Surface: Fredrix - Tara Canvas 11X14

SUNSHINE YELLOW

By Priscilla Hauser

Surface: Fredrix - Tara canvas 11x14

Colors:

FolkArtists’ Pigments®

#649 Warm White

#918 Yellow Light

#455 Yellow Medium

#943 Burnt Sienna

#452 Raw Sienna

#462 Burnt Umber

#459 Hauser Green Light

#460 Hauser Green Medium

#461 Hauser Green Dark

#471 Green Umber

#233 Ice Green Light

#458 Sap Green

#679 Turner’s Yellow

#476 Asphaltum

FolkArt® Mediums

#867 Blending Gel

Brushes: I use the highest quality brushes that the Robert Simmons Company, by Daler Rowney, makes.

Sienna Series

SN 60 Flat #2,4,8,10,12, 14 or 20

SN51 Liner #1

Background Colors

#649 White

#918 Yellow Light

#455 Yellow Medium

#471 Green Umber

Other supplies needed:

2" or larger sponge brush

Disposable wax covered paper palette pad or:

wax paper to put the acrylic paint on

Fine grade piece of sandpaper

Masterson Sta Wet Palette

(This incredible piece of equipment will keep your paints wet while you are painting.)

Plaid Brush Basin for water

Tracing Paper for tracing your design. Remember you can have the design enlarged or reduced to fit your surface.

Transfer Paper such as graphite paper or chalk

Stylus

Good straight blade flexible palette knife

100% Cotton towels/rags or Viva Paper Towels

Perparation:

1. Lightly sand the canvas

2. Wipe the canvas with a damp sponge or towel

3. Put the needed colors on your palette

4. Dampen the canvas with water

5. On the left side of the canvas apply Gesso as illustrated

6. Wipe the brush and apply a small amount of Yellow Light, the Green Umber and the Raw Umber

7. Using a large sponge brush, dip the brush in water, squeeze the excess out and begin to blend the Gesso or white paint into the yellow and then into the Green Umber. Wipe the brush often, you want to create the look of a graduated background, going from light to medium to dark.

8. Wipe the brush and blend the dark color back into the light. Continue doing this until a desired background effect has been achieved. This will take a little practice. The idea is to keep the canvas wet while blending the acrylics. You want no hard lines or edges.

9. Let the canvas dry completely, then neatly trace and transfer your design to the canvas.

TIP: a. Use as wide a sponge brush as possible.

b. Use light touch when blending and blend straight up and down

from top to bottom. If working with acrylics work

quickly. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

c. Have the background be as smooth as possible; however, a few

lines or streaks will not create a problem. If you don’t like the background, just let the paint dry, sand lightly and try again. After doing this several times, believe me, you’ll catch on. It’s a beautiful background, quick and easy. Using large sponge brushes and long, light strokes will be of help.

10. Number the leaves on the pattern to determine which ones you will paint first, second, third, fourth and so on. Notice that leaves farther back and on the right side are darker. There is a bit of a light source, the light is coming in from the left side of the canvas so please notice in the finished picture that the leaves are lighter on the left side of the canvas darkening as they go across to the right. Also the leaves to the back are much darker than the leaves to the front. You will notice that a couple of the daffodils are behind leaves and those should be painted first. Please also notice that more Burnt Sienna and darker colors have been used in those to darken them. An example of how to paint a blade leaf is at the bottom of the worksheet.

Blade Leaf

1. Apply a little blending gel

2. Doubleload the brush with Hauser Green Medium or light or dark as you desire, and Green Umber. In very dark leaves, more green of Burnt Umber can be added as needed. Shade the dark side, in this particular painting it will be on the right.

3. Quickly wipe the brush and doubleload with Hauser Green Medium and White. Apply the paint as shown on the worksheet.

4. Wipe the brush and add the colors of your choice to the center. I have used Yellow Light and Hauser Green Light.

5. Wipe the brush and lightly merge the colors together.

6. Wipe the brush and blend from the bottom to the top and the top to the bottom. Study the blade leaf on the worksheet but also study the leaves in the finished picture.

