I started another session of still life painting with Michael Van Zeyl two weeks ago. This time it’s 5 weeks, but there’ll be another 5 week session to finish the summer schedule. Michael suggested we try limiting the number of colors in the picture, so I’ve tried to come up with a set up that’s done with yellows and greens, with one rose-colored accent. This is the first time I’ve tried to arrange a set-up on my own. It’s difficult and I wasn’t able to find a lot of examples. Well, here’s the set-up, the first block-in, and the start of painting the flowers.
I first mixed the color for the shadows in the flowers, then the lighter yellow parts, then the dark olive background. Michael suggested that since all of those colors were relatively cool, I add the warm yellow in the flower centers. He also showed me how to brush out the background to keep it transparent.
Ken Crocker Artist 