Monday, March 19, 2012

Cocoanut Palm

Diane Mannion, COCOANUT PALM, 8x6" oil
Had my class paint palms today.  Thought it would be a snap,  after all, it's just a stick with leaves, but we all struggled.  Maybe it was because we were inside a classroom and worked from black and white reference shots taken by me.  I had hoped they would help everyone see the values, dark and light contrasts.  We used memory and imagination for color and quick glances outside.  The door was open and palm trees sparkled in the sun.  Next time, I'll make sure everyone is prepared to paint outside under the palms.
Started with a red underpainting, then painted the dark and light masses before indicating any leaves.   Saved sun-dappled highlights for last. Buy.

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