Getting started - Botanic Art - Magnolia Part 1

For me, getting started with a piece takes quite a bit of planning. So picking something with broad flat foliage and a simple flower is key. Strong vibrant colours and simple composition are also important because it gives you a chance to see your plant colours clearly when painting. There are so many hues within colours that it can seem overwelming to know which colour to start with first. Start with just a few main colours in your palette and it will make your entry into botanic art easier. To quote someone, "there's no such thing as an easy plant to paint, just some less complicated".

I recently finished this magnolia. Although it looks complicated, there are alot of large areas filled with colour. The branches took a little time getting the white milky bloom over them but once I got the technique right, it seemed to work.

An important thing when starting out is to practice on an off-cut of the same paper you are painting on. You can try a few thing and if they work, make some notes on the colours you used and the sequence of washes. I use Arches 300gsm smooth watercolour paper. Its a great surface to paint on. I have little notes written on off-cuts so I can call on them later. You will build up a list of great formulas this way!

For the record, I did a wash of naples yellow under the flowers, then varying shades of madder alizarin and sepia. It seemed to do the job when comparing my colour swatch (on an off-cut) to the actual flower.

More to follow on this painting.

Cheers

David