MSGodfreyArt: Pear Blossoms: Step by Step

Monday, April 2, 2018

Pear Blossoms: Step by Step

It's been awhile since I posted a "how to" blog. For one thing, I have to have the camera out in my studio ready to photograph each step. Even then, I sometimes forget, as I joyously continue painting only to remember I missed taking a pic of a step later.

This particular step by step includes almost every part of this process. Enjoy!!

Step 1: I begin by creating an interesting abstract shape to break up the rectangular paper. The shape has certain qualities: all corners are different sizes, the lines are a dominance or either curvilinear or straight, the design leaves the paper on all 4 sides and all exits avoid leaving at the middle of the paper. The abstract shape is then cut out from contact paper and applied to the paper

(Here you see the shape attached to the paper and a light wash has been applied. One corner with a cool color and three with a warm color.

Step 2: I had spring and blooms in mind, so I broke my abstract into some blossom shapes. After outlining those blossoms with a sharpie (on the contact paper) I cut around those to reveal a new shape which I then reapplied to the paper.

(I had two rectangular pieces I was working on at the same time.)

Step 3: After cutting out my floral shapes, I put my 2 papers on a surface to use my mouth atomizer to spray with a warm color over the warm corners, and a cool spray over the cool corners.

(I use paper towels to protect the parts as I spray.)

Step 4: Now all the contact paper is removed, and the results of the 3 previous steps is revealed.

Step 5: The the fun begins! I mix one color with several hues to apply around the left white. Since I'm thinking blossoms, I'm also thinking leaves.

Step 6: More colors are added to the outer portion.

Step 7: More deep colors are added as well as some line work.

Step 8: Now to add some understanding to the white shapes. I added pale grays to the petals first, then chartreuse in the centers with some lines for stamens, and finally dots of red.

Step 9 and 10: The final steps--first to use black ink applied with a small brush to push back areas behind the organic shapes. Then I used both black and white ink to add more line work.

I'd love to get feedback on both the process and the paintings.