Spring 2018 Pastel Class

Spring Pastel Project: Magnolia Week 2

This week I started detailing my flower and stems.

I used a light warm grey for the sunlit parts of the stems and my indigo for the shadows. As with may types of plants, the new growth on this tree is reddish so I used a red/brown for the base color, a pinkish color for highlights, added the indigo for shadows and a light orange for the bands. (See next image for close up)

I also added some soft yellow/green for the moss that is growing on the branches.

The buds have a light mustard yellow/green, ocher, sienna and indigo in the shadows and I blended it lightly with my color shaper.

Note the curved strokes I used on the stems to give them shape. Follow the shape of the thing you are painting to help create the form.

I lightly blended with the color shaper so I didn't lose all the strokes.

On the flower I started adding my highlights and shadows. Fro the highlights I was using a cream color and a soft, very light lavender, I have not used white yet, that comes last.

The shadows were tricky because I didn't want to get them too dark or the petals lose their translucence but they need to be dark enough to create form. I ended up using a medium dark lavender with touches of indigo and if needed more of the light lavender to keep it lighter.

The center of the flower is a light yellow/green and a dark green blended and the stamens around the center are yellow, and pink. Watch the direction that they grow, they are not coming straight out but curve out from the center.

This is where I left off for the day, I will probably finish up this project next week but if you are not this far, don't panic you can take as long as you need, I will be starting another painting that will be more for demonstration than a project because everyone is at different points of this project. You can bring something you want to work on and I will help you when needed.

Keep painting and I will see you in class.