Artist Daily : painting flowers

I Hate to Say It, But Geometry Helps

Courtney Jordan — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 04:12:00 GMT

Another slice of my personal humble pie is the fact that I'm pretty bad at math in general and downright horrible at geometry in particular. You'd never ever find me trying to use these skills when making art--or so I thought. But when I was gleaning tips from watercolor artist Law Wai Hin on how to paint flowers, geometry kept popping up.

Flower Arrangements with Lotus by Law Wai Hin, 22 x 30, watercolor painting.

Law's flower drawing process begins with arranging the flowers into a striking composition. The artist starts with a realistic drawing of the flowers as they actually appear in front of him. But after repeatedly sketching it he eventually finds new elements within the scene and from there he adjust his sketches until he's captured the deep thought and feeling he wants to express.

Poppies with Sunflowers by Law Wai Hin, 22 x 30, watercolor painting.

These deeper expressions are often visually manifested through geometry--using shape, size, and relative position of figures to create the depth and clarity that exists in each painting. For example in Flower No. 1, color and texture are what I see first. The colors are so lush and appear to almost vibrate. The rendering of the flowers is so unusual that I want to get as close as possible to the surface of the painting to see how it was done.


Flower No. 1 by Law Wai Hin, watercolor painting, 29 1/2 x 41 1/2. Adapted from an article by Austin R. Williams.

But when I start to analyze the painting's composition, I see how the flower vases are positioned in space as if they are marking the path of an arc. But the thick white line that runs parallel to the horizontal edge of the painting complicates the space, perhaps bisecting it, which would mean the space in the painting is vaster than what the artist shows us. The white line also creates a second horizon line, as there is one indicated to the right of the painting about midway up. The two lines together make it seem as though the space in the painting is folding in on itself.

So it seems that in order to learn how to draw flowers, I'm going to have to cozy up to my bad-math past, but if it gets me anywhere near the skill and unique beauty of works like Law, I'd count myself lucky. And every time I read my digital edition of Best of Watercolor, I feel the same way. The magazine features so many incredible artists using unusual methods to get the most out of watercolor, and I'd love to be able to do the same. If you feel like you are on the same path, take a look at Best of Watercolor and see if it is right for you. Enjoy!

Classic, Commercial, and an Art World Constant

Courtney Jordan — Wed, 23 May 2012 03:55:00 GMT

You don't have to think terribly hard to figure out that the painting genre that has all of these characteristics in common is floral painting. It is a practice that has inspired artists to create beautiful, graceful paintings for centuries, but it is so much more than that.

Classic: So many artists become artists because they are inspired by historic artworks they've seen in museums or art history books. It pretty much goes without saying that a significant percentage of those works would be floral paintings. Every artistic movement has contributed to the genre, from the Renaissance to Impressionism and beyond. This does contemporary artists a two-fold favor: it provides hundreds of inspiring works to learn from, and it puts one in good company knowing we are extending this tradition into the 21^st century.

Flowers by Charles Demuth, watercolor painting, 1916, 9 x 11.

Commercial: Painting flowers is a smart idea if you want to develop a saleable body of work. It doesn't mean that you have to be conventional or stifle your own style in your presentation of how to paint flowers. Instead, look around you and acknowledge that people from so many walks of life are drawn to floral paintings. Individuals seek them out for their homes and workplaces. Collectors of floral paintings abound. Professional decorators often seek out floral paintings when designing residential and corporate spaces like hotel chains. Why shouldn't it be your flower oil painting that they are looking at?

Brass Samovar by CW Mundy, oil on linen, 30 x 24, 2007.

Art World Constant: Look anywhere artwork is sold and nine times out of ten you'll find a floral painting. From yard sales, flea markets, to Sotheby's and Christie's, the offerings that continue to always rise to the top are floral paintings or those works with floral aspects to them. Certainly, this isn't exclusive to flower paintings and them alone. But it reinforces to me that there is something constantly attractive and appealing about floral paintings.

Little Red Riding Hood by Daniel Egneus, pen and ink drawing, 2011.

