Layin' in the background...

Spent about 2 1/2 hours goin' after the background tonight.  I think a little more work on the leaves and I think I may increase the gradient from lighter towards the top and darker towards the bottom.  I've cropped this in my editor (haven't actually physically done any cropping).

I've learned alot on this one.  I've also learned just how much OP that Art Spectrum paper eats up too!!

More work on the Pristine...

Finally, got a chance to spend some more time on the Pristine. Finished out the petals and tested some backgrounds along the top which will be cropped. There's basically four color swatches up top. I'm thinking the two greens to the right, and I think I favor the greens on the far right.

Also, plan to add a faint hint of the stem and leaves below the rose.

Pristine Rose - WIP

Started a new OP last night.  Been looking at this picture I took of a Pristine rose.  Finally, decided to try painting a flower.  This was really hard to draw until I drew a grid. Obviously, still WIP.

Whole Week...no painting!

It's been a whole week since I've had a chance to pick up a brush!  Finally, MADE some today.  Continued work on Reflections at Flatford Bridge, but the DVDs have long since been returned so I'm having to go off memory of what I learned while I had the DVDs.  Did some glazes over the trees and water and then layed in some sky. Nice to be painting again.

Johnnie Liliedahl Study - Reflections at Flatford Bridge

So I was excited to get my next DVD study by Johnnie Liliedahl from Smartflix.com the other day.  This one is a two hour demonstration including some building structures and the main focus being reflections in the water.  I really like her teaching and style, having gone through her Forked Path study. She paints VERY loosely on the underpainting and glaze layers and then zeroes in on details in the painting phases.

So here's my underpainting.  At this stage, honestly, I have to wonder how I'll dial it into an actual painting worth looking at, but I felt that way with the Forked Path painting I did...and I liked how that one turned out :-)

Blue Jay - Final (maybe)

I think I've pushed myself about as far as I can go on this without wrecking it.  Debated on whether to tame the bright branches on the right, but they actually show up more in this photo than in real life so decided to leave it.  Had a tough time laying in the berries.  My Erengi ArtAspirers are fairly firm OPs.  I have a few Senneliers which are alot softer and lay over the Erengi's very well...but didn't have any reds for the berries.  Note to self...pick up some more Sennelier's for the highlights!

So I think I'm done on this one (unless I go back a mess with those other branches)  ;-)

Blue Jay - WIP II

Finally, had a few hours free to for painting last night!  More work on the Blue Jay.  This part was scary...I like the Jay and was having problems dialing in the color on the background.  Lot's more work to go.