The Watercolor Flower Painter's A to Z 1581802145

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Wat ere iiii Flower Painter's

f

K

Flower

Painter's,

Flowers are totally inspirational,

irresistible

and

and have stimulated the

imagination of painters for generations. This beautifully illustrated

how

the freshness and transparency of

make

watercolor for

and

book shows

it

the ideal

medium

capturing their distinctive beauty fragility.

The book begins by describing the materials vital to the

work and

artist's

the basic techniques of professional

watercolor painting. The heart of the

book covers an

illustrated directory of

50 species of flower, demonstrating step-by-step sequence

each flower

in fresh,

how

in

to paint

uninhibited

ing attention to texture

and shad'

and broader themes

of

shape and form, each entry also highlights special details that can take a painting that extra step further

and push out the

artist's

creative

impulses. Beyond the directory, advice is

given on the principles of

composition, and ways

in

different flowers can be

which

combined

in

a painting to stunning effect.

A source manual

of inspiration as well as a rich

of techniques,

Flower Painter's AtoZ every flower painter.

The Watercolor is

a

must-have

for

m'-

"

THE

WATERCOLOR

FLOWER

PAINTER'S

A

TO

Z

"

T""**"

T—

THE

An

WATERCOLOR

FLOWER

PAIN

illustrated directory of techniques for painting

NORTH

LIGHT

Cincinnati,

BOOKS Ohio

Adelene Fletcher

50 popular flom

rs

V

Qvamiew The

core of Tin

species of flower.

Watercolor Flower Painter's

The

A

In

opening section looks at the

BOOK

'/.

focuses on

how

to paint

50 different

main materials and techniques

thai every

flower painter will need, while the final section explores aspects of painting floral groups.

This overview provides a breakdown of each of the three sections (Essentials, Directory of Flowers, and

from this hook

(

Composition,) to enable

to the utmost.

Each ofth basic techniques of watercolor painting ill monstrated using step-by-step photography

art

mill explanatory text.

All

by art

tin tin

con mull

ill its!

mini

innl

described in full.

A QUARTO BOOK First

published

North America

in

in

2001 by North Light Books, an Imprint of FEtW Publications,

Avenue

Inc.,

Copyright ® 2001 Quarto

All rights

reserved.

publication

may

in a retrieval

1507 Dana

OH 45207

Cincinnati,

No

Inc.

part of this

be reproduced, stored

system or transmitted

any form or by any means,

in

electronic,

mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior

permission of the copyright holder.

ISBN 1-58180-214-5

QUAFt.TWFP

Conceived, designed, and produced by

Quarto Publishing

pic

The Old Brewery 6 Blundell Street

London N7 9BH Project Editor Nadia Naqib

Art Editors Caroline

Copy

Hill,

Jbrn Kroger

Editor Hazel Harrison

Designer Johanna Dean Assistant Art Director Penny

Cobb

Photographer Paul Forrester Proofreader Sue Viccars Indexer Diana Le Core

Art Director Moira Clinch

Publisher Piers Spence

Manufactured by Regent Publishing Services Ltd,

Hong Kong

Printed by Star Standard Industries (pte) Ltd,

Singapore

rials

needed

watercolor painter

you

to enjoy

and

benefit

V

itenis Introduction

1L

Directory of Flowers

Agapantr

(African

Lily)

(Anemone)

TJw name

in italic

type denotes thefirst part

?n 1"**

a paintbox,

Paintboxes

many

artists find

pans more convenient, as they

and can be carried around

made for pans havt central and fold-out

easily for

outdoor work.

an using

tubt

recesses to hold tht pans,

separah

outer "wings" for mixing colors. If you

diffi

it

nt

neatly within

paint you will need a

palette.

n

for large-scale

fit

Thin an many

rsions on

tin

market today

Quinacridoni Magt ntn

You won't need all of thesi colors for every flower painting, for exampU a picturt of nasturtiums will call for tin nils, oranges,

ami

in

lions rutin r than

so \f you

ham

up gradually, buying 8

Essentials

tin

rinli ts

ami

purples,

(111

I

II

Cobalt Tuiymiis,

Until

Cerulean

BUu




special detail

warm and

cool colors

Naples Yellow

Quinacridont Gold

.

]uii

in

Brown

Mailili r

li

si

must look closely ai i

in pi

tin

ml

U ml to

In

tin

plnnl

it

lis.

pirn nl-Jiiri Hi/

I

cooU

r.

sit

/farts

so ust washes of

Cerulean Blut and Transparent mini n rtical

Yellow. Tin

j» tals

mi warmer, so ust a Cerulean Blut and New Gambogt mix, which is a warmer yellow. Tin complex flower rt

quills.

wet-on-dry) to enhanct

A Tonchitn

Quinacridont Bed, leaving somt

Tab can

fix

dry

tin petals,

r's

as this would

muddy

and tab away from

it-arm glow.

tin

Tin ban of each petal

must appea million closely

within

il

packed a

ntt

r.

Edges an softened, and dark met nls added, leaving

tht

To

11

tips light.

infbra

H>
s.

tin palette.

