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Friday, September 16, 2011

Sunflowers

Sunflowers, 18x24 work in progress
I have been working on these sunflowers some more this week. It is hard to find just the right shadow color for the big one that is back lit. I've tried several things and am still not quite happy with it.

I'm also really noticing a distortion from my camera; I'm getting a 'fish eye' sort of look, this shot isn't too bad but on some it has been real noticeable. I'm sure it's just a camera setting or something. Will just have to play with it some more.

I'm using Chroma's Atelier Interactive Acrylics. I like how I can blend one layer into the next, but I am giving some serious consideration to trying out some of the new water miscible oils. If you have tried them, please tell me what you like or don't like about them, or if  you prefer one brand over another and why.

39 comments:

  1. Wow!
    Beautiful painting!
    I love the brightness and details!!
    ~Mary

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  2. This is such a bright sunny-flower painting! I love it. :-)

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  3. this is simply stunning!

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  4. A Beautiful painting...love sunflowers and you've captured their awesomeness perfectly! happy ppf! POP ART MINIS

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  5. Love your sunflowers and your art style ~ enjoy ~thanks, namaste, Carol (Share the Creative Journey) and Happy PPF ^_^

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  6. Beautiful bright colors, Mary. Sunflowers are such cheery subjects. This is a happy painting. I haven't tried the water/oil paints yet, but I'm tempted. My regular oils have dried up from lack of use in the last 20 or so years. I don't know if they would be as vibrant as acrylics or not. I hope someone will answer your question.

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  7. Loving your wonderful painting of the sunflowers. To me it looks perfect as it is. Happy PPF, Annette x

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  8. Great angle you approached this from.

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  9. My favorite flower of all time and you've painted them beautifully!! Thanks for the flowers. :)

    Ileana from "arroz con mango"

    http://www.chica1665.blogspot.com

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  10. Wow this one's my favorite now! I LOVE it! Great composition and gorgeous popping colors! Deb

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  11. LOVE these sunflowers- I feel like I"m right in the field with them- gorgeous work!
    Happy PPF (a day late ;))
    Stephanie

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  12. I love the water mixable oils. They are better than regular oils in the sense that are not smelly and the cleaning is easier and not stinky.
    They dry faster than regular oils, but much slower than acrylics. I sometimes use a medium to accelerate the drying time.

    Your sunflowers are beautiful :o)

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  13. Wow...really beautiful flowers.

    Can't offer any feedback on the paints, but I'd guess your "fish-eye" distortion in the photos comes from shooting too close. If you have a zoom, back off from the painting and use the zoom and see if that is better. If it's digital, and you can use a viewfinder instead of the screen try that as well. It's easy to angle the camera when you are trying to see the image clearly on the screen and that can cause you to shoot at a distorted angle.

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  14. These are lovely. Your detail in this is amazing. Thanks for sharing with us. :)

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  15. Bright beautiful sunflowers! your work is lovely so far! Happy PPF!

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  16. We were indeed on the same page with sunflowers this week. Yours are fabulous!!

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  17. these are lovely. I get fish eye sometimes. Its cos of the lens type. HE earlier suggestion on standing back and zooming in sounds like a good one and I will try it too.

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  18. A few years ago there was a field of sunflowers I had the pleasure of passing on my way to work... I always admired the contrast of sunny yellow against bright blue sky. Your painting reminds me of that field... beautiful :)

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  19. oooh so lovely! It looks almost done. I love the vividness of the colors!

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  20. I will have to see if I can find those acrylics and give them a try. Lovely work.

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  21. Delicious composition with beautiful colors.

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  22. they are VERy happy sunny flowers! happy weekend to you. nice work

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  23. thx for the inspiration ... my sister wants me to paint some sunflowers for her! Yours are lovely. Yellows are my forever favorite color. Have a great week!

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  24. You have such amazing painting skill and how I wish if I could like that. Well Done!

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  25. Oh, just loving your sunflowers!! Excellent!

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  26. Gorgeous work! Love the dark circles in the centre...mesmerizing!

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  27. I love sunflowers, I really like the angle and background of this one.

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  28. Sunflowers are surely the perfect subject for this time of year. These are looking great.

    I do like the water soluble oils. I have only used Winsor & Newton because that is the only kind I can get locally. I love the easy cleanup, they don't stink, and although they dry faster than regular oils they don't dry nearly as fast as acrylics so they are much more blendable. They also don't have that shiny kind of plasticy look when dry that acrylics have.

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  29. I have also used the Winsor Newton water-oils. They have wonderfully rich and deep color. I recommend them. The drying time is about a week, but as Martha mentioned there is a fast-drying medium. Easy cleanup, no smell and the vibrant color of oils...its a winning combination =) I have used them successfully on canvas and on heavyweight watercolor paper with excellent results. Kathryn

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  30. This is fantastic! It's like the deeper you look into it, the more detailed it becomes. Great sky!

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  31. Gorgeous! Colorful and such an interesting angle.

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