But most of all, I would think most artists are drawn to painting flowers because it is a pleasing endeavor. You can explore all the essentials of art knowing that you will showcase work that brings people joy to behold. If you are interested in furthering your experience in the genre, The Art of Painting Flowers in Oil DVD is a three-hour instructional DVD that takes you through the entire painting process. Instructor and artists Claudia Seymour delivers an incredibly knowledgeable and informative workshop that does the genre justice. Enjoy!

4 Ways to Paint Without Preconceptions

Courtney Jordan — Wed, 02 May 2012 03:58:00 GMT

Short of lobotomy, we will always have the equivalent of mental trails that our brains follow when we are painting. Artists develop these based on painting techniques that they've learned along the way, or they can be expressions of inherent ideas that each of us has about how to paint. Motivating oneself to wipe the slate clean of these ideas can deliver exponential benefits to an artist interested in raising his or her awareness of what they are seeing and how they see it. Because being wise to those tendencies and having ways to paint without preconceptions means an artist has more control over their vision, and not the other way around.


		Nelson Shanks sees color and pushes it in ways that are powerful and seemingly natural as well. Above, Salome, oil painting, 28 x 44.

This is no time for subtlety. When I want to get over my mental hurdles, I remind myself that subtle can be overrated. When you are trying to break free of seeing conventionally, you have to push it. If there are interesting lines in a composition, accentuate them. If the colors you see are more neutral, push them to their extremes. This trains the eye--and eventually the hand--to make big statements in a fine art painting.

Bronze, silver, and gold. When you want to learn how to paint a picture in a new way, don't let a lot of ideas crowd you. This is tough because you can't actually put blinders on, but you can think like an Olympian. Look for the top three elements in a composition that catch your eye and keep your focus trained on your subject.

Don't fall for stereotypes or generalities. Looking out in the natural world and to the people and places around us, we often think along conventional lines about how forms and functions relate and what certain objects are supposed to look like. Don't be swayed by the idea that a floral painting "should" just show gorgeous flowers in full bloom. Or that a figure painting in oil should always be about the aesthetic beauty of the body. Because chances are, any other painter looking at the subject would see it that way too. Eke out the specifics so your work is an indicator of your unique vision.


Ron Hicks' Petit Femme (oil painting, 14 x 11) is an exercise in how to see specifically, not stereotypically. The model looks like a unique individual.

Take three steps to the right. If you really want to see as you see and not what your well-oiled brain is telling you, in any given painting art situation, take a few steps to the right or left of your composition. Look at it from a different angle and stay there to do a quick painting study. You might discover something about the focus of your attention that you missed before, and literally see things in a new way.

Painting without preconceptions can also be an opportunity to relearn many of the fundamental lessons that practicing artists can take for granted because they have become second nature. The Artist Daily store has several resources, including Ron Hicks' Mastering Oil Portrait Painting, that are meant to show you how to hone and further develop these abilities. I hope you'll give yourself the opportunity to utilize them and "see" in a new way. Enjoy!

Fish, Lemons & Glass Bowls

Courtney Jordan — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:21:00 GMT

Dutch still life painting set the standard for out-of-this-world virtuosity in the 17th century, and I'll never get over the unusual mix of objects artists chose to depict: food of all kinds, polished silverware and gleaming glass, embroidered and heavily worked tablecloths, and tons and tons of flowers.

Breakfast Table with Blackberry Pie by Willem Claeszoon Heda, oil on panel, 1631.

What I sometimes forget was how symbolic all of these objects were to the audience that had the occasion to view them all those years ago. And it's also interesting to note that artists often purposefully chose to depict items that might be a challenge to paint as a way to display their painting skills.

All of this symbolism and desire to show off resulted in a lot of paintings that look over the top and a bit unreal. Take floral painting for example. Painting flowers was a focus of many artists during the golden age of Dutch painting. Symbolically, artists and viewers were interested in the nature of a flower's existence—from freshly cut and blooming to wilting and dying—because of the implied "moral" or lesson behind the work, namely that life is fleeting and death, a certainty.

Still Life with Flowers by Willem van Aelst, oil on canvas, 1665.

But fresh flowers in a painting were also a sign of supreme luxury. During the 17^th century, having a bouquet of flowers was virtually unheard of in even the wealthiest households. In fact, in most Dutch homes flowers weren't displayed in the way we are used to at all. Instead blooms were displayed one by one in small vases or tulip-holders designed specifically to hold relatively few flowers.

