Red Sunflowers and Fruit

5x6 watercolor on 140 lb Strathmore paper cold press done today from several references.  Red, white and blue are present for 4th of July along with an old white metal pitcher and small fruit bowl.  The sunflowers were grown by me several years ago.
COPYRIGHT 2019 Kay Smith

Second Sunday Sunflower

15x22 watercolor on Lanaquarelle 140 lb hot press paper that is today's work.  Last Sunday a smaller sunflower was painted and it sold quickly; let's see if I have any luck with this one.  It's from a photo I took in 2003 of an elderly veteran's flower garden behind the VA. He could barely walk but had the most gorgeous flowers and these red sunflowers stood tall and proud just as he did serving our nation.
Most was painted with #12 Escoda round and 1" flat brush using all the hot colors balanced by the cool greens.
Image COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Sunflower Sizzlers

22x15 watercolor on Arches 140 lb cold press paper, completed yesterday afternoon. The steps to this WIP can be seen on my blog if anyone wants to look HERE. Years ago I painted this sunflower floral, sold it, and so wanted to do it again.  I like the lost edge in the glass vase.  It was a fun one!
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Sunflower Sizzlers WIP

 Now you can get a close up detail view of the top uppermost bloom and the one to its immediate right which will be more yellow tones.

With this view most of the upper half is done and along the right side.  I'll need to emphasize the right largest sunflower bloom and make it more red so as to stand out from the rest of the crowd.  Stay tuned for more work in progress in which I will post the finished vases and tablecloth.
Images COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Sunflower Sizzlers - WIP

 22x15 watercolor beginning stage yesterday of a work in progress, a group of red and yellow sunflowers in a glass vase I first painted awhile ago.  This is on Arches 140 lb cold press paper,  On dry paper, I first laid down my darkest darks for their centers (quinacridone burnt orange, ultramarine blue, carbazole violet, quin gold, violet) and let the paint mix and mingle.

 I lightly wet the top background area with most of the same colors plus olive green and blue bice (American Journey); those areas are soft and out of focus and could be flower shapes, stems, or leaves.  Since I don't have my original photo reference I'm using the original painting.

In this view, I've added a couple of petals with top sunflower and the very large leaf front and center using UB, quin gold, arylide yellow, alizarin crimson, sap green, being careful with any tube greens being too harsh so I add a touch of any red.  I wet the leaf with my 1" flat brush first then lightly blotted it.  Fully loaded with two colors I quickly laid in the different pigments.  These steps show my direct method of painting wet on dry watercolor.