Week 12: Vase of Flowers by Jan Davidsz de Heem

Hello,

This weeks update will be brief, I worked on the tulips predominantly and focused a bit on the orange daisy.

{mid-day status}

{end of day status}

As working on this daisy I realized I was working with too many oranges, reds, and yellows and the flower was beginning to flatten some, so in order to punch it up some and give it a greater sense of form I delicately laid in some cobalt turquoise at the front shadowed edge and immediately depth was re-established. So if ever you are encountering a similar situation think about adding an almost complementary color into the mix, painting wet into wet. A direct complementary color is directly across the color wheel where an almost complementary color is across the wheel and shifted either one direction or the other. The direct complementary color may gray down your first color too much where the almost complementary color seems to mix to create a beautiful and dynamic color.

{orange daisy detail}

{NGA security station}

Just as a side note, the entire NGA building is beautiful. The finishes and details are exquisite, like the beautiful bronze register covers and the way the millwork and proportions of the architectural details seem integrated. It is such a gift to be able to spend my Mondays painting in such a beautiful space.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!