I used white acrylic gesso and dabbed it on the center of the flower with a small brush. My goal was to recover all the texture I lost in the first go-around. Today I went over the gesso with color. I didn't follow the reference too closely, instead putting various colors wherever I thought they looked good to me. I used a mixture of watercolor and fluid acrylic this time but stayed with the original palette. I truly like the results and would do this again, the next time a little wiser for my trouble.

9 comments:

  1. What a lot of work and effort but wow...what a result!! Just stunning!
    Cynthia Schelzig

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  2. Thanks, Cynnie! I'm very happy with the way the center came together. I see I missed a shadow on one of the petals. I'll have to correct that.

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  3. OK Billie, I'm glad you are not over thinking. I believe in 'happy mistakes,' so to speak, especially in watercolor. It has it's own mind anyway, and too much control makes it fight back!!!! LOL!

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  4. I think my mistake was not counting on those fluid acrylics grabbing onto that gesso so well. If I'd been using watercolor it may have worked. I'll have to try it and find out, Vera.

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  5. There's wonderful texture and light in this Billie.

    Sometimes we have to rework things to match that vision in our heads.

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  6. Vivien and Jeanette..thank you both.:)

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  7. Hi Billie, I think sometimes you have to toss the reference and just go for it. I think this turned out great!

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  8. I agree, Diane. I hate being totally faithful to a reference. Where's the fun in that?;)

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