Tips: Sometimes for extreme contrast and an exciting touch of color I mix a color called “Sock It to Me Baby Green.” To mix this color I add together equal amounts of Yellow Light and Hauser Green Light, sometimes adding the tiniest touch of Prussian Blue to make the color pop. Often I will highlight with this color combination.

When painting leaves touches of any color you desire can be blended in. For example a touch of Yellow or some Burnt Sienna.

In painting with acrylics I often anchor (to anchor is to float a dark shading color, shadow or highlight over a basecoated subject) the shadows; a shadow being anyplace a leaf goes behind another leaf. I do this before actually painting the leaves.

Note: Remember if desired you can undercoat the leaves first. Let them dry and cure thoroughly, then paint. Sometimes this is a little easier approach.

But above all give it a try, don’t be afraid. Practice, practice, practice.

Leaves: You will notice in the finished photograph the leaves to the back are a lot darker and on the dark side of the canvas the shading is darker. I have numbered the leaves for you in the sequence that I would paint them. Do notice that portions of two daffodils are painted as well. I work from the back and build forward.

Daffodils: Please remember colors can vary; you can use more White, more Light Yellow, a touch of “Sock It To Me Green,” Burnt Sienna. There are no rules that say exactly what colors to use.

1. Complete one petal at a time before moving on to the next, and if using acrylics work fast!

2. Undercoat the petal with Turner’s Yellow. Let dry.

3. Apply a little Blending Gel

4. Apply Yellow Light

5. Apply Yellow Medium

6. Double load the brush with Medium Yellow and Burnt Sienna. Blend on the palette to soften color.

7. Shade at the point where the petal joins the bowl of the flower

8. Create the next three petals in the same way

9. Highlight the tip of the petals with a little Yellow Light or even a little Yellow Light mixed with a Warm White, using equal amounts. Touches of “Sock It To Me Green” may be added here and there, as shown on the worksheet. If the paint seems dry, pick up a TINY bit of blending gel on you brush and a little more paint. It’s important to keep the acrylic paint wet while you are blending. Remember, acrylics like to be cold, 68◦ or so. Keep them moist and moving. High humidity plays an important role as well. You don’t want any air blowing on them when you paint.

10. Create the base or bowel of the flower. Apply a little gel.

11. Double load the brush with Yellow Medium and “Sock It to Me

Baby Green”, shade as shown on the worksheet.

12. Shade the base with Burnt Sienna

13. Lightly, very lightly, pat and blend.

Top of the flower

1. Undercoat with Turner’s Yellow. Let dry

2. Paint forward edge with Yellow Light, the light shading is a touch of Warm White at the back. I have shaded with “Sock It to Me Baby Green.”

3. Shade the center with a doubleloaded brush of Yellow and Burnt

Sienna

4. Add a touch of Red Light, if desired, to make it pop. Wipe your brush and blend.

Stems:

Don’t ignore the stems. They need to painted beautifully and shaded as well.

1. Paint the stems with Hauser Green Medium

2. Shade them dark with Green Umber

3. Highlight with Warm White

4. To paint the calyx (the flower casing at the top of the stem) make a mix of Asphaltum with a touch of Warm White. Undercoat the casing in both areas with this color.

5. Doubleload the brush with your mixture of Asphaltum and Warm White, and Asphaltum. Blend on the palette to soften color. Shade as shown on the worksheet.

To Finish:

Let the painting dry and cure before varnishing. Varnish with two or three coats of JW’s waterbased varnish. You may choose either matte or gloss.

I have provided an excellent picture of the finished canvas for you to study the shading in detail. You’ll notice I’ve added touches of red light, even a bit of orange here and there to create color excitement within the petals. The shadow petals are painted in Raw Sienna and shaded with Burnt Sienna and Burnt Umber.

If you wish, painting this design in oils is a real joy. Colors will be the same.

Be sure and check my website for Books, DVD’s and other art supplies.

You will also find my seminar calendar, seminars are specially priced for 2009! These seminars are truly an educational experience.

Priscilla’s seminars are extremely valuable to beginners, as well as more advanced students!

www.priscillahauser.com

email:

Sources:

Daler-Rowey

http://www.daler-rowney.com/en/content/products

Tara Materials – Fredrix Canvas

http://www.taramaterials.com/

Plaid

http://www.plaidonline.com/

Masterson

http://www.mastersonart.com/