Welcome back to class, Creative Friend!

In continuing with the Birth Flower Series, today we are going to learn how to paint primrose in watercolor to celebrate the February birthday.

While researching this flower it soon became apparent that there are dozens of variations; some with solid colors, others boasting three and four-hued petals, some with fine lines sweeping through the petals, and others with such wild patterns it would seem they are alien.

Although I loved something about each primrose, I have selected three for us to explore and study, which will have you very well acquainted with this flower by the end of the course and ready to continue exploring possibilities should you wish to.

Early Practice:

We'll begin our time together by looking at a few reference images to stir inspiration and take a close look at flower shape and petal posture. You'll see in this class that I'm really going to emphasize keeping things simple. Our strokes and details will be thoughtful and intentional, and we'll rely on gestural approach to keep our hands loose. The primrose is a dainty flower that can easily become large and shapeless without careful vigilance, so we'll spend a bit of time doing drills to build muscle memory until the movements feel swift and natural.

Exploring Shape:

We will visit the pinwheel flower to help us understand the basic structure of the flower and then I'll show you a few small additions that add value and interest to the flowers.

Color Creation:

The biggest challenge (a good challenge; low pressure!) will be creating a variety of color combinations at various ratios that will allow us to achieve great range within the petals. I'll talk you through this mixing process and show you exactly what your paint puddle should look like for ultimate success; though rest assured that because we're using a lovely palette of colors, the work will be beautiful with only very little effort. Still, I will encourage you to take your skill a bit further by taking the necessary time to create ratios that deliver exceptional results.

Class Project:

Next up is our class project where, using the knowledge gained from our time in study and application, we'll take on the biggest challenge yet creating my favorite primrose of them all - the blue zebra. Most importantly we are going to have FUN, and enjoy the process of creating something beautiful.

Skill Level:

This class is geared toward intermediate students, however beginners who have experience using multiple brushes at a time and maintain a solid understanding of proper water ratios will find success.

With that in mind, let's begin!

SUPPLIES

PAPER:

Canson 140 lb. cold press paper

BRUSHES:

Princeton Heritage Filbert Brush Size 6 (2 of them)

Princeton Heritage Round Brush Size 6 (2 of them)

Princeton Heritage Cat's Tongue Size 4 (or a size 2 or 4 round)

PAINTS: acceptable brands are Winsor and Newton (Cotman or Professional), Van Gough, Maimeri Blu, Sennelier, Daniel Smith, Holbein.

Daniel Smith:

Bordeaux, Rich Green Gold (PY129), Hansa Yellow Deep, Undersea Green

Maimeri Blu: Carbon Black, Faience Blue, Naples Yellow, Pyrole Orange

Additional Supplies:

Paper towel, palette/plate, water cup, iPad for reference images

Intro:

Welcoming you to class and talking briefly about what you will learn today.

Supplies:

Discussing the supplies you will need to complete this class.

Discussing the Pinwheel Flower:

To get us better acquainted with the structure of the primrose, we will spend a few moments revisiting the pinwheel flower, noting petal posture, shape, and structure.

Practicing The Yellow Evening Primrose:

Before picking up our brushes, we'll take a moment to look at a few reference images, observing what feels most special to us and gaining inspiration. Next we will create a yellow wash and begin applying paint to paper to create the flower.

Adding Key Details:

Now that we have the basic structure of the flower understood we will explore step two of the process using wet-into-wet technique to add details to the primrose. We will look at two possibilities and discuss the benefits of each one.

Painting the Violet Primrose:

Using the theory covered in an earlier lesson, we will expand upon the pinwheel flower by adding more petals and using multiple colors in conjunction with various water-to-paint ratios.

Clustering the Primrose:

We will continue creating violet primrose and began to assemble each flower into a cluster, the way we would find them in nature. We will also use wet-into-wet technique once more to add details to the center of the flowers.

Painting the Primrose Leaves:

For a few moments we will look at images of primrose leaves, talking about what we see and making choices about what details to include. Then, using one of my favorite green combinations, I will show you how to create a unique leaf that doesn't feel too overwhelmed with details.

Kathy Holbrook

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