Lesson 7 Flower Painting
Flowers remain an enduring subject for the watercolour artist. As simple studies or lavish bouquets to colour in gardens and landscapes. The delicate pastel shades are of course ideally suited to watercolour but so are the strong hot summer colours.
Like all things flowers though they look intricate can be simplified to basic shapes. As these simple sketches illustrate.
If you feel the bouquet in the following step by step lesson is beyond you begin with a few single flower studies.
What a lovely way to spend an hour or two but in the garden painting from life. If it's the wrong time of year it's a good excuse to treat yourself or loved one to a nice bunch.
Many of the techniques you have already learned can be employed with flower studies.
In the chapter on perspective I related that stronger tones appear forward in a painting. White has a tonal value of zero and you would expect it to recede in a painting. However when very light tones and white are surrounded by much darker tones the opposite is true.
Many students believe that white flowers are difficult to paint. In fact they require very little work as the white of the paper already shows their colour and it is only necessary to add shadows.
However painting around white flowers can be tricky and masking fluid can be used.
Masking fluid can also be used on painted paper but ensure it is completely dry before applying or the surface will be damaged. On removal the masking will take off a little of the colour. In this example I used a wash of yellow and masked the centre of the flower, before painting the pink of the flower, after removing the fluid a few marks in green was all that was needed to finish it.
The wet in wet technique can be used broadly for the background. In this example I painted the yellow centre of the flower added the green of the leaves and a background of blue. When this had dried I reinforced the flower by painting it onto the dry paper. In the same way I defined just one of the leaves.
The technique is also useful for the centre of flowers and a brown was dropped into the centre of the wet flower.
In the next example of a tulip the top petal was painted first and a damp brush used to soften the edges into the highlight.
Finally I want to mention negative painting. a technique often used by flower painters. Negative spaces are the gaps between the objects you are portraying. I mentioned them first in the sketching lesson. It is not about painting something that's not there but rather painting something that the viewer will ignore. In the following simple example I have shown each stage as I would in a step by step lesson.
Now onto our step by step lesson in which I introduce yet another technique.
Paints
New Gamboge
French Ultramarine
Prussian Blue
Alizarin Crimson
and
White Gouche (optional)
Brushes
Goats Hair
Number 4 round
Synthetic brush for possible corrections.
and
masking fluid
old toothbrush
Step 1
Start by lightly sketching the elements of the design onto your watercolour paper. If you feel your drawing skills are not yet up to something this complicated by all means copy and print out the image below.
Rub over the back of the print with a soft leaded pencil. Fix in place with low tack masking tape face up onto your watercolour paper. Use a biro or similar tool to go over the print and transfer the picture to the watercolour paper. Take care how much pressure you use as Watercolour paper will dent quite easily and this will spoil the finished painting.
Use masking fluid to run a line all around the flowers but not the leaves and allow to dry.
Mix a generous sized wash of french ultramarine and new gamboge and using the goats hair brush paint a flat wash around the bouquet and over the leaves, change to the number four round and fill in the dark areas between the flowers. Allow to dry. Painting a dark background around a subject in this way is called 'negative painting'.
Step 2
Strengthen the mix considerably with prussian blue and negative paint the areas between the flowers go over the background once more but this time avoid the leaves. Whilst the background is wet using a stiff mix of white gouche loaded onto the old toothbrush and rubbing your finger along the bristles splatter the background with tiny flecks. Try to avoid 'splattering' the flowers and leaves but if you do make a mistake blot off immediately with tissue paper Allow to dry thoroughly and remove the masking fluid. The tiny specks of white are quite subtle and do not show clearly on this scan.
If you have managed to miss the masking fluid and got some of that dark background onto the flower area, remove carefully with a clean damp brush and blot with tissue. Do this very gently or you my damage the surface of the paper. Allow to dry thoroughly before step 3.
At this stage if you feel confident enough you can also erase the pencil marks. I have done so with mine as initially I made them heavy for illustration purposes.
Step 3
Referring to the finished painting apply masking fluid to the very brightest highlights on the roses. allow to dry thoroughly.
The pale colours of flowers need a delicate touch. Mix a fairly strong wash from new gamboge and alizarin crimson, transfer a little to a separate well and dilute further. Paint the pink chrysanthemum petals en-mass in the dilute mix and add touches of the stronger mix wet in wet towards the bases. Allow to dry
Step 4
Using the same mix with a touch more alizarin crimson, wet paint onto dry reinforce the markings and the shadow area between the petals. Allow to dry and paint the centres with new gamboge and drop in pin pricks of the pink mix.
Step 5
Mix a mauve with french ultramarine and alizarin crimson. Again take some to a separate well and dilute further. Add a little more french ultramarine to the stronger mix. This time paint each petal separately adding a touch of the stronger mix to the base wet in wet. Allow to dry and paint the centres again with the new gamboge this time adding pricks of the strong blue mix onto the dry centres.
Step 6
The white roses are the focal point of our painting and so need to show the greatest of tonal changes. for this reason we will keep them very pale against the strong tones surrounding them. Mix alizarin crimson with a hint of both new gamboge and ultramarine, transfer some to a separate well and dilute well. We are looking for a pink that is barely visible. Paint over the roses, the masking fluid will preserve the white highlights. Tip if you think that the pink is still too strong then blot gently with tissue. Allow to dry. It is pointless at this stage to scan as it will not pick up the gentle colour.
Strengthen the mix very slightly and add the mid tone shadows. Concentrate on one petal at a time and soften the edges of the shadow with a damp brush.
Step 7
For the deepest shadows add a little more ultramarine to the mix and describe the darkest tones, softening again with a damp brush as required. Allow to dry thoroughly before removing the masking fluid.
At his point If you feel that the edges of the highlights are a little too sharp you could lift out the pink edge a little. But as alizarin Crimson has staining qualities the remedy is to scrub with a clean damp brush disturbing the pigment and allowing it to blend into the white areas without blotting off with tissue. If you are using this method I recommend a synthetic brush as they are far more tough than a sable.
As you can see the difference is quite subtle.
Copyright Jane Grainger 2004
