Workin' on a Lily

detail of a commissioned 18x24" oil in progress

browns, reds, pinks, ochres, golds, blacks, and a hint of greens

I'm working on an 18x24" commission of an alstromeria lily. The person who commissioned it is the same person who took the photograph, and they took one awesome photograph. All of my favorite elements of strong back lighting and drama are there. There are even water drops. At first I shied away from them like the devil, but to make the commissioner happy I added a few, decided they weren't evil, and am adding most of them now. They are my favorite part. I take none of the credit! The commissioner saw from the get-go that they were the magic makers.
To paint a water droplet alla prima, work dark to light. Find the darkest color in the drop and paint the whole drop shape that dark. Add the medium highlight on the rim or center, then add the whitest highlight dot. Bam. One water droplet. More work on this tomorrow! Stay tuned.