Painting Antheia: My Journey with the Greek Goddess of Gardens and Human Love 🌸
Hey there, fellow artists! I'm Valerie Englehart, and today I want to share one of my most enchanting painting adventures yet - creating a portrait of Antheia, the Greek goddess of gardens and human love. While Greek deities typically encompass many domains, I was absolutely captivated by her connection to gardens, which gave me the perfect excuse to paint one of my favorite subjects: a gorgeous flower crown!
Why Antheia? The Magic of Mythological Subjects
There's something deeply inspiring about painting mythological figures. They give us permission to blend realism with fantasy, to create something both grounded and ethereal. Antheia represents the beauty of cultivated nature and the tenderness of human connection - themes that feel especially meaningful as we head into the cozy, gift-giving season.
Speaking of seasons, this painting is part of my "mini series" - those smaller works perfect for holiday gallery shows. There's something magical about creating intimate portraits that can become treasured gifts, don't you think?
My Color Palette: Building a Goddess from Pigment
Let me walk you through my color choices, because each one was deliberate and meaningful:
For the ethereal flower crown and background:
Onat Diamond Yellow by Rockwell Art (such a gorgeous green for those leafy base tones)
My absolute favorite - Palaiba Diamond Blue by Rockwell Art (I swear this color has magical properties)
For luminous skin tones:
Rhondonite Genuine by Daniel Smith (my go-to pink - it's slightly granulating and just perfect)
Quinacridone Gold (another must-have that I simply can't live without)
For those rich, mysterious darks:
Lapis Brown by Rockwell Art (this brown-purple is like natural black magic)
Here's something I love about working with Rockwell Art paints - many of them naturally granulate and separate into multiple colors when wet. It's like having a painting assistant that adds organic surprises exactly where you need them!
The No-Sketch Approach: Trusting the Process
True to my usual way of working, I dove right in with no preliminary sketch. I know this might seem terrifying when painting a portrait, but here's my secret: I focus on isolated values from my reference image, converting it to black and white with just a few shades of gray. This way, I'm thinking in shapes and values rather than getting caught up in details too early.
When painting the hair, for instance, I didn't start with individual strands. Instead, I painted it as one solid block of color, then softened areas around the face because I absolutely love those hard and soft, lost-and-found edges. They're what give a painting that living, breathing quality.
The Magic of Salt Texture
One of my favorite moments in this painting was watching the salt work its magic on that flower crown. I sprinkled salt onto the wet Onat Diamond Yellow, and the results were absolutely gorgeous - organic, leafy textures that I never could have painted by hand. Sometimes the best artistic decisions are about knowing when to let the medium do what it does naturally!
Glazing Techniques: Building Luminous Skin
Since I'm working on hot press paper and painting human skin, this piece called for a lot of glazing - that gentle technique of applying lighter washes of color to gradually build up tones and create those smooth, luminous transitions.
Here's the thing about glazing: it requires patience and knowledge of your pigments. Some colors will lift and create muddy messes if you try to layer them, while others (like my beloved non-granulating, highly staining pigments) layer beautifully. I know of artists who use 10 to 20 glazes for particularly luminous effects!
The key is going thin on thin on thin - each layer so light that you're not disturbing what's underneath. It's the opposite of my usual "go in thick and fast" approach, but for portraits, I naturally gravitate toward this gentle method.
Understanding Light: The Philosophy of Subtracting
Here's one of the most important concepts I can share: I don't paint shapes or body parts - I subtract light. Every shadow I paint, every darker value, is me removing light from that area. This mindset completely changes how you approach a painting.
When I painted her eye, I wasn't thinking "now I'm painting an eye." Instead, I was painting the shadow in the orbital bone, the shadow under the cheekbone. It takes the intimidation out of features and helps you see more accurately.
Pro Tips for Portrait Success
The White of the Eye Isn't White: This is crucial! Even in my reference photo, if you used a color picker tool on the "white" of the eye, it wouldn't be pure white. Eyes have shadows, and white reflects the colors around it. In your first wash, cover the entire eye area with your skin tone - don't leave it paper white.
Nostril Shadows: For fair skin, use warm reds or browns for nostril shadows, not blues or purples. I mixed my Lapis Brown with Rhondonite Genuine to get that perfect warm shadow tone.
Connect Your Shapes: Whenever possible, connect colors and shapes to avoid that "paint by numbers" look. Notice how I dragged some hair color under her chin to create shadow - this connection creates unity in the painting.
The Flower Crown Magic: Baby's Breath and Beyond
The final flourish was adding those delicate white flowers. I used gouache for these details, pulling out multiple brushes to get just the right marks. Sometimes a painting demands a whole arsenal of tools, even when they're essentially the same brush with slightly different qualities.
Those tiny stems and shadows I added at the end? They transformed the entire crown from simple to convincing. It's amazing how small details can elevate a whole section of a painting.
The Vignette Decision: Framing the Goddess
After stepping back from the "finished" piece, I realized that lower left corner needed attention. It was pulling focus away from Antheia herself. So I created a subtle vignette effect, using darker values to gently frame and push attention back to my subject. Sometimes the best decisions come after you think you're done!
Embracing the Journey: Confidence and Self-Doubt
Can I share something honest with you? Even though I consider myself a pretty confident painter at this point, I still had moments of second-guessing during those eyes. I'd put down what I knew was good, then immediately wonder if it was really okay. That one eye on my right looked lovely as it was - I probably could have left it alone!
This is part of the artistic journey, isn't it? Learning to trust our instincts while staying open to gentle adjustments. The key is knowing when to stop - which is exactly why I sign my paintings when I think they're done. It's my way of telling myself to step away!
The Magic of Mini Paintings
Working small has its own unique charm, especially for portraits. There's something intimate about a 4x6 inch goddess that feels perfect for this time of year. These mini paintings make wonderful gifts and allow us to experiment without the pressure of large, expensive papers.
Until next time, keep exploring and remember - every brushstroke is a chance to subtract light and add a little magic to the world.