Jackie Paints Yellow and White Roses In Glass Jar Fechin Studio: parts 1, 2 and 3

Part 1

In the beautiful north light of the Nicolai Fechin studio in Taos, New Mexico, Jackie spends time setting up her flower still life in a round glass pot while explaining her choices. She settles on having some yellow roses to the left of the arrangement, ending with the luminous white roses on the right, flanked by a beautiful crimson carnation for a touch of intense color. She decides on a concept of light moving from left to right.

Beginners will enjoy how slow and deliberately Jackie works, allowing the viewer to follow every brushstroke she makes. Starting with the glass jar, she captures the warm transmitted light, keeping the glass darker on the light side. She then adds a spectacular highlight to complete the illusion.

Part 1 of this demonstration is an excellent demo for those wanting to learn to paint still life, complete with tips on setting up your arrangement. Jackie’s simple way of capturing this challenging subject makes painting roses seem simple, and as delightful and transparent as Jackie is.

Part 2

In Part 2 Jackie lays in the shadows of the white roses in order to support the light. Her way of simplifying the complex shape of a rose will make this subject seem more accessible than ever to the viewer.

Starting with laying on the light of the white roses on the right, she works her way back to the roses in shadow, keeping those darker with more air so that they recede. She then puts in the richer yellow rose in shadow as a contrast to the lighter yellow rose to its right. This creates a beautiful movement of light from left to right. She continues to strengthen the shadows, as she prepares for the finish.

Part 3

In the finish of this demo, you will see how Jackie puts the final touches on her painting. Now that she has the basic design of the painting established, she starts to refine the shapes of the objects in her setup by using a device that painters have used for years: carving out. Carving out happens when you use the color surrounding an object to refine the drawing of it by carving away the light. This is how a painter “draws” while painting—using one shape to carve into another shape. She continues to refine the shapes of the roses.

Jackie addresses the temperature of shadow as she sets the vase down on the surface of the table with a cast shadow. She finishes up with the tabletop and the background to enhance the lit-up feeling of the flowers in the gorgeous natural light. This is a great film that takes you step-by-step in how to paint roses.