If you follow for quite a while, you know that i like to paint weeds, those weeds we see every day and nightmares for gardeners… But i love them ! So this week i show you how to paint dandelions !
My reference picture is far from pretty, it’s just a fiel of weeds. So before i rush and paint it, i have to think about composition in order to make this picture interesting and dynamic. I need also to create a little bit of depth so that my painting doesn’t look too flat. I choose to create some sort of diagonal with the flowers and they are overlapping in some area to get that sense of depth.
The hardest part in this picture is the gradients. In the first two layers, i’m using lots of gradient technique. But with a warmer weather it can be difficult to get a flawless gradient. The keys : working fast (but not too hasty), have a plan of action in mind so you know what to do and when to do it and maybe a bit more water than usual ! i’ll try this summer to make a video explaining my best tactics to get gradients.
Watercolor dandelions in video
Supplies :
Brushes : Escoda aquario nº18, Rosemary & Co série 39 1/2″, Raphaël petit gris le “803” nº2.
Paper : Canson Héritage rough.
Colors : Indanthrene blue (Sennelier), Nickel Azo yellow (Daniel Smith), Aussie red gold (Daniel Smith), Lunar blue (Daniel Smith).
And here you have the finished painting (click to enlarge) :
