Some pink flowers in an overcast afternoon light.
The color study on the left, and the start of the first colour layer on the right.
For this picture, I'm using Blockx paints for the first time.
Besides being more expensive than the Winsor Newton I normally use,
they are also supposed to be more chromatic, and come in a more fluid state out of the tube.
I popped into the local flower shop the other day and bought some yellow spray roses.
Here are a couple of color studies for a small (14x14cm) flower picture I'm about to start.
The study on the left was painted with cadmium yellow light; the one on the right with cadmium yellow.
Three yellow roses.
A color study for a new painting (left) and the current state of play (right).
In order to reach the high-chroma reds of the petals, I'm having to use a pigment called quinacridone (PV19).
However, the pigment results in a paint that is transparent and has a high oil content, and I'm finding it difficult to handle.
I hope to cover the issues I'm having in more detail in a later post.
The panel I'm painting on has been prepared in my usual manner:
a Shina plywood panel; coated with four layers of Liquitex gesso; each layer sanded with #180 sandpaper.
After the final layer has been sanded, I rubbed in a mix of Raw Umber and Cobalt Blue diluted with petroleum.
This gives the low-chroma green that can be seen in the background of the painting.
The completed first layer (left) and completed second layer (right).
Click on the right hand image to bring up a gif of the changes made between the two layers.
I'll let the painting dry for a couple of weeks, then varnish it.
I use Winsor & Newton paints for most of my colours (the most notable exception being Titanium White, for which I use Le Franc), but I've recently taken an interest in paints made by different manufacturers.
Some William Harding tubes arrived last week, so I'm keen to compare them to my stock Winsor & Newton.
Perhaps a couple of monochrome studies are in order.