For my next painting, I've worked out the image with a drawing I did in Photoshop.  I purchased a vintage Hills Bros Coffee can and will be putting a breakfast scene on the lid. 

It will show a woman warming up her husband's cup of coffee as he checks out the morning newspaper.  As she pours the coffee, she looks over his shoulder to get a quick glimpse of the front page.

My great niece, Jillian and her boyfriend, Christian, came to Laguna today to pose as the man and woman in this painting.  We set this up in the street, as the sun this time of year doesn't shine on my driveway.  Other than a few cars driving between my ladder and the 'breakfast table', it went without a hitch.  Jillian and Christian were perfect!

I set up the coffee props on a portable table that has a wall built into it.  Notice the rectangular hole in the plywood wall behind the coffee can.  That is where I mounted an electrical wall outlet in a past painting.

I've started with the coffee can. You can see the pencil outlines of the other objects that I've transferred onto the canvas.

A thin layer of turpentine thinned oil has been applied on the coffee cup, saucer and spoon.  I've also put the preliminary coat of paint on all the shadow areas.

This photo gives you an overall view of the canvas.

The porcelain sugar bowl with the spoon and lid help bring the viewer's eye into the painting. Notice the cool and warm hues of the shaded part of the sugar bowl.  Some areas reflect the warmth of the table top.

This close-up shows the creamer behind the sugar bowl.

The newspaper is roughted in.  I made the rubber band on the paper red, just like they were when I had my paper route in the early '60's.

I've painted the lower part of the painting and will go on top of the coffee can now to paint the breakfast scene there.

I blocked in a dark green hue for the back wall and defined the outline of the two figures on top of the can.  I've also begun to render the flesh tones on both figures.

Here is a look at the whole canvas.

I've rendered Jillian and Christian on top of the can...

...as well as the table and the top of the can itself.

This is a photo of the painting at the half way point.  All areas of the canvas have been painted with a thin wash of oil paint.  I'll now decide what color and value adjustments are necessary and incorporate them into the final layer of paint.

I've begun to put the final layer of paint on the image.  This final layer is done without any medium added.  It is mixed straight from the paint tube and applied with bristle brushes and sable brights (detail areas).  The back wall of the canvas is the first area to get this final passage of oil.

Here's a look at the entire canvas.  By getting the background wall to its final hue and value, it tells me how dark I need to make all the other objects.

I've applied the final layer of oil pigment on the cup, saucer and spoon.  Notice how I've warmed it up from the previous photo.

The sugar bowl and creamer are finished. Notice the hint of reflection of the lid in the shadow of the bowl.

The newspaper is all detailed now.  The rubber band has some intricate detail on it, showing the light striking it on its edge as it turns down into shadow.

The lower part of the painting is fishished.

Here is a close-up of the coffee can.  Now, on to the top of the can.

This close-up shows the two figures on top of the can.

The dark background makes the figures shine in the sunlight.

"Morning Newspaper" is finished.