"Heart of Red" (24x18 oil on panel) painting process and animation

Good Morning Artists/Steemians,
In painting, still life was my first love, and it will probably always be my bread-and-butter. I love it for many reasons: the logistics are simple, there are no time limits (except when using things that wilt/rot, and last but not least), total control and freedom. The possibilities for interpretation are endless. The setup is just a starting point. What matters is how the objects are painted.

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Before creating this painting, I took a trip to the thrift store and got some new junk to paint. A decent haul for $30. (I don't recommend spending a lot of money on potential props. You may end up using it only once or not at all! Allow yourself that freedom. They are just tools to serve your composition.):

Here is the physical still life setup. By the end of this post, you'll notice the intentional deviations in light and color intensity to create focus where I want it. Painting is total freedom!:

Next stage. The blue ground is intentional. My plan is to let it show through in spots:

Next stage:

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A view of my palette:

And the finished painting "Heart of Red" (24x18 oil on panel, 2013):

And a timelapse animation of the stages:

Thanks for reading! -David

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