Paint A Watercolor Iris with Artist Carol Mann
Instructions
- Print out a copy of the reference image of an iris.
- Place a piece of Sally’s Graphite Transfer Paper over your Blick Premier Watercolor paper, graphite side down. Place your printed photograph on top of these, and secure with a piece of Scotch Painter’s Tape.
- Use a pencil to lightly trace the outline of the iris. Graphite will be transferred in the process. Remove the tape, image, and graphite paper.
- Assemble your palette. If you are new to watercolor painting, it may be useful to group paints by color—for example, keep yellows together, then move to oranges, then reds, etc.
- Working one petal at a time, use your #6 Blick Master Synthetic Kolinsky Round Brush to apply a light wash of Quinacridone Magenta. Let dry completely.
- Paint each petal with Carmine and Dioxazine Purple in places where additional red or purple color is needed, using the image as a color reference.
- Apply a light wash of Intense Pink over areas where brightness is needed.
- Once petals are dry, paint in the yellow portions using Cadmium or Bismuth Yellow and a small amount of Transparent Orange.
- Create contrast by applying a wash of Dioxazine Purple mixed with a small amount of Lamp Black over any dark areas.
- Once completely dry, apply a wash of Cobalt Turquoise to the stems.
- Apply Chromium Oxide Green, mixed with a small amount of Lamp Black where darkness is desired, for stems and leaves. To create a cool color contrast, apply a wash of Cobalt Turquoise. To add warmth, add a wash of yellow color.
- Once your painting is finished and completely dry, erase any graphite markings that remain on the paper.
- Optional—using a Sharpie Ultra-Fine Point Marker, sign your masterpiece!
