found treasure finished

I've finished the second painting. I just have to wax it and put on the hanger.

Step 4

Another couple of hours work on this and half the candies have their main colour on them. Next is finishing the rest to the same point, lifting all the highlights, adding more darks, and unifying the colour of each. The shadows  need checking as well. I'll get a lot more done tomorrow.

Found Treasure step 3

Another couple of hours done on this one today. Still a long way to go and very different from the other one. Even though the subject is almost the same, it is a different angle and different lighting. It is still hard to get a good photo because of all the white background.

Colour Spill finished

Three hours working on this one today and the painting is finished. I just have to figure out where I'm going to sign it, protect it with a wax finish, and put on the hanging hardware. Then it will be back to the other painting. This photo isn't as bright as real life.

Colour Spill step 3

A couple more hours of work on this one today. I have all the base colours in the candy. They are looking more 3 dimensional but still a lot of work to be done. I have to give them all a unifying wash, lift our highlights, and I can see the shadows need to be worked on some more.

Found treasure step2

I've started the shadows on this painting but they are different than the other painting. These shadows are in a more diffuse light. I've also started trying different techniques for the candy working out the best way to colour them.

colour spill step 2

More work on this today. The shadows are done and now I have to build up the candies to be real and solid enough to make those shadows. The masking fluid is off ready for the next washes of colour. I am going to have to work on these an hour at a time because they are a literal pain in the neck. :-)

Starting two new paintings

Our local art club (the Porcupine Art Club) is having a show in June at our local museum. The theme of the show is Colour Riot. I'm painting two entries for the show and took the reference images around Easter (I think you can tell). They are being painted together because the candies are the same colour in both and they should match. I had a hard time coming up with titles but here are the first steps. They are a challenge in a lot of ways. The background is going to remain white so I have to be careful not to dirty, splash or make a mistake on those parts. They are both 12 x 16" so I am working hunched over and my neck and shoulders get sore after about an hour. They are also subjects that everyone knows and loves so I have to get them right. They are both on watercolour paper wrapped around a canvas and will be protected with wax when finished. Still a lot more glazes of colour needed on both paintings but you can see the composition and get a glimpse of what they will be.

"Found Treasure" has the  first wash on the candy and then masking fluid applied on the "Ms" on some of them (that was a challenge in itsself). It also has masking fluid on the highlights on each candy. The next stage will be removing that for more washes of colour.

"Colour Spill" is a little farther along because there are no M and Ms so no need for the extra masking fluid. I added the first wash of colours in the shadows while the other painting dried.