Diane McClary: Barrel Cactus

Cactus, like rose bushes, pine trees, or any subject that has attributes of a myriad of details, thorns, structure, etc., can be difficult to paint. In the outdoors, it can be even more overwhelming because they are often amid many other kinds of cactus or plants.

In this DVD Diane takes on the challenge of painting a blooming Barrel Cactus in slanting light.

To accomplish this she narrows her focus to the heart of the composition, and teaches you how to see the scene, paint the background, add interest, and still make a single plant the center of attention.

Diane discusses and demonstrates how to mix realistic greens, which is often a challenge for artists, and shares her favorite “secret” green combination. She takes green from very warm to very cool on one plant, and then changes it again in the foreground and the background.

The rendering of the flowers will teach you even more about simplification and color temperature.