070516 S 24x36 Flower Garden at Dusk

Here is how I painted this lovely scene of garden flowers at twilight.

I created an "inspiration board" (can be seen on the right in the picture below) made up with several printouts of past paintings including plein air paintings. I can pick and choose the various elements that I like to include in the new painting.

I sketch out the basic design of the painting using a brush dipped in linseed oil and picking up a little pigment.

I start by blocking in the dark greens mixing them with ultramarine blue, cadmium yellow light and a touch of magenta to create a black green.  I work over the entire surface popping in the dark value for the background trees and along the creek bed.

I mix up a brighter green using cerulean blue, a warmer blue than ultramarine, and cadmium yellow light.  To tone down to bright green, I add a touch of cadmium red light or medium or magenta.  Violets are also used to tone down the bright greens.  I mixed up a light pink for the Magic Lilies from the magenta and Titanium White.

 I add gold, yellows, and oranges for various flowers.

After most of the surface of the painting is covered, I mix the sky color with Titanium White and Cerulean Blue.  Starting at the top of the panel I put in the blue sky.  I mix the twilight colors with white, cadmium red light and yellow to make a peachy sunset color.  For the transition between the blue sky at the top to the peachy dusk color at the horizon line, I mix the two colors that create a gorgeous neutral color that makes the colors glow.

Using a curricular motion with the palette knife, I start popping in the hollyhocks and poppies. 

I use a different motion with the palette knife to paint in the tops of the hollyhocks.

More detail is added throughout the painting.  Fish and ripples are added to the creek.

I decided to add some hollyhocks to the mound of earth between the two sides of the creek.  I continued  adding details throughout the painting until it felt like it was done.

Here is the completed painting, "Flower Garden at Dusk", oil on panel, 24" x 36", Inventory Code #070516 S 24x36, by Charlene Marsh, c. 2016.

Happy Trails!

 Charlene 
 
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