Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Prickly Pear Burgundy - WIP 1



I've started my larger version of the Prickly Pears I did the study for last week. As usual, when I do a study I often do an about-face and change my mind about how I want the finished version to appear, but then I guess that is the beauty of doing a smaller study first. The critiques I received for the small study convinced me to change the placement of the fruit for better composition so I did that. Also, these fruit change color from the pink to a deep burgundy as they ripen in the hot sun so I decided to do the fruit in the more current color of burgundy than when I took the ref photo. I chose a purple underpainting to set the values of this since it seems to be a more natural shadow color.

The image size of this painting is 18x30, which will go into an existing 24x36 frame. Watercolor on Arches 140-lb paper.

4 comments:

RH Carpenter said...

Looking forward to seeing this one take shape, Susan. Love how you use the violet underpainting!

Barb Sailor said...

I like the narrower format. I liked the pink areas on the earlier study, and I think that this composition will be even stronger.
Barb

Joanne Cage said...

Susan:

I stumbled on your site while hunting Southwest scenes to inspire my painting--not to copy! I love your painting. I live in Alabama, near Birmingham. Your painting makes mine look like kindergarten art work!

Watercolors by Susan Roper said...

Joanne,

Please, do not be intimated by this work of mine! I only can try to do things that I thing MIGHT work! Follow along, and if you can learn something then it is worth following along with me on this journey. I am liking this so far, but there is still time to make that a different outcome! Check out the latest version, I still am liking it!

Susan