Hey! The end of 2018 is almost here. What a year! I hope you are very proud of everything you accomplished in 2018, and you would take some time to congratulate yourself and feel proud of all what you have accomplished. We together certainly did accomplish a lot here in PADT. We launched our new web site, we launched our YouTube channel, and we did, all together, paint and draw many amazing paintings. Learned from each other, helped and encouraged each other, and had a very good time together.
I would like to send you my very warm Happy Holidays wishes, and kindly ask to please take some time to rest and recharge. We will be having an eventful 2019 year, and I can’t wait for it to come. I really look forward to celebrate it with you at PADT with many new painting challenges.
About the composition
It is a festive season, and during this time one of my favorite indoor botanical gardens in Toronto (Centennial Garden) is every year creating truly amazing masterpieces – all by using real, alive flowers. One year we had a whole old fashioned train with Santa in it, fully covered with flowers. And each year it is something different and equally breathtaking.
This year, from the garden, I chose a beautiful bird of paradise in a full bloom. If you look carefully you will see that the light is falling from the top left, and it is casting all shadows on the opposite bottom right side. The flower does look like it is just waking up from a deep sleep and all around it there is a subtle veil of darkness gently embracing leaves and background.
Please try to communicate the effect this gentle, hazy light creates on the surface and form it falls on – a very subtle color changes, and a very soft transition between light and shadow areas. I hope you can see that there are not too many strong and intense colors. All is dark, dull, however still gentle and pleasing. That large an dominant darkness makes a few rare highlights and bright orange flower stand out even more. This effect caused by the use of a subtle light source can be frequently seen in the old masters paintings.
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Happy Painting!
Happy new year
You don’t make the challenges any easier, it certainly gives us plenty to think about and lots to do. Thank you.
Happy New Year Syls! I am glad you like the reference. Thank you so much for inspiring all of us with your participation and kind words.
Hi Lela,
I am still working on mine trying to get the dark moody feeling of the Masters as you suggested. Stay tuned…
I wish you a Happy New Eve and a lot of nice creativity!
For a good practice, this is a beautiful flower.
Hola Lela:
Nuevamente comunicada con este espacio encantador, por problemas de salud, estuve un poco ausente. Muy buen año!!! Saludos