This new series is on how to paint flowers for those who love painting flowers.
Watercolour painting by Ada Fagan:
How to paint cosmos flowers:
Preparation:
- First use liquid masking to form the flowers, stalks, leaves and tiny buds. I use a eyedropper instead of a brush. Wash out the eyedropper quickly after use, and again with a pipe cleaner.
- When the masking is dry, finely spray the watercolour paper with water, both sides.
- And then while the paper is still wet, paint freely over the masking liquid and the whole painting:
Undercoat:
- First with a light wash of raw sienna. This will give you a yellow sunny effect.
The background colouring in:
- When the raw sienna wash is dry paint in all the background. Start with from the top and working down, and from left side if you are right handed.
- Work quickly with all the different colours and allow them to softly blend. Keep the sky area soft and more blended.
- As you are working the watercolour paint is naturally drying slowly. So your brushstrokes with start to give more and more definition.
- And while it is starting to dry, I fill in the grass strokes and tiny flower buds, etc.
- In some places I will wet spot and remove paint to create soft little white cosmos flowers.
Finishing touches:
- When your painting is dry, gently remove the liquid masking with your finger.
- Then fill in the colours of the cosmos flowers, leaves, etc.
- Don't forget using darker colours to fill in the shadows.
- Lastly fill in the flower centres and fine detail where necessary.