By creating this kind of ostentatious floral painting that depicted incredible bouquets most viewers couldn't ever hope to actually see in person or have in their homes, artists were accomplishing two things. One, pointing out the artifice of such displays as a reminder that life is not all about luxury and putting store in such things is a waste. But they were also subverting that very message—by displaying such beautiful bouquets in the first place they were sorely tempting viewers to buy the painting, essentially conveying the idea that you can't have such luxuries in real life, but this painting will give them to you and the flowers in this painting will never die.

For us to pay the tradition of Dutch painting forward and to be part of this engaging and fascinating genre means really understand the motivation for the art and the technical execution that it took to get to those amazing final works. Still Life Painting Highlights and Guide to Painting Flowers are two of the highest caliber resources that we have to offer on the subject, and they are sure to give all of us the foundation we need to have our own artistic golden ages. Enjoy!

Come Winter, I Head to the Hothouse

Courtney Jordan — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 04:35:00 GMT


The botanical gardens in Washington, DC, near the Capitol.

When I'm visiting family in Virginia during winter, I always make a point to walk through the botanical gardens near the Capitol in Washington, DC. It is one of my favorite places, and the hothouse flower rooms are just what I need to warm myself through when it is so chilly outside.

Over the holiday, I made it a point to go there with a mission: Get inspired by the flowers and plant life so that during the next few months when I'm stuck inside, I will have inspiring images to work from when I want to focus on painting flowers.


		A hothouse poinsettia at the botanical gardens.

The gardens don't have flower arrangements or cut flowers on display, so I was able to focus on how to paint flowers as they naturally occur and grow in the wild. It was really interesting to observe how differently plants grow and sprawl about. You don't understand the flower in the same way when it has been neatly clipped and arranged in a vase.


		The jungle plant life at the gardens. Look at all the shades of green!

I also wanted to avoid looking at flowers and flowers alone because a flower bud is only one part of a flower oil painting. All the greenery, leaves, and stems that come along with a blossom deserve attention too. I, therefore, spent a lot of time in the jungle room, where it was humid and sticky and all of the foliage is lush and verdantly green. It may not suit you if you want to paint colors, but I thought all of the different leaf formations and different shades of green with the light hitting them was really lovely.

I hope to take the images I found and work with them to create colorful and organic floral paintings in the next few months. But before I put brush to canvas I'm going to brush up on my painting flowers techniques with our Guide to Painting Flowers. The contemporary artists featured in the magazine really inspired me, and there are so many ways you can incorporate floral painting that I can't imagine getting enough fo this. I hope it is the same for you. Enjoy!

P.S. Where did you go over the holidays that might inspire your artwork in the future? Leave a comment and let me know!

You Paint Them By Not Painting Them?

Courtney Jordan — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 04:48:00 GMT

To Be Where There's Life by Ryan Coleman, oil on canvas, 30 x 40, 2010.

The coolest thing I ever learned about painting flowers, specifically how to paint a rose, was when a painting teacher told me that you paint them by not painting them. Back then I gave her the stink eye because, really, how do I paint a rose by not painting it? Ah, humility. How you love to teach me lessons. I soooo get what my instructor was saying to me now-—and it is one of the truest art lessons I've ever learned.

Painted flowers, plants, and other organic forms seem all the more real when they are painted less literally—when you work to capture the sensation of an object but not necessarily every petal, leaf, and thorn. For example, a vase of flowers could be painted with an eye toward capturing the strong thrusting lines of the stems or the light airiness of a flower in full bloom. And that has nothing to do with the exact number of petals you paint!


Memorial by Ryan Coleman, oil on canvas, 48 x 48, 2011.		Dark Fall by Ryan Coleman, oil on canvas, 48 x 48, 2007.

Sometimes the best way to achieve these kinds of effects is with a combination of representation and abstraction. Recently, I saw artist Ryan Coleman's work and his "floral paintings"—if you can call them such—do just that. The works are not literal depictions of flowers or bouquets or groves of trees, and yet when you look at them you somehow know what they are.

