Callas and poppies

I am mucking about with my water-colour pencils again, and I must say that every time I do, I feel like I am six-years-old again :)

I love calla lilies, and I am trying so hard to paint them. Likewise, poppies. And BOTH don't come out the way I want them to. The calla lillies look like stepped-on, melted yellow wax when I am done, and the poppies look like red blotches of dried blood :(

SO: to get my brain used to the idea of creating these beautiful flowers, I decided to sketch them. Then, I took out my water-colour pencils and coloured them in. Then, I applied the water, and nearly died when it all turned to mush for a bit. A bit of tissue, some dry brushes to mop up messes, and the result is below. Sigh.

I hope the next time I post them, they will be paintings of callas and poppies - done half-decently!

Together, in my sketch-book . . . 

... and the close-ups: above, and below:

 

Poppies, orchids, calla lilies: almost fail-dot-com

These are flowers I'm having a hard time painting. The pix here are taken from my 'book of trials' - so aptly named, I think!!!

A first attempt at a many-petaled poppy.

... getting there

An orchid that that's found in my garden. Except
that it's purple-and-white.

I really want to paint this flower, but I'm not quite there yet.

'Why 'blue', ma?' I can hear my daughter asking!!!
Because I have lots of extra blue ;)

... another try.

Two bottles

Yes, I'm painting bottles again :)

This one's an old olive-oil bottle that lost its pouring spout:

And this one, a fruit-drink bottle that will now be recycled as a water bottle for moi ;)

I finally dared myself to paint poppies - not just dashes of colour, but with some petal shapes and leaves (not the right leaves, alas) - but I will try them again, and try to do a better job of it.

And the tulips: they are far harder than I think they will be!!!

Old Horlicks bottle

This bottle has been in our family for years. It's a smaller version of the many bigger bottles mum had! I loved these old bottles that were filled with sugar, biscuits, and so many other things :)

Since the cover was looking a tad old and faded, I decided to brighten it up a bit - and ended up painting the whole bottle. With a field of white and yellow daisies, and poppies :)

... starting with the cover ....

... and ending with them filled with my favourite wafer biscuits :)

It was a quick, fun project, with nothing major or complicated, and I enjoyed doing it!

Poppies

Making things pop

I found this video again, and decided to 'keep' it here this time, and not lose it again.

It would seem simple enough - what's demonstrated in the video - but really, it isn't. To fill in the shadows, you'd need to look at your piece, and decide what's on top, and what's underneath. Easier said than done.

Putting in the shadows is a necessary step, I feel. It will lend depth to the finished piece, and keep it from looking flat.

Just look at the astounding kettle she's done! Simply beautiful work.

Can't wait to try this out!



Or, watch the extended version, with explanation of what she's doing, and why: