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A Tribute to Garlic

Posted in Art Work, Peeking Behind the Easel, and Reference Photos

A Tribute to Garlic

What's not to love about garlic? Just about any dish with garlic is delicious and it has a huge amount of folklore behind it.  What I like most about garlic though,  is how it looks.

SibStudio.com  Garlic  Photographed for painting

The entire bulb is wrapped in thin translucent paper – like nature's tissue paper. As you pull out each individual clove, they are also wrapped similarly.  It's like a little wrapped present from the garden. Once you get the clove unwrapped, the smoothness of the clove contrasts with the papery roughness of the bulb. It's an interesting vegetable and really fun to paint.

SibStudio.com garlic
As a tribute to garlic, I painted all the parts of the garlic – the bulbs, the paper skin, the cloves and the undersides with the hair-like  roots.  I chose a creamy white neutral  background to not detract from garlic. However it needed a few pops of color, so I added sage and forest greens as an ode to the garden it grows in and to add some depth to the painting. I also added a little touch of maroon – red in the garlic shadows to contrast with the green.  And if you look closely at the both the photos, you can see the subtle maroons in the garlic shadows.

SibStudio.com painting of garlic. Can be found on Etsy.com
And that is my tribute to garlic and a peek behind my easel.  

6 Comments

  1. connie
    connie

    The painting is great!  I tried once to get that translucent, paper look (on an onion) and eventually gave up.  I admire your work.

    October 12, 2011
    • Sibstudio
      Sibstudio

      Thanks Connie! I used a watery wash of white as my first layer over the green background. It seemed to get it off to a good start.

      October 13, 2011
  2. ah gosh, you do beautiful work, I'm so jealous! 
     
    Btw, do you have a square button I can use to link you to? I'm adding you to my sidebar if you don't mind.

    October 13, 2011
    • Sibstudio
      Sibstudio

      Thank you Jayne! I am working on figuring out how to do a blog button on wordpress. I would be happy to be added to your sidebar – thanks!

      October 13, 2011
  3. These are great, you are so talented! They's look good in any kitchen. And who doesn't love garlic? They look so real.

    October 13, 2011
  4. Nice painting!  I love garlic too.  I think it makes food taste like food.

    October 14, 2011

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