Transcripts
1. Introduction: Hello everyone.
I'm Bianca Rayala, a watercolor artist
from the Philippines. Welcome to my new
Skillshare class. Bold, bright, and beautiful, these are just few words that perfectly
describe sunflowers. A flower that not only
radiates joy and hope but also a flower that displays full dependence on
the source of light. No wonder some have captured the hearts of many,
including mine. Today, let me share
with you another class where we will be painting
this beautiful sunshine. Let's begin the class
by understanding how to simplify complex subjects
such as sunflowers, a flower that has
multiple petals, how to create your
sunflower color mixture using a limited palette, and how to paint
this floral piece using the wet-on-wet technique. I will teach you tips
and techniques to get the right timing on applying
colors and strokes, which you can apply in all
your watercolor works. Whether you're a beginner in watercolor or someone
who simply loves sunflowers and wants to discover more about
these beautiful medium, this class is perfect for you. Get your materials ready
and see you in class.
2. Materials: For this particular painting, we will be doing the
wet-on-wet technique. The materials that we
will be needing are, first, a plastic board
such as this one, watercolor paper preferably made of 100% cotton and 300 GSM, watercolor paints,
and a mixing palette , a flat brush. This one that I'm using
is made of goat hair. It absorbs good amount of water, which is perfect for
wetting the entire paper. Round brushes, I will be using the silver black velvet
in size eight and 10. For this type of brush, it is made up of mixed
squirrel and synthetic hair, which allows the brush
to absorb good amount of pigment and maintain a
good point and snap. We will be needing also
pencil and eraser, clean tissue paper, and two cups of clean water.
3. Color Mixing: The colors that we'll
be using to paint this watercolor piece are
first, Naples yellow deep, burnt sienna, this is violet, or you can use any
dioxazine violet, neutral tint, olive
green, and indigo. For the base wash of the
sunflowers such as this, the lighter yellow, we will be using
Naples yellow deep. [MUSIC] We add a bit of burnt sienna on Naples yellow deep for the
shadowed parts of the flower. The darker, the shadow, the more burnt
sienna we will add. For the center of the flower. We will create a
dark brown color by mixing the amethyst
violet and burnt sienna. [MUSIC] If you want to make it a little bit more
darker for depth, just add some neutral tint. [MUSIC] We also use the
same color mixture and just play with the ratio between burnt
sienna and amethyst violet in painting the pot. For the leaves, we just use olive green and add a little bit of
indigo for a darker tone. Olive green, and
a mix of indigo. This is Naples yellow deep for the lightest
part of the petals. Naples yellow deep plus burnt sienna for the shadowed
parts of the petals. This violet plus burnt sienna for the center of the flower. Amethyst violet
plus burnt sienna plus neutral tint, to make an even more darker
and richer brown color for the center of the flower. We'll be using
these three colors also as we paint the pot. For the leaves, it's
just olive green and a mixture of olive green plus Indigo for
a darker toned green. You can practice
mixing your colors. Practice them making
creamy mixtures, and now you can be ready
to paint your own work. [MUSIC]
4. Pencil Sketch: [MUSIC] Let's begin
with our pencil sketch. First, we plan our composition by locating
the position of each flower. I do a light mark first of the center of the
sunflower to ensure that the flowers are not too close nor too far
from each other. [MUSIC] I erase unnecessary pencil marks to avoid confusion on my sketch. For the petals, I don't really create a very detailed drawing
petal by petal, I just copied the
overall shape of the flower and draw the petal
on my own interpretation. In this way, I don't
have to be stressed with the exact number of petals
in my reference photo. I just focus on
the big shapes and dominant petals that I
see from my reference. [MUSIC] I do the same thing with
the other sunflowers. Also, I hold my pencil
in an unusual manner, so I can avoid
drawing hard marks. If you will notice, I'm holding it on the
upper part of the handle. I keep my sketch as
light as possible. However, for this demo, I slightly make it darker, so you may see it clearly. But later on, before
putting on the colors, I would erase the
dark marks lightly. [MUSIC] For complex subjects like sunflowers with multiple petals, always remember the tip
that I'm sharing today, that you can simplify this complex objects by looking at the big
shapes of the petals. Instead of focusing on the number of petals
that you have to draw, as compared to the
reference photo, just focus on the