Many artists throughout the centuries have incorporated both representation and abstraction in their work, from El Greco, Corot, and Pissarro to Cezanne and Picasso. In the same way, Coleman strives to depict subjects and narratives without becoming too literal, which he finds restrictive. He strikes a balance between the two, so that he feels he can work freely and expressively while the end results are paintings and drawings with hints of representation that can be very reassuring and grounding to viewers.


Season of Light by Ryan Coleman, oil on canvas, 30 x 40, 2011.		Dream of Vermeer by Ryan Coleman, oil on canvas, 38 x 48, 2011.

One of the best ways to inject your painting with sensation and liveliness that can come with combining abstraction and representation is to work from a variety of inspirations or sources. Coleman usually has an assortment of images around him when developing any given painting, from images of nature and landscapes to those from art history, interior design magazines, graffiti, cartoons, or whatever else catches his interest.

Your art would also be well served by looking at all the variety of floral paintings out there, so you have a strong understanding of where this subject matter can take you. Painting Flowers is a perfect place to start. It covers how to achieve dynamic action in a floral painting, ways to experiment when painting flowers, artist profiles, and more. Enjoy!

3 Tricks So People Remember My Painting

Courtney Jordan — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 03:25:00 GMT


Notice how the composition of this sparse still life is deft--from the angle of the bottle to the serpentine curve of the ivy sprig. (Dried Ivy by Kristin Kunc, 8 x 12, oil on linen, 2008).

I'm not a knick-knack girl, but I do really have a connection to the objects around me. I project feelings and memories onto them, and like to have them in view. I can, I'm almost embarrassed to say, feel almost devastated if something that is precious to me is lost or damaged.

But that kind of emotional trigger or connection is definitely one I want to portray through the objects that I paint. And as the seasons change and I spend more time indoors, I want to keep a connection to nature by creating floral paintings or studies with as much impact as if I was painting a beloved object or token.

Flowers can signify so many things, good and sad. Just think of all the occasions when flowers play an integral role: a teenager's first dance corsage or boutonniere; a wedding or, sadly enough, a funeral; as a victory or celebration token; part of a romantic gesture, but also a sign of appreciation for natural beauty.

But painting flowers can easily devolve into tedium. That's why I pay attention to three things to make sure I'm learning how to paint flowers that are memorable and not just pretty.

I take composition very seriously. It is not just a matter of grabbing a vase and shoving the flowers in. I like to play with height, angles, and negative space.


	Yellow, Red, and White by Michael Klein, 12 x 20, oil on linen, 2008.

Color is also key. Pushing color and keeping it from being "same old" is really crucial. Sometimes I'll even take extreme liberties and switch colors around, or if I am painting flowers like hydrangeas, I will really push the pinks and blue colors I see until they are almost electric.

Painting less of what I see is also a lesson I've learned. I always have a tendency to want to paint this bit over here, and that bit over there, and it ends up looking really patchy and uneven. So I've learned to restrain myself and reserve strokes. Trying to make a flower form in only a handful of strokes, including highlights and shadows.

But I still have a long way to go in terms of figuring out all the ins and outs of painting flowers, which is where our latest magazine, Guide to Painting Flowers, comes in. There is so much in the magazine that an artist, whether they are just starting out or are further along in their experience, will find intriguing—painting methods and techniques, and how to create the most moving painting possible. Enjoy!

Who Sent You Flowers? Me!—Our Newest Free eBook on Painting Flowers Is Here!

Courtney Jordan — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 03:17:00 GMT


		Rhododendron by James Sulkowski, 2001, oil painting. Notice how the flowers are arranged in a curving S-shape, starting in the back and bring your eye to the foreground.

Most artists have a love-hate relationship with floral painting. There's plenty to learn from the genre, but I've found that what I truly get out of it depends on what I put into it.

I certainly know there have been times when I wasn't as excited as I am now about it because I didn't know what it was capable of teaching me. But floral paintings are not just exercises in how to paint a rose. There is so much more! And when I put my own personality into it, it allowed me to explore my art on my own terms. It gave me the freedom to experiment without being self-conscious, and I was able to work on painting essentials like form, light, and color that I can carry with me to all the other paintings I'll ever create.

