Turn Your Favourite Bloom Into A Flower Painting
Most of us have a favourite flower. We plant them in our
gardens, we buy them at the florist, we are given them as
bouquets to celebrate a a birthday, anniversary or to wish us a
speedy recovery. Unfortunately, most blooms have a short life. I
adore flowers and as an artist, I have learned to preserve
something of their essence in a flower painting forever. If you
have ever wished you could do this with a favourite bloom, then
read on.
Flower painting has a wonderful history. Botanical art has been
used to document numerous species of flowers and plants. There
is something very satisfying and magical about painting a flower
and preserving just what it was like forever. Of course, flower
photographs can do the same but when you paint you have the
added pleasure of carefully examining the curves and colours of
each petal, stamen, stem and leaf. You have to observe the way
the light catches the flower and use this information to give it
a 3D presence on your paper. By painting flowers, you get to
know them intimately.
I would advise anyone wanting to start painting to begin with
their favourite flower, no matter how complex it might seem. By
choosing your favourite, you will be motivated to try again to
render it well. Your feelings have a better chance of being
transferred into your flower painting too. When a flower
painting makes you gasp, it is because it initially did the same
for the artist and they have found a way of sharing that with
you. It doesn't matter if your attempts aren't perfect. Each
time you try you will become more familiar with it's shape. It
will seem easier to paint and you will notice more about the
nuances of colour and the way light can affect it.
Of course, there are some useful techniques which might help you
learn flower painting. Many excellent art books have been
written about this topic and your bookstore will certainly have
several. But be wary of simply copying another artists'
techniques. You may be surprised to find that you are less
satisfied with the results than you are with simply observing
your favourite flower and perfecting your vision of it with each
attempt.
Try drawing with different materials, have fun and keep all your
attempts. You will be encouraged to see how your vision and
skill improves simply by practise. I use pastels, both the soft
powdery ones and the deliciously oily variety. I love them
because of their beautiful range of colours, from very pale to
vibrant hues. I can extend this even further by overlaying thin
veils of colour, allowing the underneath ones to sing through.
Or perhaps you could try watercolour? This has long been a
favourite of flower painters and botanical artists and for good
reason. The way you can allow one luscious colour to randomly
bleed into another, just as it does in nature, is very
mouth-watering!
As you can tell, I am fanatical about flower painting but I do
hope I have managed to awaken a little curiosity in you. Have a
go! What have you to lose?