"Baby Eggplants"

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"Baby Eggplants"

7 x 5 in

Oil on Canvas Panel

I really like the smooth texture and soft value shifts eggplants have, I think they have so much character to them.  I wanted to play with these two baby eggplants in telling a subtle story between them, almost like the characteristics of their texture and shape.  The color shift from a deep red to a subtle violet is to good not to paint, it's always one of those things that attracts me to paint.  To me these guys are an elegant and smooth fruit to paint.

I started with just a dry brush of raw umber on the brush and no mediums for the drawing stage.  After the drawing was completed I started on the first egg plant, concentrating on bigger form modeling first going from darks to light.  The colors I used is ultramarine, quinacridone magenta, naphthol red, and ivory black.  

Then I added the lighter values and highlights just mixing titanium white to it.  I'm not one hundred percent with this stage but I want to move onto the stem, I will revisit this area once more.  Then I start on the stem doing the same concentrating on the bigger form modeling first.  the colors I use is viridian, cad. yellow pale hue, ultramarine, and titanium white.

After the bigger form modeling is working I then apply the smaller forms or details, first starting with the darks and then doing the lighter values.  Then I start on the second baby eggplant using the same mixture as I did with the previous one.  

At this stage when I finish doing the bigger form modeling I go back to the first baby eggplant and finish up the areas I left.  Then when thats completed I go to the second baby eggplant and add the smaller form modeling, which is just little details here and there.  I then start on the stem by doing big form modeling first, I'm also using the same colors as I used with the other eggplant.

Then I add the details or smaller forms to the stem and take it to a finish.  Once the baby eggplants are completed I move onto the top of the wooden base, I start with an overall direction of light and color value shifts.  The colors I'm using at this stage is cerulean, yellow ochre, raw umber, titanium white, and ivory black.

Then I add details on top of the base and also start to add the general colors to the bottom of the base.  The colors I used there are ivory black, raw umber, and cad. orange.  After the general colors are stated I add the smaller forms and take the wooden base to a finish.

I finish the painting by adding color to the background, the colors I used are cerulean, naples yellow, and titanium white.  When painting this area I'm constantly aware of all edges and how soft and hard they must be, remember edges can make or break you'r painting pay close attention to them.  I hope you enjoyed these baby eggplants, thanks for stopping by and viewing!