Petrea Bush by Garden Gate

Here it is, almost done. The Petrea (also know as “Queen’s Wreath”) bush and garden gate at Crowley Nursery & Garden in Sarasota, Florida. Acrylic painting, work in progress. Just need to put a few more finishing touches and sign. I love the color and atmosphere of this piece. It was fun to paint.

Sketch First, Then Paint

I’m glad I sketched this scene first (see my previous post). I’ve always wanted to sketch things out before painting them but never did. For my last two acrylic paintings, I’ve finally given this practice a go – and  I’m glad I’ve learned the advantages/benefits of doing this. Sketching first helps me work a few things in my mind and plan a little before putting brush to canvas.

In the past, sketching first seemed like an added layer “work” to me. I liked to approach a painting very spontaneously. After all, to me sketching was sketching – seemed to be more about lines and drawing – and painting was painting, freer and more about color. I don’t feel that way any more. Sketching is becoming more about tone, value, proportion, perspective, and color too as I add it onto the page.

As I approach a sketch, I think to myself that I am exploring the subject matter and I let that sense of exploration guide me. In my my mind, I’m thinking how would I handle that if I were painting it? What kind of shapes are these? Is this something I want to explore more in a painting? Now, I like to sketch first, then paint!

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