My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece.
Claude MonetI LOVE to paint flowers. They are bits of pure, gorgeous color that never ceases to bring me joy. I love everything about flowers, planting them, their smell and their shapes.
Flowers signify so much in our lives. They are given as gifts for special occasions, as a way to show appreciation and to offer support and love to a friend that is facing a difficult time. Flowers are also a harbinger of hope letting us know that spring is on the way and with it renewal and revitalization. Who cannot feel happiness and appreciation for nature when gazing at a bed of lively flowers?
How do you paint a flower? Well, you can approach it in many ways. You can paint a botanical image which includes an accurate, detailed rendering of the all the flower parts. You can make your painting an exercise in abstraction and ebb and flow with the color and shapes. You can paint a white flower without using white paint…easiest to do with watercolor. You can paint a close up of a part of the flower or expand your vision and create a landscape with lush gardens.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when painting flowers…
1. No flower is exact. Nature has provided a plethora of shapes, color and textures. Take full advantage of this.
2. Some flowers have a detailed structure; some are simple shapes. Chose a subject that is right for you.
3. Vary the color and shadows on the flower. This will increase the interest of your painting.
Enjoy the growth and hopefulness of spring as you study and paint flowers.