"Mixed Tomatoes"

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"Mixed Tomatoes"

8 x 10 in

Oil on Canvas Panel

I'm finally back after such a long hiatus, I've been working on larger paintings and also ball point pen drawings.  I've decided to slow down a bit with these alla prima's and concentrate a bit more on my personal art work.  I felt as if these alla prima's started to become my identity as an artist and their sole purpose from the beginning is to just be practice paintings, in which they are.  I'm diving into larger more allegorical paintings, which means they do take longer to produce and I will not be devoting as much time to these alla prima's.  It's hard to not paint these little guys every day but I have to force myself in order to really produce a body of work that truly speaks as to who I am as an artist.  I plan to still produce one or two a week of these alla prima paintings after all I do love painting them and learn so much every time I finish one.  

On a side note I'll be teaching again this week coming up on the 22nd of March figure drawing at the Bloomington Art Center.  You can check out their site here and sign up for my class!

You can still sign up for my "Pink Roses" lesson!

"Sliced Tomatoes"

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"Sliced Tomatoes"

8 x 10 in

Oil on Canvas Panel

I wanted to continue on the theme with these tomatoes and play more with their inner beauty.  The inside of these tomatoes are neat looking from such a smooth and watery state to some areas that are really texturized with subtle highlights.  The smell I wish I was able to translate onto the painting, it was such a strong delicious smell it made it hard at times to paint instead of eating them.  It was fun painting the insides because they're not anything i've painted before, they have an abstract look to them and really neat trying to paint its textures.  The value shifts within the colors also made it fun to capture, they are subtle but delicious if done right.  The wooden base was also a neat one to paint, the watery texture coming from the tomatoes mixed with the wooden textures made a nice blend to paint.  

I also wanted to let you guys know if anyone is in the Minneapolis area this Saturday the 18th, I'll be giving a portrait demo from 1-3 p.m.  Click here to get more information about the demo and directions to it.

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 first to give some color to the overall painting.

Once the background is stated I started on the first tomato by just stating the general colors, at this stage I'm not worried about details and stating the darkest and lightest values.  I just want a general statement and also concentrate on big form modeling.  Then I state the darker values and its specific forms and take it to a close finish, the reason I don't finish all the way is because the surrounding hues are not stated and once they are in they effect that particular value.  

Then I adde the lighter values and its specific values and take that area to a finish, with the lighter values I am able to finish because it doesn't really change with the surrounding hue's.  I then state the stem when applying the highlights and lighter values.  Once the first tomato is complete I start on the second tomato by repeating the same process as I did with the first, state the general colors in the beginning and not worry about details.  Since this has more abstract shapes in it and not so much of big form modeling, I try to just think of like that and concentrate more on its values.

Then I state the darker values and its specific forms and take it to a close finish, I do the same with the lighter values and its specific forms.

I repeat the same process with the third tomato once the second one is complete.

When the third tomato is complete I start on the wooden base by just applying the general colors.  

Then I state the darker values and take them to a finish and do the same with lighter values.  Now I can go back to my tomatoes and adjust any value shifts that need to be changed, having the wooden base allows me to judge all the values together and make any necessary changes.  I hope you enjoyed this one as much as I did, thanks for stopping by and viewing! 

  

"Tomato Colors"

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"Tomato Colors"

8 x 10 in

Oil on Canvas Panel

I really liked the color assortment of tomatoes they had at the grocery store, my eyes always go straight to the most colorful fruits and vegetables out on display.  Tomatoes are fun to paint with their smooth skin, their stems are also neat they have a gestural movement to them.  I noticed when painting these tomatoes how rich their colors are, especially with the orange one it has such deep colors from dark to light.  When arranging them I wanted to create a subtle movement between them while still representing their beauty.  

I started with the usual dry brush approach using no mediums and a bit of raw umber on the brush, I forgot to take a picture of the drawing stage I apologize for that but I think you can get the picture with these initial pics.  Then I stated the background and base with the general colors, the background can easily be taken to a completion since its just one passage.  The base in the other hand has its general colors stated first then I start to fill in the darker values and its specific forms.

I then add the lighter values and their specific forms and take the base to a finish.  After the base is complete I start on the first tomato, I first state the overall general colors not stating the lightest and darkest values.  Stating the general colors at first gives me a base to work with and it also lets me work on modeling the form.

I then state the darker values and when thats complete I add the lighter values and their specific forms.  I add the stem to the tomato when painting the lighter values, the stem is so small I just paint it one take.

I'm pretty comfortable with the level of completion with the first tomato and move onto the second one, I repeat the same process as I did with the first.  I state the general colors at first and just worry about modeling the big form.  Then I state the darker values and their specific forms.

Then I add the lighter values and their specific forms and take it to a finish.  I then start on the final tomato by repeating the process, state the general colors first and worry about big form modeling.  I make sure in this stage to not go to thick with the paints, I wanna have a nice thin film so I can easily build up the paints if need be.  I'm not saying its bad to go thick in the beginning because their artist who paint in that manner and it looks great, for my approach and technique I know it'll get muddy and uncontrollable if I go to thick. 

Then I add the lighter values of the third tomato and take it to a finish.  I approached this painting the same as I do with the other paintings, I did however decide to approach the tomatoes individually than to just paint them all at once like i've been doing with previous paintings.  I do like painting like this by paying attention to one section at a time and taking it to a finish.  Anthony Van Dyke painted like that and was considered the fastest painter in history, he was able to finish a portrait in five days.  I find if I'm able to concentrate in one section at a time then I do not have to go back and make any other corrections, and the painting goes by much quicker.  Thanks for stopping by I hope you enjoyed!