The Color of Light: An Artist's Blog

Seeing the big shapes and basic value shifts is key to a successful painting. My husband gave me these gorgeous roses for Valentine's Day and I knew I wanted to paint them. Their brilliant color would stand out and create a striking piece against the warm, neutral background. 

It's easy to get lost in detail, especially when it comes to floral pieces where there are lots of flowers and leaves. Instead of painting all those details, paint the BIG SHAPES. I squint my eyes and look for the shape, and the light and dark. That's what I paint. Not all the details. A few details are nice to add in once you've got the shape and value in, but I've seen many successful pieces that don't add any details. Contemporary and modern works often leave out these details, and I love them. I'm always working toward seeing less detail.

Hope you enjoy these roses! I sure enjoyed painting them.