Red Velvet | Painting the Poinsettia in Oils
- Marion Dutton
- Dec 3, 2025
- 2 min read
This piece began as a bit of festive fun — a chance to play with colour, texture, and loosen up after months of more traditional layered work. Red Velvet combines an expressive abstract acrylic background with a detailed Alla Prima oil finish, creating something that feels both classic and modern at once.
Building the Base
I started with a warm Raw Sienna ground, using Michael Harding Raw Sienna Primer, then layered on a mix of deep greens, soft teals, and copper tones in acrylic. I worked freely — misting, blotting, and lifting paint with paper towels and natural sponges to reveal flashes of that golden base beneath. It’s wonderfully unpredictable, and that’s the joy of it.
From Acrylics to Oils
Once the abstract background dried, I sealed it with a thin layer of matte medium to prepare it for oils. That simple step makes a world of difference — it gives the paint a beautiful surface to glide over, without that slick acrylic feel.
Then came the oils. I began blocking in the poinsettia, starting with those rich dark reds and gradually working toward the lighter petals. Each stroke adds form, each value adds depth. It’s one of those paintings where you can really feel the paint working for you.
Finding Festive Calm
There’s something meditative about this kind of work — intuitive, direct, yet grounded in traditional technique. You’re not racing against the drying time, just quietly responding to the colour in front of you. For me, it’s the perfect way to end the year in the studio: calm, rich, and quietly joyful.
Watch the Process
You can watch the full timelapse of Red Velvet on my YouTube channel — it’s a lovely one to paint along with over a quiet December weekend.
And if you’d like to paint the full real-time version with me, including step-by-step guidance, the complete tutorial is available inside MazArt Academy..
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