big picture and the big shapes and do
the petals as you wish. Now, I place a
side-facing sunflower and some thin dancing leaves here on the left for added element
in our composition. Next, I proceed on drawing
the sunflower on the right, and basically do
the same approach in sketching the petals. Again, I just copied
the overall shape of the flower and draw the petal
on my own interpretation. I don't really create a very detailed drawing,
petal by petal. Just to share also, I love sunflowers because
they radiate beauty and joy, and that's how I want our
painting to look like, to show positive energy and
bring out the joy in you. Don't be stressed out in
sketching the sunflowers. I want you to enjoy
the process and just draw the petals based
on your interpretation, instead of focusing and being limited by what you see
on your reference photo. Next, I will be adding some
large leaves here below, to connect the two sunflowers. [MUSIC] I will teach you how to paint the leaves without focusing
on too much details. I will show you the
scratching technique to show a more natural look on
the veins of the leaves. You can also add some thin dancing leaves
here on the side, just to keep a balance
in our composition. Again, you don't have to be limited on what you see
in the reference photo. I want you to have
the confidence to imagine and create
something or out there, based on what you want to
achieve in your painting. Now, instead of a glass vase, I will be throwing a pot, which holds the
sunflower together. When you draw the pot, makes sure that the curved
lines are balanced and equal. The pot will look proportionate, and in proper perspective. I start with the sides, and then on the base of the pot. To enhance the composition of our painting, I decided to add the small
sunflower here below, and a few pieces of
petals at the base. I made it a little bit smaller, so it won't get all the
attention of the painting. [MUSIC] You can also add
some round marks on the center of the
sunflower for your guide, and check your sketch
if you're done. This is our pencil sketch. [MUSIC]
5. Painting the flowers: Now that we're done
with our sketch, using this flat brush it will wet the paper at the
back and in front. This brush I'm using is made of goat hair from silver brush. What I like about this
goat hair brush from silver brush is its ability to hold very good
amount of water, making it perfect for the job. As you wet the paper, ensure that the entire
paper is really wet here at the back and then lay it flat on the board and
wet the front part. Thoroughly wet the paper, making sure that there
is no area left dry. This painting is
called wet on wet. I put generous
amount of water on my paper so that my paper
would stick on the board. The one that I'm using is a clear acrylic board
because the paper tend to dry slower using
this board instead of a board made
of paper or wood. Once the paper is
flat on the board, make sure that there's
no bubbles underneath. Next you wait for a few minutes
for the paper to absorb the water and prepare your clean paper
towel while waiting. We will use the paper
towel to remove excess moisture from the area that we would like to paint. I fold my tissue in this
small piece and then I lay it on the part
where I will paint first. Laying my tissue on this
part of the flower gently, and don't dab it on the paper. For our 1st yellow layer
for the sunflowers, create a creamy mixture
of Naples Yellow deep and paint the petals of the flower following the
sketch that you did. Remember that I am
creating a creamy mixture. Press the brush flat on the
paper using your round brush. Now I am using silver brush, black velvet Size 8. This brush is made of mixed
squirrel hair fibers, which allows it to have
good amount of water and pigment plus it stays
pointy and has a good snap. Notice the consistency
of my paint. It is creamy and not flowy. This is essential to
prevent paint from flowing uncontrollably
on the moist paper. I just paint over the
petals using Naples Yellow deep and I follow the
sketch that I did. Next, I mix a bit
of branch henna and on my Naples Yellow deep
to paint the shadows. It is like doing a negative painting to bring out the bright
front row of petals. Using a clean, damp brush, I lift the color of some parts of the
sunflower to bring light. You can do this technique to lighten the tone on the portions of the sunflower petals
that you want to highlight the lighted portion. For a slightly darker shadows, I just use branch henna. Painting with this technique of wetting both back and front of the paper gives us a soft
look on the painting. I use the flat brush with
clean water to soften some edges to keep the
painting or the flower soft. To paint the center of the flower I mix burnt
sienna and violet. I paint the center with jagged
