National Rose Month: Day 25

Rose Demonstration & Tips

If you are new to capturing roses in oils, before you start painting, it is important to think about creating the underlying form of the rose. A closed rose bud is like an egg. Don’t worry about the petals that you see on the bud, just break down the shape as a simple oval, before adding any details. The form of the open rose is like a cup and the center is usually warmer and darker than you think!

My first step is to draw the composition onto the panel using a thin wash of cadmium red thinned with Gamsol. At this stage I am placing the simple shapes. If I am not happy with my composition, I can wipe the panel down and adjust. I love to work from life, but sometimes other priorities such as work and family take precedent. Sometimes I start from life and have to finish from a photo of my set-up.

For the next step I work in the background color onto the panel using a thin wash of color mixed with Gamsol. To create softer edges, I use a paper towel soaked in Gamsol to wipe out certain areas, too.

I start to establish the darkest dark that I see on the main rose and add some details to the glass vase.

I use the dark tone on the main rose to help me judge the other values. I also squint to help me to judge the color values and try to simplify the shapes of color that I see.

I keep squinting and add more detail to the focal point—all the while I am thinking about lost and found edges and little shapes of color.

I reserve the thickest paint for the flowers (using no medium or solvent), keeping the most detail and hardest edges on the focal point and the roses that are closest to the viewer. If my paint is too thick or if I want to add a glaze, I like to use just a touch of Oleogel by Rublev as my medium. I create the roses in the background with softer edges and less detail to help create depth and keep the interest on the focal point.

My last step is to check edges. I want to make sure I don’t have any hard edges near the outside of the painting. Often I walk a way for a bit to view the painting with fresh eyes—even placing it in another room or upside down. Here is the finished painting!Grace
(11 x 14 inches, oil on panel)