Sometimes I mix up some colors that I think I might need before I begin to paint as a way of easing into a painting session. It takes the pressure off of me to mix up a perfect color right off the bat. Also, I won’t have to stop painting to mix a color I might need right when I’m just getting started. Anything that makes starting easier is a good thing. The colors above are my guesses for the basket. I’ll end up using some, not using some, and modifying others.
Above, I show the basket as it was when I began the session, and under that, how it looked when I finished. I glazed the left side of the basket, which is in shadow. I’ve been looking forward to doing this, as it’s easy, and instantly reinforces the feeling of 3 dimensions. I’ll add more glazes later, to darken it further, when I can better judge the correct value. I wiped a bit of the glaze off here and there where the light parts of the back wall show through the basket.
Above, I show the box, bowl and nest as I left them at my last session, and under that, what I did at this session. I added highlights to the top of the bowl, and painted in the design on the lower right. I put in the reflected light from the back wall onto the sliding top of the box by scumbling in a light gray. I added some shadows using dark glazes in the interior of the box. Finally, I darkened the nest. This dark tone will serve as the darker, shadowed areas in the nest. When that dries, I’ll overpaint it with lighter strokes, indicating the straw and grass. I’ll leave spaces between the strokes, so that the dark interior will be visible in spots.
Linda Mann Artist 