edges for extra texture. I still use a creamy
mixture for this. Also remember that the darker the center the deeper
it would appear. However, don't be
afraid of applying dark colors as watercolor colored tend to fade
out after drying, especially when we do
the wet-on-wet approach. You'll be surprised
that you'll need to add another layer later on to bring out the
appropriate tone that you want to achieve
for a specific area. I darken this edge of the
flower to make it more deep and keep the
center lighter in tone. I also pull out some brown
color from the center going to the portion of the petals to
create depth and dimension. Next, we move on to painting
this flower on the right. Since my paper is still wet, I still damp a clean
tissue over it. I repeat the same
process on painting the petals with clean
Naples yellow deep. I press my brush flat on the
paper as I apply my paint, and I still use creamy mixture. Pressing your brush
against the paper would prevent the paint from
bleeding too much. Now for the shadow parts, I mix burnt sienna
with Naples yellow deep for a darker toned yellow. I'm painting the
shadowed petals to bring out the brightness
of the lighted once. As you do this step be careful not to
overdo the shadows, and keep your
mixture consistent. Also remember that the
flower on the left is lighter than the
flower on the right. It is because, the flower on the right is against the light. Now we paint the center of the sunflower with a mixture
of burnt sienna and violet. As I paint the center, I also contour the shape
of the folded petals. In this way we can
define the edges of the petals and give more
clarity on the flowers. I also create a darker
center by adding a bit of Neutral
Tint on my mixture. I still keep the edges jagged to have that texture
on the center of the flower. Then pull a thin line
from the center going to the portion of the
flower to create depth. I keep the tone in the middle
a little bit lighter while the tone of the outer part of the center of the
flower is darker.
6. Painting The Leaves: Now we move on to painting the third
sunflower on the left part. The same mixture is used in the flowers pure Naples yellow deep for the
base color of the petals. This time, if you would notice, I no longer wipe
the surface with clean tissue as my paper is
already turning semi dry. Don't worry if there
will come a time that your pigment would
bleed uncontrollably, especially on this lower part, covering the pot since we can't cover those bleeds later
on as we paint the pot. [MUSIC] Now for the shadow petals, I painted them with Naples
yellow deep mixed with burnt henna keeping my strokes
light and not the stiff. Again, I bring out
the light petals by doing negative painting
on the shadowed ones. [MUSIC] This flower should
also be lighter as compared to the sunflower on the right since this one on the left is somehow
facing the sun. [MUSIC] While this fragment
is still wet, let's create that mixture for
the center of the flower. I still mixed violet and burnt
henna enough for the brown color in the center. [MUSIC] I keep the mixture still creamy instead of being flowy. [MUSIC] In this part, I notice though that I overdid paint in
the center flower, so I lift the pain to retain the original shape of the petals and the original
size of the center. [MUSIC] I pull out some dark brown color from the center going
to the petal for depth. [MUSIC] I also lift those color
bleeds with clean water. Now, for the leaves, I will be using olive green
mainly for the leaves. I will add a bit of lunar
blue just for granulation. But lunar blue is not
really necessary. I started painting the leaves of the
flower facing the side. While doing this step, I also contour the shape of the petals of the two
sunflowers on both sides. It is the same principle with negative
painting wherein we define the shapes or
the edges of the petals while painting this space
intended for the leaves. I also create dark, green mixture to add
depth on the leaves portion by mixing olive
green and a bit of indigo. [MUSIC] While this fragment
is still wet, I paint over the
petals and let it slightly blend with
green for a soft look. I still use Naples
yellow deep for the base yellow color and add a bit of burnt henna later
on to paint the shadows. [MUSIC] You can also splatter some yellow pigment for
some special effects. You can also use a
water sprayer for a softer effect
on the splatters. [MUSIC] Also remembered,
the direction of your brush varies the
direction of your splatter. Be mindful on how you hold your brush when you
do the splatter. [MUSIC] For the dark leaves, I simply mix some indigo
on my olive green to add depth on this
green part of the flower. [MUSIC] I want to splatter some more
on the right for balance. I wet the area with
clean water and then splatter some yellow
