Tuesday, February 23, 2010

"Poppy and Bud" completed, some GREAT advice, and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS!

 
"Poppy and Bud"
6 1/2" x 8" oil on gesso board
(will be available on my website when it dries!)

After taking all the wonderful critique comments from you all to heart I made a few tweaks to my oil poppy and decided to call it finished...lessons learned, but definitely MORE to learn, or re-learn about oils...but I'm having FUN!  Thank you again to everyone who critiqued this, who gave me suggestions; they all helped...in fact I've made a list of all the suggestions that were made that I NOW keep by my easel.  I thought I would share this list for anyone out there who may be picking the oils back up again and need some reminders, or for those beginners out there!  The teacher in me just couldn't resist!!
1.  pay attention to the highlights and shadows
2.  sketch the piece and then block in areas of color first
3.  watch for great natural blends...let the oils do their own thing!
4.  try to keep the edges soft until toward the end...then apply the paint in thick strokes at the focal point.  Also that is where you use the highest chroma and value contrast.
5.  timing, process, persistence, and using an alkyd white (faster drying) helps me.
6.  sketch what you want to do on the canvas first, then put the background in first, that way you can be cleaner with the edges of the focus whether you want it hard or soft.  Try to put the darks in first then come back with lights.
7.  when working with acrylics one paints the layers...the same CAN be done with oils but you have to let the painting dry first...like for a week...before you can move on to the next layer...or paint with oils like you would a paint by number...just think flat and paint in all your surfaces...less strokes the better, otherwise mud is all you get!

Isnt' this a great list of advice!!  I hope it helps anyone else out there who is fiddling with oils again, or who may have just started!!

Before I go further, I want to present to you a few wonderfully sunny creative blogs out there that I have passed along my sunshine blogger award to!  I thought to do a few a day so hopefully you could take a few minutes to visit these creative souls!!  Remember the rules...acknowledge the receipt from the one who gave it...pass it along to 12 others...let them know it is theirs...link to them, and link to the giver...that is all there is to it!!

Nicole Smith has a blog called a bunny a day.  Please take a minute to visit her blog and see her wonderfully happy creations!  I love stuffed things, and if you do too...click on over!!

Dana Marie's blog is always full of fun and fanciful work!  Dana has several ventures which I think are quite an asset to the blogging and art world.  If you haven't checked out Inspiration all Around Us or seen her posts on facebook you've missed a lot!  She has also started another challenge blog called Judging a Book by it's Cover, but it is on hold a bit...click over to see how we can get it going if you are looking for something FUN!

Elizabeth W. Seaver Fine Art is another artist blog that I absolutely adore!  Elizabeth's acrylic and collage work is quite fascinating to see.  If you haven't watched her works come to life you are in for a treat!  One of my favorites!

Now to the little 4x4 piece I started yesterday.  I can see I should have had the list of suggestions with me BEFORE I started!  Things I should have been aware of...sketching first...laying in blocks of flat color, keeping edges undefined so I could pull it all together in the end...ALL good advice!  So, what did I do??  I just started with a very simple sketch...layed in color like I do when I am painting with acrylics...thus MUD happened, and I couldn't get my highlights like I wanted...SO, becuase I DID NOT take advice cuz I didn't have my list made yet...I will wait for it to dry before I finish it.  What was the advice...about a week...then I'll post it again, hopefully finished!  STILL LEARNING!  Thank you all again!  FUN STUFF!!

13 comments:

nicole said...

Saundra, thank you!! What a nice way to start my morning;) "Poppy and Bud" turned out nicely, I can appreciate you being an acrylic painter, trying to tackle oils, and facing the challenges they present. I've done it the opposite way, oil to acrylic with little success :)
Good Luck and Happy Painting!!

Saundra Lane Galloway said...

Thank you Nicole! It took me about 6 months to get used to acrylics from oils...now I love it...Just remember to work quickly if you want that painterly look...:)

Anonymous said...

Hey, I read through all of your tips...and that's a great idea, putting them all right beside your easel...so'z ya don't forgets!!

I love your poppy painting...and I just posted one of my acrylics today...come see me if you have a minute!

ciao
carmelina

Saundra Lane Galloway said...

Thanks Carmelina! I'm off to see your newest!

Autumn Leaves said...

Saundra, all of your art pieces come out so beautifully. So glad you are able to take advice and actually do it. Sometimes I have trouble conceptualizing it...and definitely do not have the skills to put it to use! LOL Hopeless. I am simply hopeless!

Anonymous said...

I admire you for tackling a new medium. The poppy and bud are lovely. The background colors are nice a subtle. I am considering signing up for Deborah Paris's online class in tonal painting, "the Luminous Landscape" http://www.deborahparis-apaintinglife.blogspot.com/
Jean

Saundra Lane Galloway said...

Whether I've got it yet with oils remains to be seen Autumn Leaves...but thank you for the vote of confidence!!

It is always fun Jean...I'm going to have to hop over to Deborah's site to see what's up!! Thanks for checking in!!

Dana Marie said...

Thank you for the Sunshine Award and for kind words, Saundra!!!

Your work is beautiful and is such an inspiration!

Have a gorgeous day!

And as always...Happy Painting!

~ Dana Marie

Saundra Lane Galloway said...

You are MOST welcome Dana Marie!! Very deserved! and thank you!! Right back at you!!

Lokelani Forrest said...

Saundra...so glad you did not throw your hands up on this one. It turned out just great...your perseverance paid off.

Saundra Lane Galloway said...

Thank you Lokelani! I'm not much for giving up...kinda stubborn...sometimes it is good...and well...then there's those times it gets me in hot water! HA

Elizabeth Seaver said...

Saundra! Thanks so much for the sunshine award. It means a lot coming from you, one of the sunshin-y-est people I know in blogdom.

I love the way you ask for help and learn from others. It is a part of your open and generous nature. I always learn from your posts.

Keep up the creative stuff, friend. I'm looking forward to what you do next!

Saundra Lane Galloway said...

Thanks Elizabeth! I was thinking the same about you...thus the award! I'm glad you can take something from what I do or say!! I only wish I lived near you...I'd take some classes and we would have a blast!

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