Well I am a little behind on my blog postings. The shop has been a little busy! So anyway, after learning the basics and history behind botanical illustration, I was ready to start. I choose to work with a lovely pink protea. When doing the original drawings the key is to find a basic contour of the flower and fill in the details afterwards. Drawing with this much detail is much like meditation, it was so easy to get lost in the structure of the flower. I focused my first drawings on the curling leaves of the protea. I began to notice all of these details I had not noticed before, like the bright orange trim of the yellowish green leaves. As the contour of my drawing became clearer, I began to fill in the shadows. Shadows are very important, as they give the image depth and realism. It is amazing how lines and shadows come together to create an image, I am always amazed at that!

After getting a completed drawing, it must be traced and transferred over to your crisp, white watercolour paper…This is a tedious task indeed! Tracing only the contours of your drawing, you then transfer the lines to your watercolour paper, and keep you original drawings for later reference. It is almost time to dip in to your paint, to practice mixing the colours you will need for your final piece. Believe me, finding the correct hue of green is not as easy as you think. Finding your colours is an important step, and should not be overlooked. Stay tuned for more!