Acrylic on canvas, 12 x 16″
Click to enlarge
On Mothers Day Robin brought me a lovely bouquet which I started painting that afternoon. The picture below is as far as I got that day. I was liking how loose, free and sketchy it started out:
Then it was back to the office for the week. By the time I returned to painting, the flowers had moved and changed. I kept trying to work from the flowers, but once they got stinky I gave up and used a photo reference I’d taken, but it was from a slightly different point of view:
My main goal in doing this painting was learn more about working with acrylics and to try to find a way to make them work and blend more like oils. I’ve been told that you can do everything with acrylics that can be done with oils but I’m not convinced yet. I did learn a whole bunch while doing this, and did find a good way to blend (misting the canvas before applying the paint which has been mixed with gloss glazing medium or gloss gel…and not the satin medium I’d been using which has dulling matting agent added).
The thing I’m having the most trouble with is mixing the colors I want and getting bright light colors. Acrylics dry quite a bit darker than they look when wet because the acrylic medium is white which makes the colors seem lighter until they dry because then the medium is transparent, no longer white. Also I’m finding that acrylics seem more transparent than oils and don’t cover as easily (although you can always go over any area mid-painting with gesso for an instant undo).
I don’t like how stiff this painting is and how corny (although I do like the way the vase turned out). I think that for me to enjoy easel painting I’m going to have to work bigger
Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated!
Jana Bouc, Artist 
4 replies on “Mothers Day Bouquet”
When I painted using oils I often blended on canvas. I did a lot of on-canvas experimenting because I could ‘push the paint around’ more. Not so with acrylics. Pre-planning and layering of colours is what I found worked but it took a lot of trial and error. I do blend on canvas but I have to be very fast and use a lot of dry brush.
Colours are tricky, each brand and each pigment has its own opacity, even within families. For example cadmium red I find quite opaque but cadmium yellow is very transparent; I always do several glazes when using it (and I like the effect so I don’t mind the extra time required). I also never use any medium or gel.
Building up layers is, in my opinion, the secret to successful acrylic painting. Fortunately it’s such a forgiving medium that this works. Take a good look at how Robert Genn does it in the video linked to my blog.
HappypPainting, Jana!
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One more thing — I do use medium cut with water to seal the painting and smooth out any uneven areas. I finish with a good varnish.
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I STILL LOVE it, Jana!!! Congrats on trying new media …. and I still think no matter what medium you use .. your work is still gorgeous!
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I’m into oil painting and haven’t tried working with acrylics so far. I guess I’m afraid that’s why I don’t want to try anything. I’ve always been used to working with oils and I think that’s where I’m good at. I envy you because you have no worries in trying something new. Now, I’m challenging myself to work on something that I haven’t worked with before.
Also, I want to congratulate for a job well done on the flowers. Your mom will surely be happy once she receives your Mother’s Day gift.
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