Friday, October 21, 2011

A Rose Is A Rose

YELLOW ROSE
Original Watercolor - 8x10

Last week when I announced to my students that we would be painting roses they did not even try to quiet their moans and groans. Roses are such a perfect flower that they can be challenging to paint but with practice and an open mind you will learn enjoy the process and be happy with your results - I promise!

I began with a light sketch of the rose and then wet the whole piece of paper. Keeping in mind that I wanted a light colored rose, I laid in my colors of pale yellow and light blue. I added a little bit of peach in the flower area and then some green where I wanted the leaves to be. To loosen things up a bit I spattered some paint. Notice that some of the green crept into the flower because of the wet paper - no need to panic, this will just add a cohesive look to the painting.

After everything is dry, I just took a petal at a time and painted in the shadow areas of the rose, building up the value a step at a time. Be sure you let each layer dry before painting on top - this will keep your colors clear and pure.

I shared this with Paint Party Friday and Artists in Blogland!