Do poppies make your heart sing? In this oil flower painting timelapse and tutorial video, I will show you how to paint a poppy field in oils, using alla prima techniques and layering! We will also cover how to make your painting look backlit, colour theory, and brushwork. I’ll give you some tips and tricks for working with colour to create landscape paintings that pop, as well as share strategies for working with compositions that are busy with lots of detail.
I painted this piece as a commission for my parents after their trip to Juno Beach in 2019 to witness the 75th anniversary ceremony. My grandfather was a child in WWII Nazi-occupied Holland, and his family made the incredibly difficult decision after the war to emigrate to Canada. They spoke no English, and my grandfather learned solely due to a caring teacher who taught him in her free time. I remain exceptionally grateful for the Canadian Armed Forces who participated in the liberation of Europe in WWII, and towards the men and women who have served or continue to serve.
I poured my whole heart and soul into this work, and I hope you enjoy this video as much as I enjoyed creating it!
I am donating a portion of all prints sales to Wounded Warriors Canada, a registered charity. If you would like to purchase a print, you can do so here: https://fineartamerica.com/featured/dulce-et-decorum-est-marianne-vander-dussen.html
You can also donate directly to Wounded Warriors here: https://woundedwarriors.ca/donate/
I am beyond grateful for your support of my teaching, and if there’s anything you’d like to see in a future video, please don’t hesitate to write me a comment!
If you enjoyed this tutorial and like painting flowers, you’ll love my brand new course “Painting Flowers in Acrylic” – Use code YOUTUBE25 to take $25 off! https://courses.mariannevanderdussen.com/offers/sTGLNjHa/checkout
Receive my FREE 36 page “Introduction to Acrylic Painting” ebook: https://tinyurl.com/42ye4srx
✨Connect with me✨
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariannevanderdussen
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artbymariannevanderdussen
Facebook Art Support Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/artincubatorwithmarianne
My website: https://www.MarianneVanderDussen.com
Materials Used
Paint colours: Winsor Lemon, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Deep Yellow, Cadmium Yellow Orange, Quinacridone Red, Cadmium Red Medium, Quinacridone Violet, Sap Green, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Umber, and Titanium White
My preferred paint brands are Winsor & Newton, M. Graham and Co., and I am currently working my way through the last of my Stevenson brand of oil paints (they were a Toronto based Canadian company that sadly closed their factory down when they retired). I also use some Gamblin and in future works, I’d like to try varnishing with Gamvar.
Varnish: Kamar by Krylon
Gesso: Liquitex Professionals Artist Grade Gesso, with Golden Artist Materials yellow ochre Liquid Acrylic added to the mix with some water for thinning
After I have applied my gesso with a foam brush, I sand it down using a 300 grit sandpaper, before repeating the process at least three times total.
Link to my Amazon shop for art supplies and materials: https://www.amazon.ca/shop/artbymariannevanderdussen
Please note: as an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases
Special thanks to photographer Rachel Baker for granting me permission to paint her beautiful photo.
Rachel’s Facebook profile is “Dorset Delights”: https://www.facebook.com/saintsmadmomma73
Her Instagram is: https://www.instagram.com/saintsmadmomma/
Thank you so much for your support and for watching this video!
00:00 Introduction
00:42 Painting the Sunset Sky
03:25 Background – Rolling Hills
05:03 Painting the Poppies
09:26 Second Layer
11:23 The Final Painting
