From the Artist: This was the first flower to bloom in my garden. I chose a black satin background to contrast and enhance the striking yellow brilliance. As a nature and landscape painter I really enjoyed devoting all my attention to the detail on the subject. I like the simplicity of a single flower theme.
From the Painting Guide: I think you've met the challenge of this project fabulously, that this painting is a glorious portrait of a daffodil. The yellows glow out from the dark background, as if it were spotlighted.
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Composition: Having just a single bloom take center stage really invites a viewer in for a closer look, rather than a bunch of flowers where an individual bloom easily gets lost in a crowd. It also sets up a compositional challenge, to fill the available space and not having the flower floating around. Notice how in this painting the folds in the background create visual interest in this area, something for your eye to look at, without overwhelming or competing strongly with the subject itself.
Notice also how the position of the petals, where the foremost one isn't centered, encourages your eye to sweep around the petals. How the points of each petal make an interesting negative space on the dark background.
From the Painting Guide: I think you've met the challenge of this project fabulously, that this painting is a glorious portrait of a daffodil. The yellows glow out from the dark background, as if it were spotlighted.
Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Composition: Having just a single bloom take center stage really invites a viewer in for a closer look, rather than a bunch of flowers where an individual bloom easily gets lost in a crowd. It also sets up a compositional challenge, to fill the available space and not having the flower floating around. Notice how in this painting the folds in the background create visual interest in this area, something for your eye to look at, without overwhelming or competing strongly with the subject itself.
Notice also how the position of the petals, where the foremost one isn't centered, encourages your eye to sweep around the petals. How the points of each petal make an interesting negative space on the dark background.