Advanced Level: consult professional colour list and procedures below or change it up.
Beginners: follow outline provided using any available paint, water colour pucks, liquid paint at school, house paint or pencil crayons. You are sure to have fun but keep in mind that the results will be dependent on the quality of the materials.
This picture is a good example of what masking can accomplish. The heads of the wildflowers are masked off using liquid mask it (preferable) or small pieces of masking tape. I have not tried to be as botanically accurate as possible but, instead displayed an informal variety of wild flowers of varying colours and shapes. For more images and information please see The Native Plant Society.
These flowers have been painted with watercolours. Naturally, wildflowers come in many colours and you certainly do not need to feel limited to my choice. Notes are also provided so that students can paint this picture with the liquid paint supplied at school. As always with watercolour the challenge is to keep colours/pigment as pure as possible so that they do not get ‘muddy’. The quality of the materials greatly influences your results. Artists can also, use acrylics if they prefer. You will find an outline at the end of this lesson which may be used to assist with this painting.
Download your free copy of the Wild Flowers art lesson.
Materials
Paper: Watercolour Paper, 140 lb Bond available at local art stores or Student Grade depending on resources. Fine round brushes, I use 002,03, and a #6. If you wish to use acrylic paint a rectangular canvas is recommended approximately 11” x 17”.
Brushes: Small (003) and medium (06) rounds or brights.
Colours: Prepare your own colour chart using a variety of wildflower pictures for reference, experimenting with whatever colours are available to you. Students use a variety of colours mixed from the three primary colours. White areas such as those found on Queen Anne’s Lace or the white of a Daisy will be left unpainted in watercolour to show the paper beneath. I recommend an excellent website, Paint with Watercolors as a good reference for colour mixing and techniques.
Professionals, I have included my colour chart and listed the colours I used (Opera Rose, Windsor Violet, greys with Burnt Sienna and Ultra Marine Blue to create some veins and then mixed with my purples for more prominent veins , Naples Yellow or Quin Gold for the paper sheaths. Greens of varying intensity were used for the stems. See a sample colour chart on the next page.
Paint Supplies:
- QG; Quin Gold
- LY; LemonYellow
- NG; New Gambouge
- SL; Scarlet Lake
- AC; Alizarin Crimson
- BV Bright Violet
- FUB; French Ultramarine Blue
- PG;Payne’s Grey
Procedure
1. Sketch in your flowers lightly in pencil. Transfer the image or if sketching by hand refer to original picture frequently for dimensions. Cover the image of the flower heads with pieces of masking tape, painter’s tape, or ideally masking fluid available at art supply stores. Allow to dry thoroughly overnight or with a cool hairdryer.
2. Paint the background sky in a wash of Ultra Marine with a touch of Alizarin Crimson. Do not hesitate to leave lighter areas for streaks by adding water. If you are quick you may want to try scrunching up a tissue and blotting out some clouds. Note that if you are working in acrylic you may want to try dipping your brush into a puddle of blue paint with a swirl of white. When applied to your paper horizontally it will provide you with a sky that is blended with both white and blue. Leave increasingly lighter areas toward the bottom of the picture by using less pigment and more water. Allow to dry.
3. Paint the details of the grasses and stems being careful to vary your colours and the direction of the grasses. Note to the darker shadows at the base of the grasses to create three dimensions.
4. Allow to dry thoroughly and remove the masking tape or fluid. Paint flowers from reference material. Do not hesitate to paint flowers facing different directions, parts of flowers peeking behind grasses and a variety of types/colours.