Delphinium (latum

Dianthus Carnation Carnations arc steeped

myth and symbolism. They have featured in literature from the .Middle Ages onwards, tapestries dating- from Tudor times. In the sixteenth century double carnations, with or splashed with a different color tone, known as picotees, were seen on Persian pottery

in

and have been depicted

in

their petals often striped

and tiles. In spite of the frilly petals of the flowers, they are basically a simple star shape, flatfish in appearance, and forming ellipses when seen at an angle. The hud reveals the prominent tubular calyx carried on slender stems. Note how the lance-shaped leaves, buds, and dowers are sometimes joined to the stalks at quite acute angles.

sequence start to finish ITake time

to analyze the junctures of

the leaves and buds to the main stem

Transparent Yellow

mask out

see warmer, greener hues

O —

(see masking) a

few of the

stamens.

Apply a pale wash of Permanent

Make

short, stabbing

edges, following the curve of the petals. dry.

paint cast

To complete the shading and

cobau buu

ft ruli n ii

shadows

and between the

in

4

Return to the flowers for the next stage, starting with the right-hand

mixes of Alizarin Crimson

and Thioindigo Violet in

in

a mid-tone, paint

letting the brushstrokes follow the

are receding slightly,

the shades cooler on slightly

finish the flowers,

work around the

dry.

when the

amending

colors

special detail

Leave to

5

Finish the greenery, using

Sap

Green and Cerulean Blue plus

Dioxazine Violet

in

various mixes.

Strengthen sections of stalks and

buds with cast shadows and shading.

make

which

the mix a

little

paler and bluer by adding Cobalt Blue. To

darker

towards the centers. Soften edges as you flower.

the nearest.

curves

Make

and

it is

the petal markings with a small brush,

Blue mixes.

rub off the masking

paint has dried, and tint the

by glazing

Blur

Instead of adding bhu color to cool

Sup (In

Crimson mix. Make the color strongest on

of the petals. For the other flowers,

petals,

emphasis to the markings

with a Dioxazine Violet and Alizarin

the right-hand flower, as

Permanent Rose and Cobalt

and lower

the darkest crevices and give a

and on some leaves and parts of buds,

folds, using

left

Violet

areas,

Add

slightly extra

such as the junctures of leaves and stalks

flower. Using

describe the folds and shadows, carefully

Dioxaeim

some

Rose on the flowers and the

Allow to

Thioindigo Violet

in

stamens with Permanent Rose.

add Transparent Yellow to Cerulean Blue.

brushstrokes to describe the serrated petal

mm hi nt Rosi

and buds. These should

be mostly Cerulean Blue, but where you

opening top flower.

I)

Next, paint pale first washes on the stalks, leaves,

before making a careful drawing. Then

split

Alizarin Crimson

3

i

n

an existing

it,

to

you en n

color.

Paint

a palettt

i/lazi ii

of pah Permanent Host over petals, rest rving aft

w

OW

r

irtish

lint $

\s tht

of

whitt for fix ruffled edges.

Allow

to dry.

Toenail

tht

cooler color suggesting

recession, lit tin previous

wash dry

fully, tin n glazt OVt r tin pt tills

thin wash of Cobalt

with a

Bhu. making

tht

color very slightly darkt r on flu Uff.

N

With a stronger Permanent Rose,

Lit dry befort adding

pm nt

markings with n ofAlizarin Crimson and Thioindigo Violet. Fi nail ii wash Cobalt Bhu

in tin

shadows

and folds of tht paint

pilots.

in tin petal

n mid-toned

in tin creases

Winn dry

markings with

mixofAlizarin

Crimson and Thioindigo Mold.

touches to

over

tin

The Directors

final darkest

green calyx with a touch

of tin previous color dropped in

WET-IN-WET.

42

tin

tin

Tlif center,

d

a stamen,

is

painted

n

carefully to

veal

tht construction, iiioilthil to

creases

and folds.

markings on

['(till

a griut help tin artist, flu

and

shim- tin

i/

il< fi

in

petals

to

as

•

flu

and

separatt on*

from

another.

egroundbud is

built

with tin

ili

up

hi Inij'

i]i

shadow mi

mull rsidt

slum-

tin

form.

Dianthus caryophyllus tfK

tn

rs.

Echinacea Coneflower was prized by the native Americans

The name commonly known comes in other shades including the cream of this example. The strong, ered as the "purple coneflower." hut stems carry single, large, daisy-like flower heads with spreading, drooping ray petals. The lance-shaped leaves are rough textured and a rich green. The central boss is a tightly packed mass of pointed bracts colored a glorious shade of deep gold and brown. The form is basically a round cone shape atop a sphere, with the petals curving down to encircle the stem. Observe how the light plays on the petals, casting shadows on the tips and on the cone. Indigenous

to

North America,

(his plant

for its healing properties.

derived from the Greek for "hedgehog," alluding to the flower's prominenl central cone.

is

It

is

it

sequence start to finish IMake the

drawing, checking that the

petal bases follow

Dioxazint Violet

around the cone

masking) the

off (see

tips of the light.

Lay a pale watery wash of Green Gold over

petals,

all

3

and blot with tissue (see lifting

Where

where

slightly stronger I! n