Simple Little Flower by Lokelani Forrest

Photo © Lokelani Forrest

"Simple Little Flower" by Lokelani Forrest. 11x14" (28x35cm). Oils.

From the Artist: I'm afraid I didn't get a good picture, but hopefully this will suffice. I was striving for simplicity in composition, plus wanting to dramatically capture the light as it fell on the subject.

From the Painting Guide: You photo doesn't do your painting any favors, and I suspect the highlights are blown out completely. But it still shows the composition clearly, and the contrast between the darks and lights.

Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Composition: I know I'm anthropomorphizing, but the lily feels lonely and vulnerable to me, lying quietly in an environment that threatens to overwhelm it. The triangle of dark shadow seems to loom ominously above it...

Drapery: Spend a little time tracing the lines in the folds of the cloth, and the shapes (especially triangles) within the cloth. Look at how they lead your eye around the composition, how they create a sense of depth and texture. When you're arranging a piece of drapery, don't just throw it down and paint it immediately; spend time arranging it so it enhances the composition, as here.