"Apple"

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"Apple"

5 x 7 in

Oil on Canvas Panel

Started with a dry brush approach as I always do, just have a slight of burnt umber on the brush and mediums.

After the drawing was completed I decided to fill in the base, just adding the mid value range of the colors with in the base.  I also added the cast shadow of the apple, my palette for the base was burnt sienna, yellow ochre, cadmium orange, permanent rose, and ivory black.

I then added the background color which was cerulean blue, naples yellow, and titanium white.  I made sure to blend the edges where the background meets the base so the focus can be on the apple.  Remember hard edges are never your friend when you paint, it only works well around the focal point.

I went into the apple and started from the shadows, I used permanent rose, and ivory black.  I just filled it in with a thin layer still no medium is being used.

Then I worried about modeling the big forms, going from dark to light tones or values.  I used permanent rose, cadmium red, titanium white and a little of cadmium orange.  I am always aware of my edges in the this stage, making sure the form is turning and not keeping hard edges.

Then I filled in the top portion of the apple where its lightest, I used cadmium yellow medium, naples yellow, viridian, and titanium white.  I started to mix some of the reds of the apple into the light yellows, I made it very subtle so the form can turn towards the stem area.

I went back into the shadows of the base and apple, I lightened the shadows in the apple.  I can tell already that I took it too far.  I also darkened the base where the cast shadow is stated.

I added the highlights to the apple in a thick impasto manner, I love doing this it picks up so much light and you can be so expressive with your brush strokes.  It's rather a small stroke but it serves its purpose for this painting.  Hope you enjoyed this one, thanks for stopping by and viewing my painting!