What a great subject Karen! The colors look spot on! Take a look at the highlights again. There are some spots I would expect to see some highlight on the burgundy colored areas and I don’t think there would be a highlight on the stem as you have shown. Instead it seems like the green cap would cast a shadow on the stem. The stamen need a range of toning on them to convey they are extended cylinders. You can see the highlight and shadows on the stamen in the picture. It is tricky because they are so narrow, but it is possible. Nice job!
I guess it’s a case of don’t draw what you see! I did a photo in black and white, and tried to mimic that too. I will try to lift some colour from the burgundy bud and create a highlight and get rid of the highlights on the cap and stem. I think the stamens might have to wait for a separate drawing focussing on them. Thank you for the feedback Doug.
Hi Karen- whether if you are drawing outdoors or in the studio you are going to have to make adjustments for all the conflicting light sources. At least indoors we can control the light more, but it is still rarely ideal! It appears in the photo that you have a light coming from the side, but also from above. It is that overhead light that probably caused the highlight on the stem. I don’t think I talked about eliminating the highlight on the cap – just the stem. I would expect a highlight on the cap. Something that really helps is to construct a back board. You can use two pieces of white matte board, foam card, cardboard, etc. (If you cut up a cardboard box to use, paint the pieces white.) Tape them together along the long side so it opens in a “V” shape. When placed behind your subject it visually blocks out both distracting backgrounds and conflicting light sources. You can lay another piece on top to diminish overhead lighting. You still have to consider – does that highlight or shadow placement make sense? – but it is easy to manipulate and you are much closer to the ideal.
What a great subject Karen! The colors look spot on! Take a look at the highlights again. There are some spots I would expect to see some highlight on the burgundy colored areas and I don’t think there would be a highlight on the stem as you have shown. Instead it seems like the green cap would cast a shadow on the stem. The stamen need a range of toning on them to convey they are extended cylinders. You can see the highlight and shadows on the stamen in the picture. It is tricky because they are so narrow, but it is possible. Nice job!
I guess it’s a case of don’t draw what you see! I did a photo in black and white, and tried to mimic that too. I will try to lift some colour from the burgundy bud and create a highlight and get rid of the highlights on the cap and stem. I think the stamens might have to wait for a separate drawing focussing on them. Thank you for the feedback Doug.
Hi Karen- whether if you are drawing outdoors or in the studio you are going to have to make adjustments for all the conflicting light sources. At least indoors we can control the light more, but it is still rarely ideal! It appears in the photo that you have a light coming from the side, but also from above. It is that overhead light that probably caused the highlight on the stem. I don’t think I talked about eliminating the highlight on the cap – just the stem. I would expect a highlight on the cap. Something that really helps is to construct a back board. You can use two pieces of white matte board, foam card, cardboard, etc. (If you cut up a cardboard box to use, paint the pieces white.) Tape them together along the long side so it opens in a “V” shape. When placed behind your subject it visually blocks out both distracting backgrounds and conflicting light sources. You can lay another piece on top to diminish overhead lighting. You still have to consider – does that highlight or shadow placement make sense? – but it is easy to manipulate and you are much closer to the ideal.