This BobBlast is a continuation of last week... more of my Little Gems and daily warm-up studio practices . Remember, these  Little Gems are paint sketches . They are meant t o be a fun exercise to ease into your painting day.  

And just so you know - I am teaching a "Little Gems" class at the upcoming  Trade Show - Artisan Expo in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  My final trade show of the year is the Art of the Carolinas in November . The links for both are below.

In this Blast I am painting on p recut 10x10 inch pieces, taped back together. The mid-tone color is already there. In the previous BobBlast, I worked on the upper three sketches with lights and brights on the mid-tone orange first. Now, in this demo, I will work on the next group of three, with a darkest darks first - keeping it fast and loose! 

I select my Holbein Artist Acrylic paints, decide on the composition and the concept. I am continuing with the concept of vases of flowers. Each 10x10 inch sketch is a variation on a theme. I intentionally make each one different - I don't try to make carbon copies. 

The beauty of this exercise is to have another painting to go to... If I try really, really hard to complete each 10x10 inch  sketch before moving on to the next one, I will tighten up, get frustrated and not have too much fun. My mindset while painting these warm up exercises is to keep loose, have fun and experiment. 

I work on the first painting for a little while, establishing the vase shape... move on to the next one and then the next with the darkest dark. Next comes the focal point - the big showy flower that is the center of attention. I quickly mark the spot on each painting. The focal point is the point of the highest contrast. Then I block in the lightest light and add more color.

Keep it moving - don't stay in one spot for very long. Don't fall in love with it too soon! This is an exercise to loosen up. 

To view more of my favorite art materials, go to my website and click on my "Studio Resource List" - you can download it as a PDF.