Demonstrating painting alla prima using the yellow day lily as reference.

Lets get started in painting alla prima with part II of this lily demonstration.  

yellow lily painting

In this first photo, I've laid in the colors rather thickly.

Here I have blended the paint out in the entire petal.

oil painting demonstration

The next painting alla prima photo shows the second petal color having been added and blended.  I think i need a bit more darks in the folds of the petal. 

Here you can see I've added the darks and some more greens.

painting demonstration

Blending completed and more added in between the stamen.

painting lesson

Hopefully this shows you just how thick this paint actually is on the canvas.

oil painting lesson

And a shot further back to show the progress.  I've been going again clockwise to put in the paint for the petals.

oil painting example

Darks added to this far right petal.

yellow lily oil painting

Blended started with a small filbert brush.

art lesson

Final blending done with the mop brush.

A photo of the mop brush used.  Understanding, this mop brush blending, as with the filbert brush blending is done in the direction of the petal fold.  For this petal, it means stroking the paint from the left to the right on most parts of the petal, or in the direction of the contour.


The final petal laid in.

A final blending completed.

yellow lily alla prima oil painting

As this was an example done in 2-90 minutes sessions, I have tried to keep true to the genre of getting the painting completed quickly and in one go.

Being the perfectionist that I am, I know how much better this lily will look with just a bit of touching up, so I won't let it get out the studio just yet. 

Come back later to see my finishing touches, but as for now, I must let it rest and dry. 

Well, later is NOW!  Check out the completed work here!

Painting in Oils the yellow daylily. Finale!


Of coarse, re-touching this painting will negate it as being an alla prima, but that's ok. 

What I've tried to do here is show you just how much you can get and do with this medium we call oil paint.  Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of painting alla prima, and what you can achieve using this method!

till later!

Click here to go back to the top of this painting alla prima demonstration,  Or jump back to Part I of this alla prima painting.


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