pigment here and there. [MUSIC] Now, I paint the blank space here
in-between flowers with green pigment to show an
impression of bundle of leaves. You don't have to
paint leaf by leaf. Just play with the
tones to avoid making the greens look too flat. Again, use this step also to define the shapes of the
surrounding petals. I normally use dark green on those spots near the petals
for more contrast. [MUSIC] My mixture is still creamy. Then I slightly add a little bit of
water in those areas that I want to have
a lighter tone. [MUSIC] I blend the color of the
petals and the leaves by lifting the color using
a clean, damp brush. [MUSIC] At this stage, you can see how petals of the sunflowers slowly
but surely revealing its shape as we define and contour their edges while
painting the leaves. Now for the veins, you can use your
fingernails to scratch the paper to show the
veins of the leaves. Now, there is appropriate
timing in scratching the paper. The paper should
not be too wet so the paint will not flow
in the scratched area. However, when the
paper is already dry, it will be impossible to scratch the paper and leave a white
gap on the scratched area. [MUSIC] Make some spots darker for contrast especially in those areas near the petals. I also splatter some green color to connect the
elements together. [MUSIC] As I paint the other leaf
underneath the main one, I change the tone to separate
it from the other leaf. I will also leave a very
small white gap in-between, those two leaves
will not mix up. Again, I use my fingernail to scratch the paper for the effects of the veins, and also use this step to
define the shape of the petals. I also keeping in
mind the shape of the sunflower leaf so it will still look close to natural. Always wait for the right timing when you scratch the paper. [MUSIC] For the last leaf, I still use the same mix
of indigo and olive green. [MUSIC] I differ the tone of
this leaf from the leaf on top of it so they
would look separated. [MUSIC] I also add some thin wavy leaves on this side to fill
our composition. [MUSIC] I spray some water
to soften the edge. I also splatter some
green paint on the side. If you feel that the
splatters look too hard, you can simply take a damp, flat brush to soften the edge. I also intentionally
bled a portion of the big leaf so it
would look soft. [MUSIC]
7. Painting The Leaves 2: I scratch the leaf, but the layer seems
to be too wet. That's why it didn't work well. If you would notice the paint just blend towards
this scratch portion. I just let the paint dry a little bit more
before I try again. While waiting I'll paint the thin leaves on the other side and
enhance some details. Now, let's paint this
sunflower below. But before that, I get a clean tissue to remove the excess
moisture on the flower. I did the same procedure I did with all the other flowers. The base color is still
nipples, yellow deep, and I add a little bit of Burnt Henna to the
mixture for the shadows. I made this particular flower a bit light in color as I don't want it to capture the
attention of my viewers. I also paint these
few petals with the same base color and splatter some yellow pigment
for additional effects. For the center of the flower, I still use Burnt
Henna and violet. Don't worry if your sunflower
has no defined shape on its edges as we will define and contour those petals
as we paint the pot.
8. Painting the Pot: Let's add some final touches in the contour of the petals
just to define its shape. When you're good with it you can proceed on painting the pot. Now, I'm mixing branch henna and neutral tint for the
base color of the pot. I will start painting the fragment right
under the flower. I made them really dark
because of the shadow. I define the shape of the
petals as I paint over the pot. The darker the pot
is on this fragment, the brighter the sunflower
would look like. I add more branch
henna to my mix, to make it lighter in tone. I can bring dimension on my pot. I feel in the pot with
color playing with the tones to avoid
making it look flat. This area right underneath the flowers is dark
because of the shadow while this side on the
left is a little bit light because it
is facing the Sun. On the right side of the pot, I make it dark because it's turning away
from the sun already. I just mixed neutral tint on my base color to create a
deep dark tone of brown. I also lift slightly the color on this left side of the pot
to show the lighted portion. While this layer is still wet, you can add darker tones for contrast and to
enhance the dimension. I also soften the edge on this left side as I don't want the pot to look
like an illustration. If you notice that
the pot needs to be darker on those
shadowed areas, just apply a darker tone while
the fragment is still wet. I also slightly wet this side of the pot because I like to
add some soft splatters.
