The Painting Process

The initial inspire

What initiated me to start begins with a image of a vase of flowers. The image was originally pretty vague in my mind. I want to paint a plain one, in single color tone (with a little color variation), elegant but not too feminine, simple, clean, in classic form, with oil painting texture, with a little details but abstract for most of the irrelevant. After a little research on Google here is the image that inspires me most. It is in pretty low resolution (I have tried the image search function already but still in vain) but I like its abstraction which gives me freedom to express in my own form. The "right" feeling it gives me is its cleanliness, simplicity, and that monotonic color range that can well captivate that raw light and dark shadowing effect in a fine and delicate way. I always believe "right "shadowing makes the whole artwork blossom. Last but not least, edelweiss, the white and clean little flowers, reminds me my first choir song when I was primary one, makes me so pleasant. :)



The first attempt


Here is my first acrylic attempt after the brief sketching. I used mao bi to paint it in a very watery way, because it is still in experimental process. Thick paint can make the latter process more difficult because the painting marks underneath hinders the variations of the top construction. But later I believe I used the wrong painting brushes - the Chinese Mao Bi - which is absolutely not for acrylic / oily texture. Originally I thought the painting brush should not matter a lot if I could master the painting skills well. But I was wrong. Correct tools catalyze the whole process muccccccch, this was my lesson learnt. Anyway, regardless of the unfinished brushstrokes, I quite like its abstraction it gives in this stage, yet the color seems a bit reddish now I would rather turn it into the warm yellowish tone.


The second attempt


I painted it in a really really happy way, but it ends out become a disaster, hoho. Finally I realized the importance of using correct brushes for oil painting, to express that sort of thick and strong, energetic texture that Mao Bi cannot provide. Honestly I like the vase, I like the flowers (I appreciate the right hand side, except the leftmost part, seems not feathery enough). Firstly I used dark green with that lovely blue, and ground yellow to paint the underneath leaves part. Then after it was dried I added the highlighting white with warm yellow on top for the floral details. I used the remaining color to construct the vase highlighting and shadowing, and also the background. (Originally I thought a darker background can prominent the main character, but it ended out looking like a disaster Haha, too much prominent colors popping out together, loosing the harmony of the whole color tone. ) Yet I know the brushstrokes I want are almost there, I just need to fine tune on the color tone of the whole picture in my next step.


My third attempt, oh I missed this one

Oh dear I in fact really like this version. I thought it can already be the finished piece. It fulfilled my desires, in harmonic tone, abstract with a little delicate details, calm and peaceful, well presented. Yet I hesitate if it missed the energy that a painting can give to the viewers. A bit dull and sad, that I don't want it to be like this. I want to add a bit purple to highlight the whole piece, making it more energetic, vivid and interesting.


My fourth attempt, a strange starfish

To me, making an artwork about enjoying the process of creating something you feel really happy with. My white acrylic paint is drying, thus I moulded it using fingers like clay, and then stick it on the artwork as the highlight, see what's happening:



Background has been redone, not quite work as what I want. And that funny starfish sticker, so funny. BTW I added this lovely pale violent complement to the green tone to give the contrast on the whole feel, making the whole artwork more "energetic". (Contrast can make the whole presentation more eye-catching.) Also I cut it into square size because it presents it in a more interesting way.


A reference on the background presentation

This is the birthday cake box left after my 19th December, 2015 birthday. Thanks my dear, deep from the bottom of my heart. My love dedicates to her forever, my mother.

I love this image, the color and presentation is great.

I wonder if I can put some inspiring elements from it to my unfinished work.




Second last attempt

Still not finished? Yes... I am the one to strive for perfection though it will never be achievable ... only on my work, not on the personality I dare I have tried my best ...

Almost there, except a bit "dirty" on the background ... starfish removed, flowers more delicately constructed ( rather than dot dot dot) ... Lovely ...





Finishing

Ar ha, signature signed.
Fine-tuned on the background and table shadow. Done! Background is a bit darker on the left than on the right, I used the cut-out piece for comparison.



