I am taking a watercolor class from Rene Eisenbart, a local artist and botanical illustrator. She mentioned in class that one technique with watercolors is to use graphite for some of the shading, so I did that here as a way to ease myself into painting, since I am much more comfortable with graphite than paints.
I bought a bouquet of Asiatic lilies from the market and did the pencil drawing during the first class then did the watercolor at home, while holding my breath a lot! Today was the second class so I asked for her feedback, and she suggested that I darken some of the graphite outline in the shaded areas–that really helped bring the lily into ‘focus’.
This blog is about my journey as a botanical artist--what I am learning, what inspires me and what I am currently drawing or painting. My desire is to continually hone my skills to better express my wonder and gratitude for the beauty of the creation around me in the Pacific Northwest (USA).
You did a very nice job. I like the shading, and lilies are one of my favorite flowers.
It’s just lovely, Janene…so satiny!
Looks neat, delicate and pretty!
Wow, this is stunning! I love the way the graphite give the piece a completely different touch, very very nice. I will definitely try using graphite on wc too. And the class sound like so much fun!
I love the shiny leaves and the delicate petals, a truly beautiful flower…
Oh, lovely! I’m partial to lilies. 😉
It is beautifully done! And thanks for that tip, think I’ll try that one!
It really is beautiful. It looks so delicate, and your colors are just right! nancy
Gorgeous! Everyone else took the words out of my fingers. 🙂
Just lovely, Janene! I never would have thought to use graphite for shading. It works so well here!
-Krista
http://www.kristameister.com
This is a beautiful creation. I enjoyed visiting your site. Wishing you continued inspiration, Lili
Thank you Lili–I am glad you enjoyed your visit! Love your name, btw!