Repose by Sandhya Sharma

Photo © Sandhya Sharm

"Repose" by Sandhya Sharma. 22x27cm (8.5x11"). Oil on canvas.

From the Artist: I wouldn't have painted flowers (perhaps ever) if not for this project. I didn't think I was ready yet for flowers but am not so disappointed with what I have done so far. I have always loved paintings of irises so chose one for this setup. The handmade pot looked simple enough but took longer than painting the flower! I found it difficult to paint the grooved lines on the pot.

The colors used are: carmine, vermilion, cadmium yellow medium, yellow ocher, cobalt blue hue, and titanium/zinc white.

From the Painting Guide: You certainly like to set yourself a challenge, don't you ... because as if the ellipses on a vase weren't enough, you've selected one with ridges all the way down it! Then there are changes in colors and a prominent highlight on it too. I would take another look at the shadow, at how it creeps along the ridges rather than ending in such a straight line. Also check the angles of some of the lower highlights, and perhaps soften some of the edges on it so they don't start/end so abruptly.

Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Painting Cloth: I think this is a fabulous example of how to paint cloth. Look at the colors used, not only in the shadows but also in the "white" bits. Look at how the straight edge on the shadow makes you "read" the fabric as falling over an edge of a table. Hold your hand up to block off the top of the painting just above that line, then move it up to show a little of the table above it, and you'll clearly see how effective this is.

Setting Up a Still Life: The photo of your set-up doesn't show exactly the same angle as your painting, as in the painting we see into the top of the vase and the white cloth shows above the last part of the iris's stem. This doesn't matter for the sake of this project gallery, but keeping a consistent viewpoint is crucial when you're working on a subject. Otherwise your perspective, angles, curves, etc. change and you can find yourself adapting your painting again and again when really you needed to ensure you were standing in the same spot. When you've taken a break, check your position against what you've already painted or sketched.