Earlier this year, I caught the decorating bug after some renovations on our apartment. I've since recovered, thank you, but one lasting effect has been the desire to paint some vegetables to hang on my kitchen wall. With the idea that others might enjoy these as well, I've taken the project to Kickstarter with the goal of funding some high-quality art prints. You can check it out at this link, and even get your very own prints or fridge magnets (live through October 6, 2016):
This post will take you through some of the process of getting to a finished painting - and it all starts with good reference.
In this case, I was able to go to the grocery store to pick out some samples I could draw from life, as well as scour the Internet for good photos. Then, with reference for a guide/inspiration, I'll start sketching, thinking about how to present the subject in the most interesting way and how to compose it on the page.
Once I have a variety of options I'm excited about, I'll try to narrow it down, and then do a rough color sketch to see how the series might look all together.
At this point, I'll focus on one vegetable at a time, take my favorite sketch, and refine it into a final drawing. Then, I'll scan it in the computer and explore some color options in Photoshop. This helps me to understand what I'm going for when it comes to the actual painting.
Now it's time to paint! I'll transfer the drawing to the painting surface (in this case hardboard panel) using that old graphite trick, get all my supplies out, and I'm ready to go! (Yes, I paint sitting on the floor. Weird old habits die hard, I guess.) I'll probably do another post detailing the brands and setup I prefer, or maybe demonstrate how to blend acrylics to create soft edges.
Here's what one painting looked like during various stages:
And here's one of the final products:
When I'm done, there will be a total of six veggie paintings. Again, you can check out the project on Kickstarter, and feel free to share with anyone you know who might be interested in some veggie art. Also, let me know if you have any questions about the process - I'd be happy to answer them!
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