"Black Plums 2"

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"Black Plums 2"

8 x 10 in 

Oil on Canvas Panel

I wanted to continue the marble series with another painting of these beautiful plums, especially painting marble practice makes perfect.  I noticed with painting plums you have to be very delicate with each transition of tones, which is stark contrast with marble.  Marble has so much texture their are subtle value shifts but for the most part its rough with impasto strokes.  I always start with the marble section first it requires so much attention, it takes so long to get the subtle and rough strokes working right with each other.  I suggest anybody who wants a great challenge on how to paint textures with so many properties should paint marble.  

I wanted to remind everyone again that I will be giving a live demo at the Uptown Art Fair, it'll be on August 5 from 1-5 p.m.  It'll be great to see you guys there!  I will also be teaching a still life and figure drawing workshops at the Bloomington Art Center, if anyone's interested you can now sign up for the classes.  Click here to see sign up!

I started with the usual dry brush approach using no mediums and a bit of raw umber on the brush.  Once the drawing is complete I stated the background and marble, I used cerulean blue, naples yellow and titanium white.  For the marble I just painted a thin base of the middle value, I used titanium white, ivory black, yellow ochre and raw umber.

Then I stated the middle darker values first not going to dark first, I like to slowly build up to my values. The middle picture shows the darker values taken to completion, then the third picture shows the lighter values and its specific forms taken to completion.  I made sure in each stage I take it to a close completion, the reason I'm not able to finish it is when stating surrounding values it effects the values that  have been painted before.  When all the values are stated in the end thats when you can fully see what you have and shift values here and there to the look your going for.

I do the same process with the top of the marble.

Then I start with plums after the marble is complete, I state all the plums with the middle values first.  Then I start with the first plum on the left stating the darks and its specific forms, for the most part I'm making the form turn at this stage and adding any details relating to the darks.  I used ivory black, alizarine crimson, and napthol red.

When the darks are complete I start with the lighter values and its specific forms, the colors I used where cerulean blue,  and titanium white.  Once the first plum is complete I repeat the process with the second plum, I also use the same colors as I did with the first plum.

And do the same with the third plum.

Once the plums are complete I went back to the cast shadows of the plums and filled in the darks, this allows the plums and marble to be in the same plane.  I also lightened some areas of the marble and took the whole painting to a finish.  I think after painting marble so many times I can paint it with my eyes closed, I'm glad i'm doing it though it really pushes me and challenges me like never before.  I hope you guys have enjoyed this one as much as I did, thanks for stopping by and viewing!