Thursday, July 26, 2012

Vicki's Lotus - WIP 1

I actually did something I said I would do...went to the Art Club and painted with my friends this afternoon. I managed to finish most of the underpainting of this lotus, that belongs in the wonderful pond of Vicki G, in Florida. Imagine having your very own pond!  Thanks Vicki for the use of your excellent photo.

I chose purple acrylic ink for the underpainting since the flower will be yellow. I love the somewhat abstract shapes in this that hopefully will become a more realistic, recognizable shape that will be a lotus blossom. I am planning on going very dark with the water, and will look forward to doing that. I am thinking that I will do the background first, but then may go the other way. I never decide that part until I am mixing up the paint to begin. Do any of you have a hard and fast rule about whether to do the background first and then the flower or the flower first and then the background? I have never been able to decide which works better for me so I do it either way, without reason.

3 comments:

RH Carpenter said...

Looking very good. Since taking the Carol Carter workshop, I think I'm more likely to do the background first - otherwise I do all the work on the main star/subject and then haven't even thought of the background colors and shapes! I would leave some of those abstracted bits - it's obviously a lotus flower and we don't need too much information for us to see that. Can't wait to see the yellow on top!

CHummelKornell said...

Looking forward to seeing the finished product.

Watercolors by Susan Roper said...

Rhonda, I replied to you two days ago and Blogdom decided to send that elsewhere. I just tried to comment on Deb Ward's blog and the word verification number photo was absolutely unreadable! So, I am striking out lately. I wanted to tell you that I think I will start with the background on this one and see how that goes. I can hardly wait for the yellow, though.

Coni - Good to hear from you. Where are you two these days? I thought you were in OK, now I see you are hiking in Montana? I hope you are having nice weather wherever you are!