05. Daffodils After Still Life Vase with Fourteen Sunflowers 2017 by Anthony D. Padgett (after Van Gogh Arles 1888)

The composition is anchored by a sun-bright cluster of daffodils radiating from a cream pitcher, set against a vibrant blue background alive with blocky horizontal brushstrokes that pulse with motion. The eye lands first on the massive central trumpet-form daffodil at the apex, then travels outward through the cascading blooms, with smaller flowers distributed asymmetrically down the sides. Light rakes across the flowers from upper right, rendering the petals in radiant yellow while casting warm shadows into the trumpet centers. Below, a dark indigo table grounds the vase with sharp value contrast, keeping the arrangement floating luminously above it.

This painting operates in three distinct value zones: the very dark table (nearly black with blue undertones) provides the foundation; the mid-tone cream pitcher bridges to the composition; the flowers and blue background occupy the light key, with the brightest yellows and blues at nearly equal luminosity. Squint and you'll see the arrangement reads as one bright silhouette against a complementary blue field. Dark contour lines on the flowers create internal value shifts, keeping petals from reading flat.

• #57aff8

  Cerulean or Ultramarine Blue + Titanium White (in varying proportions for the background blocks)

  Background sky, creating the lighter blocks of the checkered pattern

• #2e7deb

  Deep Ultramarine Blue, possibly with slight Prussian Blue

  Darker blue blocks of the background pattern and shadow areas

• #bda946

  Yellow Ochre + Titanium White + touch of Raw Sienna

  Primary vase color—the main body and rim

• #c7cd81

  Cadmium Yellow Light + Yellow Ochre + Titanium White

  Foliage, stems, and yellow-green tones in flower petals

• #897d4f

  Raw Sienna + Ultramarine Blue or Viridian

  Stem shadows and brown contour lines defining flower forms

• #303b6b

  Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson + touch of Ivory Black

  The dark table surface anchoring the base of the composition

Padgett uses bold, simplified contour lines in dark brown and olive to delineate flower forms—this graphic quality is essential and cannot be softened. Background brushstrokes are short, horizontal dabs of varied blues layered atop each other, creating a restless, woven texture that energizes the field. Within the flowers and vase, strokes follow form: horizontal for the cylindrical pitcher, directional dabs for petal modeling, and gestural lines for stems. The work is decidedly non-blended; edges remain painterly and visible, giving it characteristic post-impressionist vigor.

1. 01

   Establish the blue background foundation

   Begin with a loose underpainting of mid-tone blue across the entire background. Then layer short, horizontal brushstrokes in alternating light and dark blues—Cerulean with white for the pale blocks, deeper Ultramarine for the shadows. Work in a roughly grid-like rhythm, letting blocks vary slightly in size and value. This pattern must feel handmade and alive, not mechanical.

2. 02

   Block in the dark table and vase placement

   Paint the dark table area in the lower third using deep blue-black (Ultramarine + Alizarin + touch of black). Keep it opaque and solid to anchor the composition. Then establish the cream pitcher's basic cylindrical form in yellow-ochre and white. Note that the vase sits approximately centered but slightly right-leaning; its height is about one-third the painting's height.

3. 03

   Lay in the stem architecture

   Paint the green stems and foliage masses with your yellow-green and olive mixtures. Don't worry about individual stems yet—establish the general mass where stems rise from the pitcher and branch outward. The stems must be loose but directional, radiating from the center. Leave room for the flower forms to sit atop this green armature.

4. 04

   Paint the central daffodil cluster

   Begin with the large trumpet-form daffodil at the apex. Use your brightest Cadmium Yellow for the petals, leaving space for the trumpet center. Add the four or five blooms that surround it, layering them so some overlap. In each trumpet center, introduce warm shadows using Raw Sienna or orange-tinted yellow. The central cluster should dominate—bold and bright.

5. 05

   Distribute the secondary flowers

   Paint the smaller daffodils cascading down the left and right sides, ensuring they're smaller in scale than the central mass and positioned lower. Some flowers face forward, others turn slightly away—vary the trumpet visibility. Use the same yellow for petals but let orange-red shadows dance in the trumpet centers. Avoid symmetry; the composition should feel organic.

6. 06

   Refine the vase with modeling strokes

   Paint horizontal strokes across the pitcher body in cream and white, suggesting its cylindrical form. Add warm shadows using Raw Sienna on the left edge. Include the handle with a dark olive or brown contour line. The vase's rough texture and warmth should support—not compete with—the flowers above.

7. 07

   Add contour lines and flower structure

   Using dark brown or olive, draw bold contour lines around each flower form—the trumpet edges, petal boundaries, and internal shadows. This graphic quality is fundamental. Paint the trumpet centers in warm orange-reds and browns. Refine any overlapping edges where flowers meet the background. The contours should feel assured, not tentative.

8. 08

   Deepen background blocks and final adjustments

   Return to the background and strengthen the contrast between light and dark blocks; some should be nearly as dark as the table, others bright as clouds. This variation makes the painting vibrate. Ensure the yellow flowers pop against the blue—if they look muddy, lean them warmer. Check that the table remains the darkest element, framing the luminous arrangement above.

• Treating the background as uniform blue rather than a dynamic checkered pattern—the short horizontal strokes and alternating values are what give this painting its energy. Skip this and the painting falls flat.
• Making the yellow flowers too pale or greenish; they need to glow. If your yellow feels weak, you're likely mixing in too much white or cool color. Cadmium Yellow straight is often right.
• Losing the dark vase edges to the dark table. Keep a clear value distinction by ensuring the pitcher maintains enough cream-tan warmth against the cool indigo below.
• Over-blending the petals or smoothing the contour lines. The strength of this work lies in its graphic clarity and visible brushwork—leave it gestural and let edges remain crisp and drawn.
• Centering everything symmetrically. The flowers radiate organically; some lean left, others right. Asymmetry is what keeps the arrangement feeling alive, not static.

beginner friendliness

value contrast

palette complexity

compositional simplicity

brushwork visibility