SBA Assignment #8 Composition - Vegetable Study

Assignment #8 Vegetable Study

 

The first question you ask is "Why use a Tomato, it's a Fruit"

and yes, you are correct.  The SBA allows us to use a tomato as a fruit or vegetable since it is used as a vegetable in salads.  So, no points lost there!

 

Solanum lycopersicum

Heirloom Tomato

'Claurina', 'Montenegro', 'Tomawah'

 

 

Purchase my three tomatoes at Whole Foods.  Figured out the composition and started drawing as much as I could without having the stems.  The stems and leaves are taken off the fruit before they are shipped to the stores.

 

 

 

Once I got as much drawn as I could I went on a tour of Houwelings Tomatoes. 

One of the largest growers of Heirloom Tomatoes. 

The Mastery Under Glass is located only 20 minutes from my home.

 

 

All the tomatoes are grown hydroponically in huge glass greenhouses.  This place is amazing!

 

 

You have to suit up in clean suits to enter the facility.

Me and Kyle, our tour director.

Aren't we cute!

 

 

Once home with my stems, leaves and tons of photographs, I quickly started my stems. 

Carefully placing them and completing my assignment.

 

 

The finished product and yes these Toms are huge!

 

My tutor commented that "I think you took me quite literally when I mentioned about small subjects in your last assignment.  I am amused!  These are so big - and I've no doubt tasted delicious.

 

Condensed tutor comments:

Wow!  Big Tomatoes

These tomatoes look touchable - excellent.

Your composition is fine Lori.  The three tomatoes work together really well - but have to admit it would have been lovely to see inside one of them - just because I am interested and, therefore, I expect others would be too.  It would have added even more interest but I can imagine they are very complicated inside and maybe time wasn't on your side. 

 

 

Final Mark 9.35

 

As always, I was nervous about my marks.  One because I only had three subjects and the composition was pretty standard.  Yes, I would have loved to drawn the inside, but time is of the essence and I never seem to have enough.  I am learning with each assignment and am looking forward to our next assignment 'Botanical Illustration'

Houwling's Tomatoes

Tour of Houwling's Tomatoes

Mastery Under Glass

 

125 acres under greenhouse glass and the California sun produces delicious varieties of tomatoes in an array of colors, shapes and sizes 52 weeks a year.

 

View of the Heirloom Tomato Glass Greenhouse

 

Tomato vines grown hydroponically

 

Heirloom Tomatoes waiting to be packed and shipped

 

Don't I look cute in my clean suit? 

I was lucky enough to have some leaves picked from the vines.

 

 

Thanks Kyle for the Grand Tour!

 

 

While deciding what to paint for my next assignment and searching my garden and local markets, I am always drawn to Heirloom Tomatoes.  Their various shapes and colors have always intrigued me.  I purchased a few fun looking shapes, color and sizes, for quite a lot of money I might add, brought them home and started in on my sketchbook.    I like to make my sketches into greeting cards, so my first attempt at a Heirloom Tomato was for my Valentine's Greeting Card

 

Now that I've got some good pictures of the stems and leaves of these tomatoes, I can continue on with my assignment. 

 

Here is a sneak peak of my assignment:

 

 

Lots of pretty colors happening!

Still have a lot of coloring to do, but now I have a lot of pictures,

stems and leaves to use for reference. 

 

 

Check Back to see my final artwork!