"Radishes"

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"Radishes"

8 x 10 in

Oil on Canvas Panel

 I'm done with the tangerine series for now and glad to move onto these radishes.  I've done these radishes before and find it really challenging to paint the leaves, that's why I wanted to paint them again.  It was fun experimenting with the paints to get the right feel for the leaves.  Also playing with the two complimentary colors red and green was a neat idea to incorporate.  

I started with the usual dry brush approach using no mediums, just raw umber on the brush for the drawing stage.  After the drawing is established I stated the background using cerulean blue, naples yellow, burnt sienna, and titanium white.

Then I stated the base instead of going into the radishes at first, I wanted to do this so I can just spend the whole time concentrated on them.  I started with the darkest area of the base using ivory black, cad. orange, and burnt sienna.  Then I stated the top part of the base which is also the lighter and middle values.  I used titanium white, burnt sienna, cerulean blue, and naples yellow.

Then I started on the radishes themselves, working on the darkest values first.  I used ivory black, raw umber, and cad. red light.  Then I put in the middle values using cad. orange, cad. red light.  I'm working on all the radishes at the same time to have an equal feel overall.  I work on each on and finish it to a certain level and move on to the next.

Then I added the lighter values using titanium white, and quinacridone magenta.  I went pretty thick and impasto with the highlights in order to give the feel of light hitting the radishes.  Then I added the stringy things that hang off the radishes which was fun to do.  

After the radishes were completed I started on the leaves, I stated the darker to middle values first.  I used ivory black, viridian deep, and cad. yellow.  Then I stated the middle to lighter values while still figure out the darker value placements.  This helped me get an idea where everything should lay, since this area is so difficult to paint due to its complicated nature.   

I kept sculpting the leaves and getting the feel I wanted to.  I knew painting this area would be challenging because it can't be rendered the same way the radishes where done.  It has to be looser and gestural in order to get the right feel of the leaves, it really tricky but very educational to paint.  I really liked the way it turned out, I learned a lot from painting these leaves and how to handle the paints in different ways.  I hope you enjoyed this one, thanks for stopping by and viewing.