Pepper and chillis - oil painting demonstration

This painting was done at night and I installed the composition on a the table I also used to lay out my painting material.

I took a couple of digital pictures in case I would need them as reference (I ended-up no using them, painting only from nature).

I used the same lamp (an easel lamp from the Daylight company with a daylight bulb which simulates the day light and avoid bad surprises the next day) to light my model and my canvas. Artificial light coming from this unique source projected strong shadows that worked well with the bold red colours of the pepper and chillis. It also created stronger highlights.

As the canvas was a small format, I used my pochade box rather than my French easel.

Colours were laid on the palette the way I usually do, so I didn't have to think about where a particular colour was. From left to right: Titanium White (Griffin Alkyd), Cadmium Yellow Pale, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red, Alizarin Crimson, Burnt Umber, Cobalt Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Sap Green and Viridian Green.

The canvas was a linen canvas on which I had applied an additional layer of grey tinted gesso.

I oulined the subject directly with a small hog brush dipped into diluted Raw Umber. In this instance, I did not have to make any correction, but the paint would be easy to wipe out if necessary.

The block-in stage served to indicate the large panes of colours, as well as starting to build-up the paint tickness. After that, I started to use a painting medium instead of the Sanodor thinner.

Almost there... The pepper looked good: round and shinny. I still had to work on the background.

The finished painting. I let it to dry and will sign it later, in the right lower corner in order to preserve a balanced composition.

painting demonstration painting step by step oil painting still life