Painting Hollyhocks on an Antique Cabinet Door
The door when it came to me was painted this lovely shade of golden. I describe here how the colour palette was chosen to work with the background colour.
To get started with the floral painting, first I searched high and low to find a piece of chalk in my house. Finally I resorted to my tailor's chalk. It worked perfectly to sketch in the position of the three stalks and their flowers.
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The painting in acrylic began with titanium white (opaque). With the greenery lightly identified with a light golden-green. Note the blue painter's tape to mask of the cross bar ledge to avoid paint drips.
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Adding colour to the blooms in successive layers from lighter to darker closer to the centers. The leaves required some back and forth with light and dark values of greens to identify their positioning.
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Focusing on the blooms for a bit, the individual blooms were arranged in a pattern of randomness. The two outer hollyhock blooms were painted with a muted orange-red palette to push them behind the center of interest, central stalk.
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The hollyhock blossoms are close to completed.
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With the blooms close to done, time to switch to the greens. The paint palette is sitting on a trial piece that I first did on paper. Working there I discovered NOT to go with cool reds but rather the warm Scarlet and Cadmium reds that harmonized with the golden cabinet door.
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Completed 'Hollyhock' painting. A 'stopper-by' in the studio yesterday said that hollyhocks being a flower often grown in gardens in the past suits the antique shape of the door. Nicely put, I thought.
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Technical detail: A top coat over the painted hollyhock section with Krylon's Crystal Clear acrylic coating will provide the painting with protection for when the door is reinstalled in the client's newly renovated kitchen.
I'll try and get you a photo. Thanks for stopping by and thanks to those of you who comment. I love comments.
10 comments:
Love the hollyhocks! So realistic! They help bring the garden inside.
I learned something today, when you explained about the muted colours in the background hollyhocks, to push them back...Thanks for that!
It looks awesome. I especially like the varient shades of greens in the leaves
It's really lovely. Your knowledge and yes of Color theory is really great.
Gloria, we should be able to use the same concepts in textile to draw the viewers eye to the center of interest.
Diane, I had fun painting the leaves and found it important to have some green- golds included to work with the background colour.
Thanks Holly. You also have a good eye for colour. I am still thinking about your recent bookmarks.
Wow, what a wonderful job you've made of this door, Eileen. Love, love, LOVE the hollyhocks and greenery - a perfect complement to that gold!
Hi Eileen. This is Beth from sewsewart with a reply to your email about Fingerprint fabrics. I don't have your email address so I got creative.
These are printed with MX dyes in the printer instead of ink and are them steamed before being washed and ironed. I would consider them more colorfast than commercial fabrics.
You can also email Laura and ask her any more technical questions.
You've done a wonderful job Eileen, the owner is going to treasure this door even more now! Hollyhocks bring back memories of my grandmother. Every summer they lined the outside walls of her small home.
Eileen I love your hollyhocks on your door. WONDERFUL JOB. Makes me miss you even more. I will be missing you this winter, it is not looking like I will be able to get there once again. Makes me very sad.
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