In this lesson, you will continue the overpainting layer by moving on to the cap and stems of the three red peppers. You will continue to use linseed oil as your medium, and remember not to add more than 20% to your puddle of paint. I will walk you through the entire painting process using the color string representing the red pepper’s caps and stems. In this layer, you focus on details, working with larger areas, smaller areas, and, finally, smaller brush marks. Many parts will be painted wet into wet, and you will also work with a blending brush to create delicate blends and soften up your brushwork. 

There are nine (9) video parts to this lesson. At the end of the lesson, click on the “Complete and Continue” button at the top right corner or the bottom of the lesson page. Doing so will help the system remember what you have completed and what you have not.

You should start this lesson when you have plenty of time to finish it. Because there is wet into wet brushwork, you’ll not want to let the paint dry or get tacky.

The materials needed for this lesson:

• The color reference image of the still life and the color reference image with the color blocks.
• Your finished and dry overpainting with the completed background, wood box, and green peppers (1st Pass) from the previous lesson.
• Oil Paint, Gamblin Artist's Colors
  • Cadmium Red Light, 37 ml (Warm Red)
  • Quinacridone Red, 37 ml (Cool Red)
  • Cadmium Yellow Medium, 37 ml (Warm Yellow)
  • Cadmium Lemon, 37 ml (Cool Yellow)
  • Ultramarine Blue, 37 ml (Warm Blue)
  • Cerulean Blue, 37 ml (Cool Blue)
  • Titanium White, 150 ml
  • Ivory Black, 37 ml
• Silicoil Brush Cleaning Tank
• Gamblin Gamsol Odorless Mineral Spirits, 16.9oz. (Brush cleaning solvent and used to dilute the paint)
• Blick Palette Paper Pad, 12" x 16" (Disposable paper palette) OR Glass Tabletop Palette, 12 x 16, Gray (I use a glass palette)
• Blick Painting Knife, 5/8" x 2 7/8", Traditional, Style 50
• Disposable plastic bathroom cups, NOT PAPER!

Brushes (Rosemary & Company) When purchasing from Rosemary & Company, please insert ROBERTCALDWELL into the “Apply Affiliate/Coupon Code” box on the Checkout page.

• #4 Eclipse filbert, long handle
• #6 Eclipse filbert, long handle
• #12 Eclipse filbert, long handle
• #5 Eclipse long filbert, long handle
• #4 Eclipse round, short handle
• #7 Eclipse round, short handle
• ⅜” Mundy Mops, short handle (I would suggest two of these)
• ½” Mundy Mops, short handle (I would suggest two of these)

Part 1: Introduction, Materials, and Start Mixing the Yellow Greens

In part 1, I will briefly introduce the lesson, and you will begin by mixing the secondary color green, which you will use to make the color string for the caps and stems of the red peppers. Using the green, you will desaturate some of it using Cadmium Red Light and mix the middle value and then the darkest value of the color string.

Part 2: Finishing Mixing the Color String and Add Oil to the Paint

In part 2, you will mix the lightest value, the yellow green of the color string, and desaturate the color by mixing the same value grey to the mix. Then you will add oil to the working puddles of paint and get ready to start painting the caps and stems of the red peppers.

Part 3: Start to Paint the Cap and Stem of the Left Red Pepper

In part 3, you start painting the cap and stem of the left red pepper, starting with the shade of the color string and block in the body shadows. You will then finish blocking in the rest of the cap and stem using the middle value of the color string, creating the local color. Then using the tip of your brush, lightly blend the edges of the brushwork, paying careful attention to determine if the edge is to be soft or hard. Finish this part by breaking up the large dark body shadow shapes with smaller middle-value shapes and lightly blending the edges of your brushwork.

Part 4: Painting the Nuances on the Left Cap and Stem

In part 4, you will work with the upper value, the yellow-green, and create the little nuances and details in the cap and stem. You will be painting smaller and smaller shapes where the light hits the ridges of the cap and stem. Next, you will mix an additional color, a more saturated and lighter yellow-green, which you will use to create even smaller shapes.

Part 5: Finishing the Left Red Pepper’s Cap and Stem

In part 5, you will finish this stem by mixing the highlight color and a desaturated red-brown. You will now create the final nuances in the cap and stem by adding some highlights and brown patches.

Part 6: Start Painting the Cap of the Center Red Pepper

In part 6, you will move to the middle red pepper to start blocking in the dark and middle values on the cap. Following the pattern of the cap, work wet into wet with the middle value on top of the dark value creating smaller shapes that radiate toward the center of the cap. Finish off the cap by using the yellow green of the original color string to create the subtle nuances on the cap.

Part 7: Finish Painting the Cap and Stem of the Center Red Pepper

In part 7, you will block in the back edge of the stem with the middle value and use the lighter value to block in the rest of the stem. Next, you will use the lighter, more saturated yellow-green that you mixed previously to create the striations in the lighter area of the stem. You will finish the stem by painting in the highlights, careful not to over-blend the brushwork. Before moving on, you will mix a darker green value and revisit the dark areas pushing them to get darker—and one final paint stroke of the red-brown on the end of the stem.

Part 8: Starting to Paint the Cap and Stem on the Right Red Pepper

In part 8, you move to the right and last red pepper and begin to block in the small dark areas using the dark green from the original color string. Next, use the middle value to paint in the small areas next to the dark value you just painted. Because the cap and stem are all in light, there isn’t much dark to paint. Now you will use the color string's lighter value, the yellow green, to block in the rest of the cap and stem. Next, lightly blend the edges creating soft transitions between the light and middle value. Finally, carefully paint the small edges of light around the cap. It is okay to hold your breath as you do this.

Part 9: Finish Painting the Right Red Pepper’s Cap and Stem

In part 9, you will finish the right red pepper’s cap and stem and this lesson. Use the lighter and more saturated yellow-green that you mixed previously to create the nuances on the cap and stem. Finish the cap and stem by adding the highlights and a few red-brown areas.

Share your progress with the studio artist community!

Please share your progress and comments with the studio artist community in the comments below! What did you learn, enjoy, or find frustrating in this lesson?

I suggest the following to have a better experience in the studio community.

• Please double-check to ensure the “Receive instructional and promotional emails from RL Caldwell Studio.” is turned on in your student account under the “Edit Profile” section. If this is not turned on, I can not communicate with you about class updates. If you don’t want me to send you any promotional emails, I don’t send many; email me with your request, and I’ll make sure to remove your email from my promotional email list.
• While you are in the “Edit Profile” section, turn on the “ Email me when someone responds to my comments” and “Email me when someone comments on a discussion I've commented on.” By doing this, you will have a more robust experience with other Artists in the community.
• Also, let the other artists know who you are by adding a profile image to your account let other artists know who you are. Teachable uses Gravatar, and creating an account to set up your profile image is very easy.

I look forward to seeing your progress, and I’ll see you in the next lesson of the course!

-Robert