From a sensitivity to color combinations to gaining confidence in the way I put down brushstrokes by mimicking the organic forms of flower buds, stems, leaves and more, I've really grown as a student of art through painting flowers. Most of all, I've discovered how creating a really interesting flower oil painting composition has made me attuned to composing other scenes almost instinctively, which is progress for me! The more I paint without thinking the process to death, the freer my work looks.

Detecting how I can put visual action into a scene by arranging objects in certain ways-a diagonal or circle, for example-means I can work on creating compositions that aren't dull or static. And starting with a good composition gives me so many creative options that I can take advantage of as the painting process continues.

The credit, however, can largely go to our latest eBook, Painting Flowers with Artist Daily: How to Paint Flowers and Create Dynamic Action in Floral Painting. Artist and writer James Sulkowski analyzes his own floral paintings in terms of their compositional arrangements and forms, and he gave me such solid instruction and really interesting tips for identifying unique compositions. This has allowed me to start painting with more confidence and surety-and those aren't feelings I often have about my work. That's why I'm especially glade to share Painting Flowers with Artist Daily: How to Paint Flowers and Create Dynamic Action in Floral Painting with you. Download your free copy now!

P.S. If you have a friend and fellow artist who would enjoy getting "flowers" from you, in the form of Painting Flowers with Artist Daily, send this email to them!

Draw with Your Brush

Courtney Jordan — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 03:49:00 GMT


		White Radiance by Scott Royston, 2007, oil on canvas, 14 x 11.

When Scott Royston sets his sights on flowers for one of his still life oil painting compositions, he isn’t drawn to tiny buds or small bouquets but expressive flora in full bloom. For him, painting flowers is a gradual process that starts with a rough sketch in his sketchbook and toning his canvas with an earth-colored pigment to pick up the warm tones of the flowers. His next steps make up an impromptu oil painting lesson that I want to share with you.

		Draw with your brush. Royston dedicates most of his time creating an underpainting in which the forms are well delineated and easy to read. He uses a script brush dipped in green umber to draw the composition for this study of white petunias. The flowers are tightly rendered and detailed to scale even at this early stage. He then adds a medium to thin out the paint and block in the light and shadow areas. He shades the entire composition this way, in what we can think of as a “value-painting” stage.

		The white in shades of gray. Swapping to bristle brushes because they are strong and hold more paint, Royston applies his first layer of color. He adds medium to the shadow areas to make them more transparent and the lighter areas of the flower petals were painted with thicker paint. The fact that the flowers are white led Royston to work up their values in a mixture of titanium white and ivory black with titanium yellow for the reflected lights. He works outward on all the flowers in the foreground, and then goes back in for the foliage and stems. Before moving on, he uses a blending brush to knock back the hard edges that have built up, brushing lightly across the entire surface to even it out and smooth it down for another paint application.

		Details equal dimension. Switching to a mongoose brush at this refining stage, Royston uses titanium white and a little zinc for his whitest whites. Only now does he add in the little details—the center of the flowers—to give them dimension. By painting in a little background color for contrast, he blends the flowers and background together to unify the painting.

Spending just a few minutes focusing on the progression of a painting makes all the difference to me when it comes time to pick up my brush. Royston’s process gave me a bird’s-eye view of how he brings a work to completion, as well as what goes into his crucial beginning stages. For more step-by-step painting lessons that will build confidence and inspiration in you, Step-By-Step Highlights is available now. Enjoy!

Free Your Art From Predictability

Courtney Jordan — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 03:14:00 GMT


Dirk Hagner's depiction of dying sunflowers won a Juror's Choice Award in the Blossom Art of Flowers competition in 2007.

An artist shuts the door on inspiration and creative possibilities when he or she withdraws from exploring subject matter because there doesn’t appear to be anything new to say. Painting flowers or fruit can seem to lead down predictable paths, but there’s always another avenue to explore, especially considering that what an artist brings to a painting—not necessarily the subject matter itself—is often what makes the artwork interesting or noteworthy.

Picasso, Keith Haring, and Julie Heffernan are just a few significant artists with strongly-developed points of view who have depicted or incorporated the humble flower in their work somewhere along the line. In the same way, German-born, California-based printmaker Dirk Hagner decided to experiment with flowers in just a handful of pieces several years ago, and he submitted a piece to the Blossom Art of Flowers competition, which is one of the largest floral fine arts competitions in the world. (The second Blossom competition is open now and accepting entries until September 30.)


