Carl Hose has been writing since high school. His work appears in the zombie anthology "Cold Storage," which he co-edited. His work also appears in "Champagne Shivers," "DeathGrip: It Came from the Cinema," "DeathGrip: Exit Laughing," the horror anthology "Loving the Undead," the erotic ghost anthology "Beyond Desire" and issues of "Lighthouse Digest." Hose's nonfiction appears in "Blue Review" and "Writer's Journal."
SUPPLIES
- Watercolors
- Paper or canvas
- Dry soft cloth
- Bowl of water
- Paint brushes (variety of sizes)
- Reference photograph (if desired)
Overview
Painting is a relaxing, rewarding and sometimes profitable hobby. Watercolor painting lends itself to an array of artistic possibilities. Flowers never seem to lose their popularity as a subject matter for paintings, and watercolors are a natural medium for creating beautiful floral elegance. Learn how you can use watercolors to capture your floral visions for the world to see.
Step 1
It isn't necessary to draw a flower first when working with watercolors. You won't be looking for detailed definition. Paint the empty space first. This is the space around the outline of your flower. Choose your starting color, lightly wet the tip of a paint brush, and dab the paint on your paper or canvas. Dip your paint brush in water again, wetting it thoroughly, and apply it to the dab of paint on your paper. This thins the paint and allows you to spread it around.
Step 2
Use light brush strokes to begin shaping your flower. Move the brush strokes in varying directions to achieve the different directions in the petals of the flower. Work with the main base color for now. Make use of water to achieve shading in your flower. Use less water to create a dark effect and more water to lighten the paint, creating the delicate folds and shadows. Continue to work from your reference photograph, but don't be afraid to make changes to reflect your vision.
Step 3
Use a color wheel if you aren't familiar with mixing colors. You can purchase one at any art supply store or find one online (see Resources). Color your flower by mixing the colors you need directly on the painting. Use a clean brush and begin dabbing in different colors, using water when you need to lighten and blend. This will strengthen the shading details of your flower.
Step 4
Start on the stem when you have the body of your flower in place. Use long brush strokes to bring the stem from the body down to where you want it. Long, gentle, wide strokes do the trick. Add leaves to the stem with broad upward strokes, using water to thin the colors as desired to achieve shading. Use a firm stabbing motion to add thorns to the stem if you're painting a rose. Let the paintbrush bristles flair to create the base of each thorn, then switch to sharper stabs to taper your thorns to their points.
Step 5
Add more definition to your flower. Add water or paint where needed to increase or decrease shadows. The beauty of a watercolor is the lack of real definition. Studying a watercolor closely will show the flaws, but looking at it as a whole without concentrating on the details will present a fully realized rendering of your subject.
Resources
