The image has been transferred to the canvas. This is done by carbon transfer.
The background has started to be applied. This will dictate the darkest value. The underpainting will be done in values of burnt umber. Utilizing the white of the linen primer for the high lights.
Continuation of applying the background value
The background is completed and is dry, I start to apply thin washes of burnt umber to the sunflowers. 5/25/06
Detail of the first setting or painting session of lower right sunflower. I have added ivory black into the background in order to further establish my values.. This procedure will be repeated until the entire painting is finished to the exact values that I want in the finished work. The only colors used in the underpainting will be Burnt Umber, Titanium White and Ivory Black. No other colors will be applied until the entire underpainting is finished. The color layers will be transparent in nature and be applied over the underpainting. It is the values created by the underpainting showing through the transparent colors that will determine the finished values in the painting.
End of second sitting. Approximately 7-8 more sittings finish underpainting.
"Circle of Life", date started painting 5/15/06
A single layer of color added to fully rendered area for test.
At this stage I start to work in different areas of the painting to help determine values and relationships between the overall values of the painting. This is the end of the fourth sitting. It is going to take more sittings than I anticipated. This is because of the complexity of the composition.
End of 6th sitting, underpainting is 90 percent finished. Slight change in composition, with removal of shell in lower left.
Starting to lay in transparent colors, end of 7th sitting.
Detail- end of 7th sitting.
Full end of 7.10.06 sitting
Full end of 7.15.06 sitting
Detail end of 7.15 sitting
End of sitting 7.29
End of 9.4.06 sitting
During the last couple of days I have gone back into the painting and reintroduced defining lines throughout. These lines were lost in earlier steps of applying color. The reintroduction of edge lines helps the images start to "pop". I have also started painting in some of the bugs that will fill the leaves and stems of the painting. It is within the actions of the bugs that the painting will start to tell the story of the cycle of life. From here on out it gets really fun!!
This one sure has taken a while, it is not done yet, but is getting really close. More bugs may be added, I need to think on this for a couple of days. There are a few more aspects of the circle of life I want to see if I can work in.
After the completion of the bugs primary layout, I will have to go back in and drop shadows and more fully render them into the painting.
This is by far the most satisfying part of a painting for me, the full rendering and illusion of depth, light and texture.
