Spring 2012 Acrylic Class

Acrylic – Apple Turnover Week 3

(Sorry, I apparently didn't post this blog =-O )

By this time you should have all your under painting done for the basket and the apples, now we will be starting the finishing process, your under painting is important, it becomes shadow and texture so be careful not to loose it all as you finish up your painting.

I started on the top outside part of the basket with a mix of white (gesso), tiny touches of yellow, orange and sienna, it should be a soft peachy color. Using a #10 bristle brush and the dry brush technique, I followed the grain of the wood and lightly stroked this color on. The harder you press your brush to the canvas the more paint will come off so as you move down to the side of the basket, lighten your stroke so you leave less paint with each stroke. Come down about half way on the side of the basket with this color.

IN THE SAME PILE OF COLOR, add more sienna and a touch of orange, same brush same technique, start just below the color you just added and dry brush both down the basket and also lightly dry brush up to about the quarter area of the brush. If you do it right, you will not see a line of demarcation between the first color and the second. The third color is applied the same but this time add purple and/or blue to your sienna and dry brush it on just like you just did before, It need to get very dark under the basket as it goes into the shadow just be sure to feather out the color so there aren't any hard lines, you need soft edges as it disappears under the basket.

The inside of the basket is done EXACTLY the same way just be sure to locate the lightest area on the side of the basket, the darkest area will be on the inside of the basket.

At this point you might want to locate your apples, you may need to use chalk in the darker areas to see where your apples are in the basket. Inside the basket if you have alizarin crimson use it, if you don't have AC use your napthol with a touch of blue to purple it up be sure that the brush you are using doesn't have any white in it or it could turn you apples pink.

Here is the part you need to pay attention to because you can easily make more work for yourself if you don't pay attention to what you are doing. That dark under painting you did on the apples now becomes the shadows on and between your apples. DO NOT COVER IT ALL UP. I saw many of you when you got to the red apples, you painted the whole apple red both the light side and the shadowed side which made your apples look flat, to make them look rounded, you have to put the shadows back in that you just painted over. Learn to use your under painting, while we may need to go back and darken certain areas, most of the shadows will be you under painting, don't paint over all of it.

That said, using either the alizarin or the napthol with blue ON THE TOPS of the apples in the basket, following the shape of the apple you are painting, add the color and if you need to, use a brush or your finger to soften it into the dark part of the apple. Paint each apple individually so you get the shading right. You will build up speed as you learn, at this point, take your time.

You can use the same color on the apples that are out in the sun but it goes on the sides away from the light source: the back and the underneath. If you are putting in a green apple, the shadowed side is Hooker's green and a touch of purple. Go to the picture page and see where I have put the color for each apple so you have a clear idea what you need to do.

Where the sun might be hitting the apples in the basket and for those outside the basket, on the light side I used straight napthol red. Cad red will also work if you don't have the napthol. This is only the start of the highlight but it needs to be done before you can add the final touches.

Another thing I did to the apples inside of the basket and to some in front was to add a reflected highlight into the shadow areas. This is just a hint of color added lightly into the shadows. It is blue, purple and a touch of white to make a soft lavender color. This color is in many shadows if you look for it but it is not LAVENDAR on the back sides of things, it is a whisper not a shout.

We should be finishing up this painting in the next class, or more precisely, I will be finishing the painting up. If you need another week or more you can continue to work on the class project, however, if you are keeping up with me you will need to start looking for your own project to work on for the duration of the semester, I will do demos that will help those with problems and but it will also benefit the class as a whole. See you in class.