From the Artist: I chose a strelitzia (Strelitzia reginae or bird of paradise flower) for this challenge. I felt this elegant flower really deserved undivided attention.
My most personal touch is in the background. I always prepare it in a very personal and recognizable way, in order to maximize the reflection of the light. I feel it doesn't distract from the subject but it rather enhances it as the painting appears to be emanating light itself. The added bonus is that, by reflecting the surrounding light, it will appear different at different moments.
The strelitzia speaks for itself: it is, in my view, a very energetic flower. One can almost feel the force that pushes the petals in a stretching movement, like an opening fan. The petals are in my favorite colors, naturally complementary that shamelessly enhance each other's beauty.
Setup: The photo shows the corner of my study room where I set up the still life. In the room there is an extra French door opposite the setting, letting more light in. To keep the flower straight I put oasis (florists green foam) inside the vase and shortened the stem a bit.
The vase and the backdrop cloth are in light-absorbing black as I wanted all the emphasis on the flower. They become invisible, pure negative space, which I left out in my painting (in which, as I explained the background is treated to give light to the flower).
From the Painting Guide: Strelitzias are one of my favorite flowers too, with their bold colors and spiky shape. Your painting captures a sense of the way the colors glow in the sunlight.
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Composition : Look at how the flower dominates the entire space, stretching to all four edges. The blue elements to the flower work to pull your eye into the center both through their color (which stands out from the oranges and golds) and tone (which is about the darkest in the whole painting).
My most personal touch is in the background. I always prepare it in a very personal and recognizable way, in order to maximize the reflection of the light. I feel it doesn't distract from the subject but it rather enhances it as the painting appears to be emanating light itself. The added bonus is that, by reflecting the surrounding light, it will appear different at different moments.
The strelitzia speaks for itself: it is, in my view, a very energetic flower. One can almost feel the force that pushes the petals in a stretching movement, like an opening fan. The petals are in my favorite colors, naturally complementary that shamelessly enhance each other's beauty.
Setup: The photo shows the corner of my study room where I set up the still life. In the room there is an extra French door opposite the setting, letting more light in. To keep the flower straight I put oasis (florists green foam) inside the vase and shortened the stem a bit.
The vase and the backdrop cloth are in light-absorbing black as I wanted all the emphasis on the flower. They become invisible, pure negative space, which I left out in my painting (in which, as I explained the background is treated to give light to the flower).
From the Painting Guide: Strelitzias are one of my favorite flowers too, with their bold colors and spiky shape. Your painting captures a sense of the way the colors glow in the sunlight.
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Composition : Look at how the flower dominates the entire space, stretching to all four edges. The blue elements to the flower work to pull your eye into the center both through their color (which stands out from the oranges and golds) and tone (which is about the darkest in the whole painting).