Hmmmmm ... This Is Going to Take Longer than I Thought ...

I have mapped out the shadows and colors for the blue parrot ...

... and have started the black parrot, to get an idea of how dark I must go ...

Ack!!! I don't know why this image has come out so light!
However, seeing the darks of the black parrot, I know I will have to get more intense with colors on the lighter, blue tulip.
I am painting both tulips using w/w washes, dropping in colors to the water. For the blue parrot tulip, I am painting with mixtures of aureolin [very little], quin. pink and cobalt blue. On the bottom shaded petal, I have glazed with alizarin crimson, then indanthrone blue. For the black tulip, I am using alizarin crimson, quin. violet, and a mixture of quin. burnt orange, quin. violet and indanthrone for the black. The stamen in the middle is aureolin, quin. burnt orange and indanthrone. My plan is to use the violet for the petals in direct light [cooler] and crimson in the richer, darker areas. The black parrot will need a lot of glazing, and I find I am having to use an extremely delicate touch when adding the pigments.
That's it for life in tulip land. I am still working on the tug boat painting, and will post the final result. Now it's off to the land of horse ...

Thank you for dropping by, and your comments are always welcome!

EXOTICA: Parrot Tulips

It took me a while to decide on a format and composition for the tulips. My aunt had given me a frame to work with, and it offered a 15 x 9 inch window, so this is what I came up with. The top tulip is a Black Parrot, and the bottom is a Blue Parrot. I may call it "Parrots: Black and Blue" 

I completely masked the flowers, and started the washes - first a thin aureolin to tone down the eventual violet , then several quin. pink washes  ...

... gradated wash of phthalo blue ....

... and on and on, switching to alizarin crimson in lieu of the pink, to get more depth and darkness.

I finally have the background as dark as I want, though it would have been better if I could have achieved more of a difference between top and bottom.
I have just started the lower, lighter tulip today. So far, I am using a touch of aureolin, with quin. pink and cobalt blue, making the mixture warmer or cooler by adding cobalt blue to the lavender.
Drove into to Vancouver yesterday. Met one of my sisters at her house, and then we drove to Granville Island to drop off three paintings that were adjudicated into a show at the Federation of Canadian Artists, and did some quick shopping at the Farmers Market.  I am planning to enter several shows this year, hopefully to achieve my AFCA status. [Right now I am only an active member.]
Then we drove to the hospital to visit my aunt, who has been in there for a week.

I thank you for dropping by, and welcome your comments!