	Hagner sought out unconventional depictions of flowers when he decided to experiment with the subject matter.

“I had never done a painting of flowers before, but my work is referential to the past, and floral paintings—along with nude studies, still lifes—are giants of western art,” Hagner says. “I was in good company, and when you do something that resonates with that kind of long history—it is very rewarding.”


The artist brought his own artistic sensibility to his flower depictions, and found meaning in them, just as in his other works.

But for Hagner, conventional depictions of the beauty of flowers were off-putting. “Flower paintings always seemed very traditional,” he says. “I saw them in museums as a child—they were part of my upbringing. People always respond very positively to them and think they are beautiful.” But the artist wanted to pursue the subject matter in such a way that the visual trope became more meaningful and less “pretty.” He chose to depict flowers past their primes, such as droopy, withered, and browned sunflowers and red lilies with stems so weak that their blooms careen down headfirst over the sides of their container.

“It wasn’t so conventional, and yet it does speak to a certain beauty—to the fact that life makes room for new life,” Hagner says. His entry in the Blossoms competition was recognized with a Juror’s Choice Award, received a cash prize, and, when the work was exhibited, it was chosen to become part of the permanent collection of the Festival of Arts, in Laguna Beach, California.


	Attracted to many different kinds of subjects, Hagner only produced a few flower paintings but says they were rewarding for him.

Hagner approached flowers as a subject matter that could be invigorated by his own artistic sensibility, much like artists have been doing for hundreds of years. He found meaning in the work and was able to make it equally interesting and compelling for viewers, judges, curators, and fellow artists. Doing likewise means honing your technical skills and establishing your own creative approach. Artist Daily is a resource to help get you there. Right now, the Artist Daily online store is having a sale on books, magazines, CD collections, and additional resources. You may find what you need to grow as an artist and to take on any subject matter with authenticity and verve.

Find Your Unique Approach to an Established Subject Matter

Courtney Jordan — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 03:39:00 GMT


Arums II by Tamara de Lempicka, 1931

I've grown to appreciate floral paintings. Of course, flowers are nice to look at, and I recognize the technical skill needed to paint them, but I wasn't always certain of the appeal of the subject matter. The question of how an artist approaches a bouquet of roses or a pot of fuchsias in a unique and fresh way often stymied me.


	The Absence of Red (Self-Portrait) by Patrick Gordon, 2007, oil, 60 x 48 (diptych).



	Vase of Chrysanthemums by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1890.

But floral arrangements have been depicted in art for centuries, and the subject matter appeals to artists of all levels and media. The real mark of artistry within the genre is whether or not an artist has developed a fresh approach to the subject matter. Does the painter or draftsman send a message with those petals, stamens, and stems? Although there are thousands of depictions of flowers out there, the ones that keep the subject matter interesting approach it in a variety of ways and imbue it with different meanings each time.

Oftentimes, a painting of a flower represents much larger themes than nature. It can be a meditation on mortality, spirituality, notions of artistic precedence, sexuality, gender, and even issues of environmentalism. "Fleurs: 1810-2010," a recent exhibition of more than 50 floral works at the Benrimon Contemporary Gallery, in New York City, proved that, despite the identical subject matter, the possible interpretations are endless.

Tamara de Lempicka's vase of lilies-distorted but linear, with an approach to light that is edged and planar like the facets of a jewel-could never be confused with Renoir's brushy and ebulliently colored bouquet. Nor could Tom Wesselmann's work or Marc Chagall's. Each artist approached the subject matter with his or her own artistic purpose, and didn't let anything overrule it, from the precedent set by a well-established genre to the second-guessing that can often accompany choosing a compositional setup.

Striving to clarify your own personal vision is a constant battle, but it's worthwhile venture—one with which American Artist can provide guidance along the way. The process and interests of master painters, step-by-step painting studies, and recommendations about materials and workshops—American Artist has all of these within its pages, ready for you to discover.

Workshops Raise the Bar for Artists

Courtney Jordan — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 03:15:00 GMT

Robert Johnson's floral still life demonstration began with a studied, thoughtfully
arranged composition (left) that culminated in the oil painting on the right.

