Artists

MASTERCLASS12 FINISHING TOUCHES``````I paint the little florets in the centre in thesame way, using an almost black mix ofPerylene Violet, Winsor Blue Red Shade andLemon Yellow. Again, they are painted one byone; I really observe the subject to make surethat they are in the right place and laid downin the right direction.Now all you need is a signature and yoursunflower is ready to go up on the wall; apleasant reminder of warm summer days.``````11 ADD IN THE DETAIL``````I use a 000 brush to paint the hairs on thestem. The green mix is the same as the oneI used for the foliage, but more concentrated.One by one is the only way to paint the hairsaccurately. I introduce Titanium White tomake a few hairs stand out on top of thedarkest shadows.``````10 HIGHLIGHT THE STEM``````To lift some highlights, I use a synthetic flatbrush (adapting the size to the area) justslightly damp, dragging it on its side. On awet wash, this will lift a soft highlight. On drypaint, it will lift a sharp line, useful for veinson foliage. For the stem I lifted while wet torender the ridges without hard edges.``````9 CONTROL YOUR WASHES``````Wetting the stem thoroughly first, I apply amix of Sap Green, Winsor Blue Red Shadeand Winsor Orange in the direction of theridges. Synthetic brushes are stiffer and havemore spring than sables, giving a little morecontrol with the wet-in-wet washes. They alsocarry less paint, reducing the risk of floodingthe area with too much colour.``````8 LEAF BY LEAF``````Not all the leaves require the same level ofprecision. The leaf on the right is in thebackground; omitting details will make itrecede. The leaf on the left has more details,but not as much as the centre right leaf,which is the focus of the foliage, showingmore veins and sharper lines.``````Top tipTO AVOID GETTINGLOST, USE THESHADOW LINES OFTHE PAINTING ASA GUIDE``````Artists & Illustrators 5148 Masterclass.indd 51 08/06/2016 12:36