Winter 2020 Week 4: Florals

This week I experimented with revisiting negative painting with a fine mist spray bottle in our treatment of florals. For many of you the experiment succeeded and you blossomed. For those who struggled, you may want to try the first (easiest) tutorial. For everyone else, take a look at all 3 and see which ones you would like to attempt. These first 3 are by Rick Surowicz (Easiest first, getting progressively more difficult:

• Transparent Watercolor Two Color Rose Negative Painting Tutorial
• Transparent Watercolor Narrated Tutorial, Featuring Negative Painting, Just Daisies
• Transparent Watercolor Narrated Tutorial, Blushing Cascade

For those who struggled with this idea of "Negative Painting", of painting around what it is you want stand out, there is this straight forward tutorial by Michael Salmon. No Spray bottle, monochromatic, simple shapes, fun results:

• How To Paint in Negative Space in Watercolour Watercolor Hydrangea Blue Tutorial

For those who found the fine mist spray a little too frustrating, you might want to take a look at another Rick Surowicz tutorial where he approaches the floral subject more traditionally, minimal use of fine mist spray. He also uses masking fluid -- something several of students expressed an interest in learning how to use.

• "Sunflower Burst" Narrated Step by Step Transparent Watercolor Tutorial

A few weeks ago, I had mentioned an artist who used two brushes in one hand, one brush with paint, the other with water. I remember now even demonstrating that technique for a few minutes. The artist's name is Hedwig Theeuwen and she does very beautiful work. Here are a few of her demonstrations (she doesn't narrate what she does, but you can learn a lot from watching and following along). Also, feel free to use the two brushes one at a time. Listed from easy to progressively more difficult:

• flowers in watercolor by Hedwig Theeuwen
• Hedwig's Art, An easy rose this time, watercolor
• Hedwig's Art, Easy Purple Flowers, two colors only, watercolor
• Hedwig's Art Flowers white and red, watercolor.
• Hedwig's Art fantasy flowers, wet in wet , watercolor

Here is another demonstration, this time by Brenda Swenson, (more of a slide show than a video demonstration, but she shows you the pencil drawing she starts with.

• Negative Painting with Watercolor: White Blossoms

If this whole negative painting stuff was bringing you down and causing you too much frustration, try one of these positive painting floral tutorials:

• Beginners Loose Watercolours 'Simple Blue' with Andrew Geeson
• 'Delicate Moments' LooseWatercolours with Andrew Geeson
• Watercolor Composition Tutorial | How to Arrange a Floral Painting