Tag: speedpainting

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Herbs and Spices Painting -Time-Lapse Video

Summary

This Indonesian spices speedpainting by Bart Carels captures the process behind one of his most culturally rooted still lifes. Created in a single session using acrylics and a warm underlayer, it celebrates Indo cooking traditions through expressive, intuitive brushwork.

Title: ‘Herbs and Spices’
Artist: Bart Carels
Year: 2020

How This Indonesian Spices Speedpainting Was Made

The process starts with a canvas prepped using gesso and Vermillion — a base layer I like for the warmth it adds. From there, I loosely sketched the subject using Primary Cyan to check the layout and proportions. I then worked from the background in, layering colors, adjusting light, and building in just enough shape and shadow to keep it recognizable but still raw.

A Personal Story Told Through Spices

What makes this Indonesian spices speedpainting special is the connection to my roots. My dad was born in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), and when he moved to the Netherlands in the 1950s, he brought those cultural elements with him. As a result, I grew up with sambal, bumbu, and stories of another home — and that influence now seeps into my work.

This painting features staples like Coriander (Ketumbar), Candle Nuts (Kemiri), Cumin (Jinten), and Turmeric (Kunyit). Not styled on fancy platters, but in the plastic tubs we actually use — just like the ones you’d find in any Indo family kitchen.

Want to See the Final Painting?

This process piece led to a refined still life: Indonesian Herbs & Spices – Original Painting. If you like more polished results, give that one a look.

Painting Specifications

  • One-of-a-kind work (speed painted live)
  • Medium: Acrylic on canvas
  • Size: 24×30 cm / 9×11 inches
  • Color Palette: Cyan | Magenta | Yellow | Black | White

Availability

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“Bell Peppers” Speedpainting Time-Lapse Video

Original canvas painting of bell peppers still wrapped in plastic by Bart Carels, capturing a unique food still life.

Summary

This bell peppers speed painting was a spontaneous still life experiment by Bart Carels. Captured in a short time-lapse video, it shows the fast, layered approach used when working without an underdrawing — focusing on movement, color balance, and immediacy instead of fine detail. The painting features three peppers placed on a wooden surface and partially wrapped in transparent plastic, making it a playful study of texture, light, and shape.

Title: ‘Bell Peppers’
Artist: Bart Carels
Year: 2020

Behind the Bell Peppers Speed Painting

Instead of taking progress photos, Bart went straight into a video time-lapse for this piece. No sketching, no underpainting — he started blocking in shapes using bold color. First, the background and wood grain beneath the peppers were painted, then the peppers themselves, and finally the crinkled plastic wrapping. Everything needed to be bold but simple, painted quickly before the paint dried and natural light faded.

Working fast creates a specific kind of pressure: every stroke counts, and you learn to trust your eye over hesitation. It forces focus on essentials: form, contrast, and composition, rather than perfect edges.

Still Life as a Study

Food items like these bell peppers often appear in Bart’s work because they’re familiar and accessible, yet rich in visual complexity. The mix of smooth plastic, reflective surfaces, and organic forms offers constant opportunities to explore color transitions and layered textures — especially under studio lighting. For a more culturally-rooted piece, check out his Indonesian spices speedpainting.

Painting Specifications

  • One-of-a-kind original artwork
  • Medium: Acrylic on canvas
  • Size: 24×18 cm / 9×7 inches
  • Color Palette: Cyan | Magenta | Yellow | Black | White

Availability