It’s not easy being green

Well, the new painting is coming along well. I’m in the final phase: the greenery. (All the flowers, bugs, butterflies, birds, amphibians, and mammals are painted.) Now, many folks might think that green is just blue plus yellow – or green straight out of a paint tube. But no. Greens come in endless varieties, and it’s important that they don’t all look the same in a painting. Some are cooler, or warmer, and there are many different blues and yellows to use. Often, a bit of purple or red gets mixed in. It is an interesting puzzle to find enough different greens for all the plants in this piece, yet have them all tie together. Then there is the value range to consider. How light? How dark? How much variation is needed in a single leaf? In the whole plant? Where is the light source? And on and on. There’s no end to the questions that come to mind as one paints.