Lily Pads Continued

 In my last post I revealed the "lily pad" block print that I had just completed. My obsession with the subject matter led me to try an acrylic painting. I had a set of Golden Open Acrylics that I had purchased to use with a Gelli plate to make monoprints. The Open acrylics have a slower drying time than regular acrylics, so you can play around more, without the frustration of a quickly drying palette. I am not very experienced with acrylics or oils, so I'm just exploring the medium, and having some fun with it.

I sketched out the composition on my canvas in pencil, then painted a complementary colored base coat using pink for the lily pads and orange for the background. After the base coat was dry, I began by painting the blues of the water. I used a combination of Ultramarine and Pthalo Blues mixed with white to create a variety of values in the water. For the lily pads, I played around with yellow, the blues, green, and white. I'm trying not to worry about total realism as I'm focusing on the overall composition, and my own interpretation of the subject. I don't know how successful this painting will be, but I'm enjoying the process.

This is where I am now. I'm adding in some darker areas for the reflections in the water, then I'll work on the flowers and the lily pad details. 

Stay well!