Life, with a Knife

[Moosehead]

I need to work more from life, outdoors when I can, indoors when I can't. My first still life from life. Originally I was going to go more refined with this. I sometimes us a knife to accompany my brushes, and after drawing and blocking in, I started using a knife for the flowers (wanted to get them early before they wilted). I was enjoying it som much, I just kept on with my knifes for the whole dern thing. 16 x 20 Oil on Canvas.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/20-Jan-2006/41799-still.jpg

[Lorijo]

Looks great, I especially like the glass, looks real glassy and the nice reflections on the table. Lori

[DLGardner]

This is beautiful. The color scheme is intriging. One thing though, is the object in front on the table also an apple? Its just a little vague. Your glass is fantastic. I like!
Dianne

[JamieWG]

I need to work more from life, outdoors when I can, indoors when I can't. My first still life from life.

Oh, Jon, I so agree. A still life from life is so much more exciting. I really can't understand the thrill of doing a still life from a photo. It's not as if it's going to get up and walk away! LOL


Originally I was going to go more refined with this. I sometimes us a knife to accompany my brushes, and after drawing and blocking in, I started using a knife for the flowers (wanted to get them early before they wilted).

Good idea. I bought flowers two days ago, put them in water, and yesterday morning started the painting. This morning they're already all wilted! I'm so upset! So you did good to jump in there and get them down before it was too late.

I like the way your brights pop against that dark background. The glass looks great!

I'm glad to hear how much you enjoyed it. Hope we're going to see lots more!

Jamie

[Moosehead]

Thanks all. I realize I've got a long way to go. Posting this more for learning than showing off. I've a # of things I would change now. I was going for a sort of Chiaraoro effect, so the background is made up, a,d I realize now it is not a distinct plane from the table top, so that doesn't work right-also the dark table top did not allow for cast shadows, which I believe are important, since I believe still lifes to be largely about the play of light and shadow.

I feel almost like I'm starting over by working from life, but I also feel I am learning a lot more with each painting this way. Training now-results later.:)

[JamieWG]

Jon, 'love your attitude. I feel like I'm always an artist-in-training, and working from life will surely always be a challenge. That's what makes me drag myself out of bed in the mornings. ;)

Isn't it funny how once something is posted and you see it on the screen, so many more things become apparent?

Jamie

[James or Jimmy Jim]

I feel almost like I'm starting over by working from life, but I also feel I am learning a lot more with each painting this way. Training now-results later.:)

Go Jon, go! Looking good.

Working from life is more difficult, but when you start "getting it", you'll see that it was all worth it. Not an easy concept to understand, if you don't do it a lot.

[James or Jimmy Jim]

I bought flowers two days ago, put them in water, and yesterday morning started the painting. This morning they're already all wilted! I'm so upset!

Jamie

Jamie, if you tell me what type of flowers you bought and I'll ask my horticulturist wife how to make them last longer. They shouldn't die so quickly.

[JamieWG]

Jamie, if you tell me what type of flowers you bought and I'll ask my horticulturist wife how to make them last longer. They shouldn't die so quickly.

Thanks, Jimmy. I'd really appreciate that! I can't tell you what they are (maybe zinnias????), but there are pics of them in my new thread in this forum:
The Pitfalls of Working from Life (http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=321038)

Jamie

[Katherine T]

I was going for a sort of Chiaraoro effect, so the background is made up, a,d I realize now it is not a distinct plane from the table top, so that doesn't work right-also the dark table top did not allow for cast shadows, which I believe are important, since I believe still lifes to be largely about the play of light and shadow.

I do like the way the yellows and lime greens contrast with the dark background. However, the background is for me too much the same colour and value - and more could have been made of it as you yourself recognise.

I think one of the key things about working from life is to get the set-up right at the beginning - including the background. Time spent at the beginning in working out a good background and getting the lighting right then avoids the need to make things up. And as you so rightly say, a lot of still life is about the play of light and shade - and that's not so much about the objects you're painting as about how they sit within their local environment.