Single Sunflower Against an Autumn Sky

Start with the center disc. The dark seed-head dominates this single-bloom portrait, ringed by petals that fade from buttery yellow on the left side to a deep burnt orange on the right — a built-in gradient that does most of the heavy lifting.

Behind the flower: a flat blue sky with autumn maple leaves drifting in from the corners, plus a hazy band of orange-and-cream foliage along the bottom. The leaves at the base of the stem are olive and umber, almost more autumn than summer.

A simpler design than it first looks. The composition is one big subject; the colorist's job is committing to the warm-cool split between the petals and the sky.