Pumpkin Still Life.

Here’s one of the projects I worked on with students in the Still Life class Fall 2024.

Still life set up. Started with the 3 gourds, the fabric, the branch of nasturtium, a green pot. Removed all that, and kept the pumpkins with a dried vine. Then I watched the light for the right moment to photograph.

Drawing idea Using the design device of the rule of thirds. Rule: Divide your space into thirds, place areas of interest where the lines intersect. Avoid placing subject in the middle. (Oh no, I broke the rule! This composition might be helped by shifting everything to the right, a bit off center.)
The grid can also be helpful to break down the shapes into smaller segments then drawing what is in each square.

Exploring values. I used the Notanizer App on my iphone to convert the color photo to a notan and a version using three values. In retrospect, I can see I didn’t use this information as much as I could have on my final painting.

I use my sketchbook to investigate colors and textures before I start a painting. With this subject I wondered how to paint the texture in the green gourd? Tried salt and a wax crayon. Decided dry brush would probably work best.

Practicing for the Demo. How did I get from image number 3 to number 4? More layers. There was drying time. I could continue to add more darks. But I like where this 5th image landed.

Student work. A variety of gourds. Everyone, including me, struggled with the background. I’m thinking about how best to teach techniques for that in future lessons.