My 10 Secrets for Painting Flowers

Hello everyone, and I hope you enjoy this blog post which accompanies my latest YouTube painting tutorial of a lovely meadow and red barn. I will first take you through the general process for creating this piece using pastels on Sennelier La Carte Pastel Card.

NOTE: The video goes into more detail about my 10 Secrets for Painting Flowers in a Field, so be sure to check out the link for the free tutorial here:  https://youtu.be/PUYGQ92PbrM 

Materials:

Before we begin, let's go over the materials we'll be using. For this painting, I'll be using a sheet of Sennelier la carte pastel card and a beautiful reference photo from unsplash.com. I love this paper because it's so nice and textural, which really adds depth and dimension to the painting. I used a variety of soft pastels.

Sketching: 

The first step in any painting is to get a good sketch in place. In this case, I started with a charcoal pencil to sketch out the basic structure of the barn, doors, and window. I find that making geometric tree shapes and flower shapes adds to the painterly effect rather than just drawing them rounded. This also makes it easier to paint over later on. I recommend taking your time with the sketch to ensure that everything is in place before moving on.

Blocking in Colors: 

Once the sketch is complete, it's time to start blocking in the colors. I always start with the darker values and gradually build up to the lighter ones. I find this creates more depth in the painting and makes it easier to blend the colors. The Sennelier la carte pastel card takes a lot of layers, so you can come in and add the lighter values afterwards.

Blending: 

One of the unique features of the Sennelier la carte pastel card is its textural quality, which can make it seem like blending takes a lot of work. However, I find that the best approach is to let the pastels blend themselves. Instead of over-blending, simply block in the colors and let them blend naturally over time. This will give your painting a more natural and organic look.

Adding Warmth: 

In this painting, I wanted to create a sense of warmth and sunshine, so I focused on using vibrant greens and warm reds. To achieve this effect, I started with the darker value reds and gradually added the lighter ones. I also used a warmer tone for the barn to create a sense of sun-warmed wood.

Tips and Tricks: 

In the video, I also provide my 10 Secrets for painting flowers. So be sure to check out the video at the link below. These secrets include:

1. Sketch in only largest flower heads (you can add smaller ones later)
2. Begin with darkest value of flower (light values added later)
3. Focus on the shape of the flower and not the specific species
4. Add variety to your flower shapes
5. Consider the Light and add highlights only in direction of light source
6. Flower shapes get smaller and closer together as distance increases
7. Don't forget to bury some flowers in the grasses (not all flowers float on top)
8. White flowers are not always white
9. Paint what you see, not what you think you see
10. Create flower stems that are gestural, turning and varying in thickness

Conclusion: I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial and learned something new about pastel painting. Remember, the key to creating a beautiful painting is to take your time and enjoy the process. Don't be afraid to experiment with new techniques and materials to find your own unique style. Below is the video link to accompany this tutorial! Happy Painting!

https://youtu.be/PUYGQ92PbrM

 

    

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