The final presentation

Here it is :



Hope you enjoy reading it, apologize if this is too long ;P

水面行走

【馬太福音 14 章 22-33 節】

耶穌隨即催門徒上船，先渡到那邊去，等他叫眾人散開。 散了眾人以後，他就獨自上山去禱告。到了晚上，只有他一人在那裏。 那時船在海中，因風不順，被浪搖撼。 夜裏四更天，耶穌在海面上走，往門徒那裏去。 門徒看見他在海面上走，就驚慌了，說：「是個鬼怪！」便害怕，喊叫起來。 耶穌連忙對他們說：「你們放心，是我，不要怕！」 彼得說：「主，如果是你，請叫我從水面上走到你那裏去。」 耶穌說：「你來吧。」彼得就從船上下去，在水面上走，要到耶穌那裏去； 只因見風甚大，就害怕，將要沉下去，便喊著說：「主啊，救我！」 耶穌趕緊伸手拉住他，說：「你這小信的人哪，為甚麼疑惑呢？」 他們上了船，風就住了。 在船上的人都拜他，說：「你真是神的兒子了。」



【馬可福音 6 章 45-51 節】

耶穌隨即催門徒上船，先渡到那邊伯賽大去，等他叫眾人散開。 他既辭別了他們，就往山上去禱告。 到了晚上，船在海中，耶穌獨自在岸上； 看見門徒因風不順，搖櫓甚苦。夜裏約有四更天，就在海面上走，往他們那裏去，意思要走過他們去。 但門徒看見他在海面上走，以為是鬼怪，就喊叫起來； 因為他們都看見了他，且甚驚慌。耶穌連忙對他們說：「你們放心！是我，不要怕！」 於是到他們那裏，上了船，風就住了；他們心裏十分驚奇。



【約翰福音 6 章 16-21 節】

到了晚上，他的門徒下海邊去， 上了船，要過海往迦百農去。天已經黑了，耶穌還沒有來到他們那裏。 忽然狂風大作，海就翻騰起來。 門徒搖櫓，約行了十里多路，看見耶穌在海面上走，漸漸近了船，他們就害怕。 耶穌對他們說：「是我，不要怕！」 門徒就喜歡接他上船，船立時到了他們所要去的地方。

登山變像

【馬太福音 17 章 1-8 節】

過了六天，耶穌帶著彼得、雅各，和雅各的兄弟約翰，暗暗地上了高山， 就在他們面前變了形像，臉面明亮如日頭，衣裳潔白如光。 忽然，有摩西、以利亞向他們顯現，同耶穌說話。 彼得對耶穌說：「主啊，我們在這裏真好！你若願意，我就在這裏搭三座棚，一座為你，一座為摩西，一座為以利亞。」 說話之間，忽然有一朵光明的雲彩遮蓋他們，且有聲音從雲彩裏出來，說：「這是我的愛子，我所喜悅的。你們要聽他！」 門徒聽見，就俯伏在地，極其害怕。 耶穌進前來，摸他們，說：「起來，不要害怕！」 他們舉目不見一人，只見耶穌在那裏。



【馬可福音 9 章 2-8 節】

過了六天，耶穌帶著彼得、雅各、約翰暗暗地上了高山，就在他們面前變了形像， 衣服放光，極其潔白，地上漂布的，沒有一個能漂得那樣白。 忽然，有以利亞同摩西向他們顯現，並且和耶穌說話。 彼得對耶穌說：「拉比，我們在這裏真好！可以搭三座棚，一座為你，一座為摩西，一座為以利亞。」 彼得不知道說甚麼才好，因為他們甚是懼怕。 有一朵雲彩來遮蓋他們；也有聲音從雲彩裏出來，說：「這是我的愛子，你們要聽他。」 門徒忽然周圍一看，不再見一人，只見耶穌同他們在那裏。



【路加福音 9 章 28-36 節 上】

說了這話以後約有八天，耶穌帶著彼得、約翰、雅各上山去禱告。 正禱告的時候，他的面貌就改變了，衣服潔白放光。 忽然有摩西、以利亞兩個人同耶穌說話； 他們在榮光裏顯現，談論耶穌去世的事，就是他在耶路撒冷將要成的事。 彼得和他的同伴都打盹，既清醒了，就看見耶穌的榮光，並同他站著的那兩個人。 二人正要和耶穌分離的時候，彼得對耶穌說：「夫子，我們在這裏真好！可以搭三座棚，一座為你，一座為摩西，一座為以利亞。」他卻不知道所說的是甚麼。 說這話的時候，有一朵雲彩來遮蓋他們；他們進入雲彩裏就懼怕。 有聲音從雲彩裏出來，說：「這是我的兒子，我所揀選的，你們要聽他。」 聲音住了，只見耶穌一人在那裏。