Lenten Rose in Blue Vase — Still Life

Lenten Rose in Blue Vase — Still Life.

This piece, Lenten Rose in Blue Vase — Still Life, was inspired by this stunning plant blooming in Shadowmyst Art’s garden. The flower is a delicate five-petal bloom and an early bloomer, beginning its flowering cycle in late March to early April on Long Island, bringing a welcome sign of spring while the landscape is still in winter grays and browns. Blooming profusely into July it brings joy to any garden.

Paired with this lovely cream colored bloom with magenta edges and streaks on the petals is the matte ceramic blue vase holding the flower, a uniques antique incense burner and a hand painted china trinket box. This trio is reminiscent of an early more romantic time and graces the space it occupies with a timeless feel.

MEDIUM: Digital Painting | STYLE: Painterly Realism | SIZES: 8×10 — 11×14 — 16×20 — Custom size may be available. CLICK HERE  to inquire. | ORIENTATION: Portrait | TOOLS: Procreate, 13″ iPad Pro, Apple Pencil Pro, Giclée Fine Art Archival paper and ink | AVAILABILITY: Prints available | CONTACT SHADOWMYST ART FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

ARTIST’S PROCESS:

Lenten Rose in Blue Vase, Still Life was painted in Procreate on a 13″ iPad Pro using the Apple Pencil Pro. Similar to all works in the gallery, the painting commenced with a meticulous sketch of the subject and surroundings. Subsequently, a color-blocking technique was employed, layering colors to establish the base tones and create an underpainting. Subsequently, a multi-layer process refined the values and rendered intricate details in the leaves, flower petals, and stems. A distinct approach was necessary for the other objects in the still life, such as the matte-finished pottery vase, the cutouts in the lid of the incense burner, and the painted china trinket box. Each of these objects required the same detailed design approach but utilized different brushes and construction techniques to achieve their unique surfaces.

CHALLENGE:

The incense burner’s unique design, with its multiple materials and cutouts for ventilation, posed the biggest challenge. A multi-layered technique allowed for independent manipulation of the materials.

First, color-blocked the sections of the burner, lid, bowl, and base. The coiled section was created with the Procreate Monoline brush at full opacity and 100% size, using medium brown. On the next layer, the Monoline brush reduced to 25% size and choosing a lighter brown, painted a line across each coil’s center. The Gaussian Blur tool blurred the second layer by 5%, merging the two for a three-dimensional effect.

Above, a new layer added thin lines between coils. A darker brown, darker than the base, was used with the Procreate Technical Pen brush at full opacity and 13% size. The Procreate Smudge tool set at 50% opacity and 1% size, blended the lines emphasizing the coils. The final two layers added highlights and shadows, following the light source.

To map the cutout sections of the incense burner, a detailed sketch layer was created for the upper bowl and lid. A layer beneath the sketch filled the shape with a strong yellow color. An outline was drawn in 100% opacity using the Procreate Technical Pen, connecting the edges and filling the center with solid yellow.

To enhance shadows, a layer above the base layer was created. Shading was applied using the Procreate Acrylic brush from the Painting section with an opacity of 55% and a size detailing the object’s shape. A second pass added highlights along the sides and edges.

Next, the cutouts were painted. A medium orange-brown color was applied using the Procreate Gesinski Ink brush from the Inking section at full opacity and 5 to 10% size, depending on the cutout’s shape and size. A new layer was used with the same brush to add a dark brown color in each cutout, following the light source to create inner shadows. Highlights were added again on a new layer, following the lighting source. These layers and color values contributed to the shape and depth of each cutout in both the bowl and lid.

SUBJECTS AND THEMES:

Figurative Art — Still Life — Botanical — Lenten Rose — Hellebore — Pottery Vase — Antique Incense Burner — Flowered China Trinket Box — CONTACT SHADOWMYST ART FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION