"Heirloom Tomato"

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"Heirloom Tomato"

8 x 10 in

Oil on Canvas Panel

This is my second painting of an heirloom tomato, I can see the difference in technicality from the first time I painted it.  It was almost a monochromatic painting but with hints of oranges and light greens here and there.  It felt good getting back too painting, I have been so caught up with trying to get votes for the competition that I neglected my paintings.  There is nothing like painting!

I started with the usual dry brush approach, I use no mediums through out my painting.  The only time I use mediums is when I varnish it in the end.  I used raw umber for the drawing a very tiny bit of it on the brush, when the drawing was established I moved onto the shadows of the tomato.  I used ivory black,  and cadmium red.

After putting in the darks I put in the middle values, when I start putting them in I go back to the shadows and take it to a finish as with the middle values.  I make sure to take each stage to a finish which means your level of concentration is really high in order to get everything right.  Then I put the lighter values as you can see I am moving from right to left since I made this fruit much larger on the canvas it took a longer time to paint it.  For the middle and lighter values I used cad. red light, cad. red, cad. orange, and titanium white.  I am also creeping up to the highlights making sure to leave the bare canvas since that is the whitest you can get.  

Then I started moving towards the left of the tomato, I am using the same palette as I mentioned above.  I  am going from the middle values then towards the lighter values and taking them to a finish.  Then I go into the highlights and add titanium white, blending them with the surrounding values and softening the edges.  Thats the other thing I am constantly being aware of is my edges, each stroke I lay down I am seeing if the edge of the stroke needs to be softened or crispier.  Edges will always make or brake you'r painting its good to take special care of them.

Then I moved onto the wooden base I stated the darks first just using ivory black, I also stated the stem of the tomato.  Then I moved onto the middle values, using burnt sienna, and ivory black.  Then I went to the stem and added lighter greens, I didn't go too far with it since I have not added the background yet and know I will have to soften the edges.

Then I added the background, I used cerulean blue, naples yellow, and titanium white.  I first made sure to go around the edges of where the tomato meets the background and soften where it needs to be softened.  I always think these guys have the most unique looking features and glad to have painted them again.  I hope you enjoyed this one and thank you for stopping by!