| First, I'll give the entire canvas a light yellow color using gesso mixed with lemon yellow. I don't find it enjoyable to start on a white canvas, and besides, with yellow as a background, I can better see how the other colors will come out later. After coloring the entire canvas, I'll transfer the photo using a grid. Since the photo I printed out and the canvas don't match exactly in size, it's a bit of a puzzle. |
| After tracing everything with a pencil and being satisfied with the sketch, I'll go over all the lines with a yellow marker. Pencil can create dirty and gray spots in the paint, so after tracing with a marker, I'll erase all the pencil lines, including the grid. |
| Now I'll start with the underpainting. I'll color the parts with acrylic paint. I won't add any detail yet, but I'll clearly define what is leaf, flower, or background by painting them in the correct color. For the background, I'll use zinc white with some dioxazine purple. I won't stick exactly to the photo, as you can see. I'll partially adjust it to my own preferences. |
| For the leaves, I'll use sap green, with some zinc white for the lighter parts. I won't paint the yellow of the flowers again, as I already did that when I painted the entire canvas yellow. |
| After the leaves, I'll start with the hearts of the flowers. Essentially, these are two circles overlapping. The smaller one in the middle is slightly lighter in color. I'll indicate this difference in the underpainting as well. I'll use burnt umber and mars black for this. With oil paint, I need to work neatly from back to front, but for now, I'm going color by color. |
| Once the acrylic layer is done, I'll move on to the next phase, using oil paint. Now I need to consider fat over lean and work from back to front. So, the first thing I'll paint is the background. I want it slightly darker than the acrylic color. I'll mix a purple from alizarin crimson and phthalo blue. With this color, I'll paint over the background previously painted purple with acrylics. This color is much darker, and I like it much better. |
I want to create a large painting of sunflowers. For this, I'll use the photo from the photo album... Sunflowers. I've chosen a canvas size of 60 by 90 cm. Although I want it to be an oil painting, I'll make the underpainting with acrylic paint..
First, I'll give the entire canvas a light yellow color using gesso mixed with lemon yellow. I don't find it enjoyable to start on a white canvas, and besides, with yellow as a background, I can better see how the other colors will come out later. After coloring the entire canvas, I'll transfer the photo using a grid. Since the photo I printed out and the canvas don't match exactly in size, it's a bit of a puzzle.
After tracing everything with a pencil and being satisfied with the sketch, I'll go over all the lines with a yellow marker. Pencil can create dirty and gray spots in the paint, so after tracing with a marker, I'll erase all the pencil lines, including the grid.
Now I'll start with the underpainting. I'll color the parts with acrylic paint. I won't add any detail yet, but I'll clearly define what is leaf, flower, or background by painting them in the correct color. For the background, I'll use zinc white with some dioxazine purple. I won't stick exactly to the photo, as you can see. I'll partially adjust it to my own preferences.
For the leaves, I'll use sap green, with some zinc white for the lighter parts. I won't paint the yellow of the flowers again, as I already did that when I painted the entire canvas yellow.
After the leaves, I'll start with the hearts of the flowers. Essentially, these are two circles overlapping. The smaller one in the middle is slightly lighter in color. I'll indicate this difference in the underpainting as well. I'll use burnt umber and mars black for this. With oil paint, I need to work neatly from back to front, but for now, I'm going color by color.
Once the acrylic layer is done, I'll move on to the next phase, using oil paint. Now I need to consider fat over lean and work from back to front. So, the first thing I'll paint is the background. I want it slightly darker than the acrylic color. I'll mix a purple from alizarin crimson and phthalo blue. With this color, I'll paint over the background previously painted purple with acrylics. This color is much darker, and I like it much better.
Now I'll start with the leaves in the background. I'll use the following colors on my palette:
Now it's time for the brown hearts of the flowers, the central part. I'll put some raw umber, burnt umber, and black on my palette. With these, I'll paint the inner part of the heart. The outer, slightly lighter edge will come later. I'll also start working on the flowers themselves.
For the flowers themselves, I'll use mixtures of the following colors:
'll finish the entire painting. For the slightly lighter brown edge of the flower heart, I'll use a mixture of the same colors as the dark heart, supplemented with English Red. Once I'm done with this first layer of oil, I'll let the painting dry properly. It will take at least about three weeks.
Once I've colored all the flowers, I'll start the final phase. Now I'll add more detail. I'll still use the same yellow colors for this. The hearts of the flowers will also be further developed now. I'll use a slightly more fatty medium with my paint. Approximately 1 part turpentine or Sansodor to 2 parts Liquin or linseed oil. This layer will take longer to dry. For adding details to the flower hearts, I'll use a small brush, no. 1.
Once I'm satisfied with the work, I'll sign it. Now it needs to dry for several more months before I can varnish the painting.