Poppy 2

This is my 2nd attempt at this poppy, and possibly not the last. I decided to try out something completely different, with bands of bright colours as a background (some lovely greens), and little circles of light. 

I think the poppy itself is better than the first one, but the background doesn't contrast enough, and it feels flat. So I'm thinking of doing a third one, with better tonal values.

I like my little circles of light, and I think they would look good with a darker background. I lifted the colour with a damp brush and paper, using an ellipse template I got ages ago (I should have got a circle template too. Maybe I did and I can't remember it. After all I didn't remember I had the ellipse template. I must go rummage in my art materials press to see if I can find it). 

The one thing to check with a dark background is that the colour I choose is not too staining, or it won't lift properly.