Robert Johnson strikes the perfect balance between master artist and down-to-earth mentor, supporting his students while pushing them to create the best works that they can. At a recent three-day workshop sponsored by The Art League School in Alexandria, Virginia, Johnson led students through the stages of creating a still life floral painting with oils. He was engaging from the very beginning, starting with a three-hour demonstration, during which he fielded questions about brushstroke technique, supplies, color-palette choices, and the attributes of his favored medium, which happens to be Gamsol.

From the start, Johnson emphasized the importance of spending quality time thinking through and arranging the elements of a still life composition. I arrived at the workshop 45 minutes before it began and Johnson was just starting to organize his setup and he finished only as students started to file in. “Give sufficient time to design,” he told them. “The first stage of painting is the design stage—and it is not all about working in ‘odds, not evens’ or adhering to other rules, but more about creating variety and a sense of movement. You’re striving for shapes arranged in an artistically compelling way. The result should look natural, effortless.”

When the demonstration was over and the students began arranging their own still lifes, Johnson cautioned them to steer away from cluttered compositions, suggesting that they instead let highlights define forms. A pair of students was stumped about what to add to their composition, which consisted of a small copper pot, a single rose, and a few tangerines. The instructor suggested situating the items closer together so each appeared less isolated. He also proposed peeling one tangerine and having segments of it, along with the unpeeled fruit, in the composition so that there was more visual variety. But Johnson warned that too much variety can backfire if objects have no artistic relationship to one another. “A large lily in a delicate teacup and a tiny bud in a large vase are disjointed pairings, and they distract the viewer rather than draw them in,” he explained.

Johnson began by loosely painting forms, focusing on light and dark values, and only adding
color once he was satisfied with the composition. His depictions of flowers
started with the body of the flower as a lit mass, not individual petals.

When it came to depicting flowers, Johnson quipped that students have to “earn the petals.” He warned students that the problem in all floral painting is the temptation to get bogged down in petals. Instead of working from the petals backwards or inwards, Johnson paints the big, lit mass or body of the flower first, and then adds coloration to the form to give a sense of the petals.

Another aspect of floral still lifes that is often overlooked is the importance of greenery, but Johnson stressed that these verdant tendrils are a floral painting’s “supporting cast.” Giving stems, leaves, and the shadows they cast the same attention as flowers is an important part of a successful floral painting.

Spending time in a workshop with an artist-instructor such as Robert Johnson is a sure-fire way to accelerate one’s learning and improve skills. Workshop magazine takes you inside workshops taught by master artists all over the country, so the tips, guidance, and demonstrations are yours wherever you go. How has the workshop environment shaped your artistic growth? Whether it was a great experience that left you wanting more or one that wasn't quite what you expected, leave a comment and let us know. And for more expert instruction on still life painting, Still Life Painting Highlights is available now.

Watercolor Fundamentals

sdoherty — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:00:00 GMT

Roses and Delphiniums
by Janet Walsh, 2009, watercolor, 201⁄2 x 16.

Janet Walsh recently stopped by our New York office to deliver a new set of watercolor paintings to be photographed for her next article in Watercolor magazine. The images will illustrate the next installment of her popular Watercolor Fundamentals articles that offer detailed examples and complete instructions on painting flowers and still life arrangements. Because Janet is an experienced teacher and a past president of the American Watercolor Society, she has a special gift for helping artists master the exciting and challenging aspects of transparent watercolor. She is able to explain a complicated process in ways that are easy to understand and apply.

Janet is one of several professional artists who contribute to Watercolor on a regular basis, and we are grateful to all of them for helping to make the magazine a valuable, must-read resource for artists who love watermedia painting. Their step-by-step demonstrations and clear explanations are helpful to eager beginners as well as seasoned professionals.

I often hear people say, “Watercolor is difficult because you can’t correct your mistakes,” and I respond by pointing out that the articles in each quarterly issue of Watercolor can help artists avoid mistakes, salvage unresolved paintings, and master the medium. The beauty of watercolor is that it is at once simple and complicated. The three basic tools—paper, brush, and paint—can offer a lifetime of challenges and rewards.