9. Final Touches: [MUSIC] As we finalize
our painting, now is the time to add final touches and define
the shapes of the petals. I define this flower underground by adding
negative painting of burnt sienna and also painting the darker
tones of the pot. I create a dark mix
of burnt sienna, violet and neutral tint to create this rich
dark brown color. Before you proceed on
adding dark spots, it's important to step back
and look at your painting, so you can identify which areas should you
add more dark tones. I will also be
darkening the center of the flower since
it faded in color. I use the same rich
dark brown color, which is composed
of neutral tint, burnt sienna and violet to darken the brown
center of the sunflower. The deeper the color is, the livelier the
flower would look. I will do the same thing also with the other
three flowers. You can also add a thick
layer of yellow ocher here on the center for the opaque
center of the sunflower. We'll add some dark brown
colors from the center towards the in-between
of petals for dimension. Keep the edges ragged for a natural texture over
the middle flower. Again, I add an opaque mixture of yellow
ocher in the middle. If you notice, we just use a handful number of colors to
paint this entire picture. As you develop and learn
more about watercolors, you will realize that you don't really have to have a lot of colors to paint a good painting. We can simply mix colors, play with tones, as colors is the least
necessary thing in painting. The most important thing that you have the
practice is the play of tones so that the
painting would look harmonious and would
look also natural. Another thing that
I also want you to remember that in painting, wet-on-wet, the
layer of paint would normally fade or lighten
once the paper gets dry. Don't be afraid to
put on dark colors, so you don't have to repeat the layering once it gets dry. Stepping back, taking
a break and looking at your painting from a distance
is also an essential step to identify if it is already time to stop working
on your painting. Most often, the
danger in watercolor is overdoing the layers. Always step back to look at your work and decide
when to stop. As we reach the end
of our painting, I will enhance the
color of the petals by adding more contrast
on some of them. Still, the technique that I do, as I do this step, is
negative painting. I also noticed that
this bunch of leaves on the right look one in tone, so I will be darkening a bit some of the leaves
hiding below the main leaf, so they would somehow separated. Again, be careful not
to overdo your work. Be careful not to lose the brightness of fair
flowers by adding too much shadows or dark layers. Now I step back and take a look at my
work from a distance. I'll be adding some contrasts between these bunch of leaves. I still use my mix
of olive green and indigo to achieve a
darker tone green. I put dark spots here
in-between petals to create contrast and to enhance
the shape of these petals. I also try to avoid
painting over the scratch portions
as I don't want to lose those light scratches on the leaves that
represent the veins. You add the darker tone
here under this leaf in the center since this portion of the leaf underneath is
covered with shadow. After adding some highlights
and checking on the details, you can finalize your
painting and sign your work. This is our final painting.
10. Class Project: Congratulations for finishing
my sunflower class. Now you're ready to
paint your own work. Refer to the downloadable files in our reference section to view our reference photo and final painting
for your guide. For the class project, paint the same object
that I did in the videos. Just follow the
same process that I showed step-by-step and feel free to go back and
re-watch the portions of the videos that you
want to review. Don't forget to practice your color mixtures and watercolor techniques
such as scratching, splattering, and of course, the proper application
of wet-on-wet technique. I'm excited to see your
paintings so don't forget to upload it on the
Project Gallery of the class. It also will be a great
encouragement for me if you would leave a
review on this class. I invite you also to check out my other SkillShare
classes as it is my joy to teach different interesting
classes which are perfect for beginners, intermediate, and
experienced watercolorists. I hope you enjoyed
our sunflower class. Don't be afraid to use
different references, practice the
wet-on-wet techniques, experiment with colors, and embrace the nature
and beauty of watercolor. Paint from the heart
and paint to inspire. God bless.
Bianca Rayala, Top Teacher | Watercolor Artist
