Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Leaf Cascade - A Work in Progress

Many of the trees are completely bare as the last of the autumn leaves are struggling to cling to the branches before the wind forces them to the ground.

The leaves had been masked out and the background was painted with a greyed purple mixture of French ultramarine blue, alizarin crimson and a touch of burnt sienna.

This colour provides a nice contrast to the yellows and oranges of the Maple leaves.

When the background was dry the masking was removed and a pale wash of raw sienna was put on the bottom four leaves. While the paint was still wet touches of a mixture of burnt sienna and raw sienna were randomly placed into the leaves, a paler mixture in the Oak leaves and a darker one on the Maple leaves.

As the paint gradually dried on the leaves hints of a green of Antwerp blue and raw sienna were added into the Maple leaves.

Once the base layer of paint dried the central Maple leave was given a bright orange mix of burnt sienna and alizarin crimson.

Various shades of brown were made from French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna and some details were started on the one Oak leaf, the tips of the Maple leaves and to the leaf stems.

I will post this painting later when more of the leaves are finished.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and enjoy the artwork. I hope you will return often.