Okay. Some of you are able to buy delicious looking food and paint it beautifully. I now have a strong suspicion that you actually buy TWO of said delicious and beautiful food items, thus allowing you to eat one and paint the other. Unfortunately, I didn't think that far in advance. This strawberry tall cake portrait is unfinished, while the strawberry tall cake itself is no more. Maybe the painting will get finished sans reference. Maybe I'll just have to go to the bakery and get another! Ha!
So, what would you do with the background? I tend to want to leave it white... Would you indicate a horizontal line, so it feels more like it is on the table, rather than floating in mid air? (It WAS light, but not THAT light!) The plate and fork need to be finished, and some texture needs to be added to the cake layers -- what do you think about finishing it with colored pencil, or would I then need to go over the whole thing with CP layers? (note -- it is done with watercolor on 300# hot pressed Arches, so it is just smooth enough for colored pencil touches...)
I think I'm going to do more of this kind of thing. It was very relaxing. You might even say it was fulfilling...
31 comments:
You post a yummy looking photo..just when I'm trying to cut down on sweet stuff??!!! Help!!
It's beautifully painted! Ilove your colours, too.
For the background; how about putting a soft line in pale, pale, blue to indicate the edge of the table, like you said. BUT, shade the front of the part hanging down slightly more blue so it's not the same as the table surface. And what about a soft fold or wrinkle?
Just my 2 cents worth...
My 2 cents is I like it just as it is. I like the white background and I rather like it floating. Your colors are excellent, as is your shading! The strawberry on top is absolutely PERFECT!!!
Linda,
This is lovely and scrumptious looking. As to the background, the plate and cake almost creates its own sense of a horizon line and feeling of a surface that it's resting on, with the cast shadow. You might want to leave it as is. I love the saturated colors in this and in the duck painting below.
OH MY GOSH, LINDA!! YUMMMMMMM!!!! WHO CARES ABOUT THE BACKGROUND WHEN THE CAKE IS SO SUPERBLY DONE!!! LOL GORGEMENTOUS!
Not only does it look great you can tell you had fun.
I sometimes add just a touch of color for a table surface. Not solid just a hint.
What a lovely fresh painting! My opinion - don't fiddle with it, since it is charming as is. You have grounded it a bit and that is just perfect. And I agree,the strawberry is beautifully rendered.
Nice work.
Ronell
I think I would also leave the background white. This is gorgeous, Linda, and I can see why you ate the cake! I'd have done the same...
What fun! What a confection! I'd leave it as is---it is what it is, a lovely, light-in-spirit sketch. Do another one! The only thing I WOULD add, if pressed to do a bit more, is some darkness and slight definition to the end of the spoon.
Lovely painitng Linda. I would not add any background - it's great as it is.
I have to agree with those who said to leave the background as-is. You've grounded it plenty with the cast shadow, imho. It looks like dessert in heaven...:-D
Wow! I just drew a doughnut, but this looks even more yummy!
Peace,
Joshua
this is a scrumptious painting!!
the strawberry is so "alive" it seems like i could pluck it right out of the computer screen!!
and your post made me chuckle...fulfilling indeed!!
This is excellent! That strawberry on top makes me long for summer and fresh strawberries.
I would leave the background as is also.
However, if it were mine, I would be VERY curious as to what different backgrounds might do (or not do) for it. I would likely make a color copy of the image and cut it out, then create several different backgrounds and lay the image on each to see the effect. For placement I'd sketch the outline or trace it first.
Playing with what-ifs like that can be very educational.
Linda, this is beautiful. I'd leave the background white. I really like it as it is now.
I wouldn't do anything to this. I love the spontaneous feeling of it. I'm not sure it needs a background but if you are uneasy with it floating, just put in a light indication of it sitting on something. Lots of folks feature work floating like this to give it emphasis. I think it looks yummy and surely one should buy two, one to paint, one to eat while painting and then eat the painted one. :)
HELP... this cake is looking terribly good, although I already had two(!) pieces of strawberry cake today I could eat that one too....
To your question: I would indicate (only a hint, very, very slightly) the table with a (thin!) horizontal line.
On the other hand it is looking alright as it is now, too
it's done, no more needed to my eye. truly it's perfectly delectable and yummmmmmmy as is! I'm with Laura, just do another :)
and yes, the sketch was an early saint pat party, thanks for stopping by :)
Well I'm hungry again.
I'd try the cp on it. The texture would look great. Except the strawberry, I think that strawberry looks just fine the way it is.
And I don't know squat about printmaking either which is the issue at the moment:D
Wow, it's so scrumptious! The highlights on the strawberry just make it pop - and I agree, leave it as it is, the colours look wonderful against the white background. Hope it was a yummy tasting as it looked!
I'm exactly the same way Linda...I cannot draw and not eat...in fact, I'm amazed you got as far as you did!
YUM! I've restricted myself to under 40 grams of fat and under 1700 calories for a couple of weeks, so believe me this looks GOOD!!! I say leave it alone; it's lovely. But, if you do choose to use colored pencil, I don't think you should have to go over the whole thing with them. I use them a lot in my watercolors as final touches here and there. Whatever works :-)
Thank you so much, btw, for all your wonderful comments on my blog and for being so faithful to stop in and take a peek!! Your comments are so much appreciated!
It's GORGEOUS and YUMMY-LOOKING!! I don't know how you could even paint it without eating it. Let me know when you go back to the bakery so you can get one for me.
I like it as is.
LOL you are a riot. I would need TWO of them, too! One to paint, one to eat (and then eat the other one later if it didn't go bad) hahahah. This is gorgeous, I love the colors. Nice job! :)
I'm so late to the party! Can I have that last piece of cake??
I've just looked through your recent work and it's all so lovely ... your sense of colour is gorgeous, as it is here ... this is YUMMY! I'd leave it as it is against the white background, it seems to intensify all that wonderful colour.
I like the background as is. You've done such a great job on what you have so far...adding background would be distracting. I love the simplicity, but if you add detail...I would just do a minimum still using water color. OR...if you want to experiment, try pastel. I often wind up ruining a piece...noodling it to death. I admire your watercolor work!
just stumbled on your blog from Teri C's - you have a very fresh style and i love how you use color with abandon! WC's are not my friend, not yet anyway. i'm still trying to feel comfortable with my drawing =)
It looks finished to me thought a very light table edge wouldn't hurt. The strawberry is sensational and the rest is painted with such a wonderful delicate touch. I know what you mean though about eating the subject before you can finish painting it. I've tried and tried to paint donuts but always end up eating them before the painting is done.
Don't touch this anymore! It's a masterpiece!
You mean no one's eaten that strawberry yet?
Thought I'd just drop by your blog and say Hi. What I want to know is, if you paint your cake smaller will it have less calories? (It's a lovely piccy and beautifully done)
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