Further and Final Cyclamen Development

 Close up of upper part of left hand-side of the canvas.  It shows some pale washes to emphasis shadows and that white is almost always not pure white; white picks up hues from other colours around it.  I wanted to keep most of the petals simple in colour to reflect the genus of Cyclamen  had taken a photograph of.  i also think this image could make another unusual composition that I could use in my sketchbook.

 A slightly different angle from the one above this image.  I have started to paint the spots with a Cochineal a pinky/red acrylic paint.  Under the that I've used a pale wash of Primary Magenta for the spots and I also used a baby wipe around the edges of the spots to soften the edges.  I used a wash of Primary Magenta and Paynes Grey for the subtle shading and marks on the petals. 

 A slightly better view of the shading on the upper petals on the one above and below.

 I think the image below looks quite fierce in the intensity of colour and brush strokes.  I have found it quite difficult to blend the brush strokes so that they look more natural from the top of the petals, but I feel I've almost got it.  The only thing I'm not too sure about is that the top of this petal on the photograph is dark like I've done here, but the part underneath is too red, whereas on the photo it looks pinky.  I may change this before deciding it's finished.

 I feel the image below would also make a good composition in its own right.

 Almost there and I have to say I'm pleased with the result.  I like the softness and fairly regular shapes of the petals against the random marks of the foliage.  I feel it works well as a contrast and the colours I've chosen to use also add to the the overall effect.

 I'm not sure about the image above as to whether it would make a good enough composition, but I find it interesting to look at.  I have added more red Cochineal to some of the spots mixed with Gloss Gel Medium to help the paint move around more easily.  It also adds a sheen to them making the spots stand out more.

 I like this image of the strong contrast of the top of the petal against the spots.  My primary aim was to highlight the delicacy of the petals against the background.

The petals look huge and dominate all of this image set off by the narrow background running to the right hand side.

 The image above should have been rotated before uploading, but it nonetheless looks effective.

 I took this image across the right hand side to show that the painting goes round the edges of the box camera.  The canvas although taken at an unusual angle wouldn't look out of place this way up, which I find a little odd, but it has given me food for thought.

 This is the other side of the canvas showing how I've extended the detail onto the sides.

 The image above is almost identical to one above, but shows a slightly different composition.  Strong lower petals against a strong background and softer upper petals.

Virtually done.  I have added more Primary Magenta again as I wasn't satisfied with the bottom top petal.  I'm not sure yet but i may knock it back a little with a watery white wash.  I will decide tomorrow morning before taking the finished piece to show my client.  Let's hope he likes it.

Further Work On My Commision Piece Cyclamen

 A close up of one of the petals.  I have used a very pale wash of Crimson Red on certain areas of the petal but left a lot white.  I chose this particular composition because I like painting unusual shots of the flowers I see and also because I thought this genus of Cyclamen looks especially delicate. 

 This is a close up of the bottom center of the painting showing various stages of development.  On the photograph I took the background foliage is out of focus, but I felt that the colour range was bland, so I have used various shades of green of different strengths to enhance the delicacy of the flower.

 A close up of the tops of the lower petals.  It is possible to see the faint colour tapering down that gives the petal a sense of shape and movement.  I shall be adding more colour to the top right petal and tapering it down until it's almost imperceptible.

 Although I added this images in the order I took them for some reason they have been uploaded out of sync.  The image above shows where I've applied large pools of Phthalo Green and Light Green.  I kept looking at it on an off for quite a while undecided whether I liked it or not.  In the end I wiped it all off and decided to just add some more darker shades of green using Paynes Grey to add depth.  I will be adding them a bit at a time so that I can manipulate the paint better.

This image should've have been the first image following yesterday's post.  I can start to see how strong the contrast is between the delicate petals and the background.

 Here is where I've added more colour to the petal on the right side graduating the intensity to create the delicate colour.  It isn't finished yet as the colour is deeper towards the edge.  I have also started to deepen the spots on the rest of the flower, leaving the edges fuzzy so that it looks more realistic.

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Last one of the day and I'm quite pleased with the result I've achieved so far.  Hope my client is pleased with it too.

Commission Work Abstract Cyclamen

 First wash of acrylic painting for my Commission work.  I had made a light rough sketch I used Phthalo Green to the background after I had applied clean water to the canvas. I used a large brush to apply the water and the paint so that i could achieve a fairly even tone.

Here I've added a light green for a contrast to the still damp Phthalo and then lifted the canvas up at various angle so that the colours blended into one another.  I wanted to achieve a similar effect that i had with the batiks I've done,which to some degree has worked, but due to the rigidity of the canvas it doesn't soak into it as well as fabric canvas that hasn't been treated with gesso or white acrylic. It's still looking pretty pale.

 Below I have mixed a wash of Crimson Red to the background petals of a Cyclamen.  I have let it bleed into the Phthalo Green.  It has been quite hard keeping the white areas clean, but thank goodness to baby wipes.

 I had added a stronger mix of the greens, but didn't like the effect as I'd forgotten to lay down a layer of water first, so I wiped it of with kitchen paper and re-applied it again for a smoother look.

 Before I had lifted the canvas and moved the direction of the paint so that it bled into one another in the above shot and below you can see how the colours have merged.

 On the image below I have added pools of colour and again tipped the canvas.  I then used a hairdryer to dry the paint and achieved some interesting tones and shades of varying depths.  It looks like indistinct foliage, which is what I wanted to do.  I have found it quite tricky doing this technique on a large area, without it running into the white areas, so I started to do it in smaller sections.

 The right hand side of this image still needs work on it to try to create the same effect as the left side.

 It helps to put my work up on an easel and stand back from it so I can see how it is coming on and to also check for areas that needs more working on.  I need to add some washes of Paynes Grey to knock back some of the brightness and to darken parts of the background too, especially towards the right hand corner and towards the large petals in the foreground.

 Here i have started to added the spots and red/pink markings on the petals.  I used the same Crimson Red, but in a paler tone, as some of them will not be much darker on the finished piece.  On the light purple petal I mixed a little Crimson Red with a little bit of Blue and started to lay down the wash.

 This is a close up of the center of the canvas.  I like the effect of the foliage against the delicate contrast of the petals and this i hope will make the flower stand out.

At this stage I have sopped to let the paint dry naturally over night.  Stay posted to see further developments.