Garden Tulip

[Laurene]

Mike's latest video inspired me to take up my pencils again. As he was explaining how he approached drawing Charlotte's soft features, I couldn't help but think of the softness of flower's petals. I'm not much of a botanical artist, but I have always loved Pierre-Joseph Redouté's work. You can find a lot of information for him online, but briefly, he documented the royal gardens in Paris at the time of Josephine Bonaparte.

This is his study of a common garden tulip which inspired my composition:

DWM - LSpino-Garden Tulip Redoute 02.jpg

Unusually for me, I have used mainly 2H and 4H, with a little HB and 6H, always using a very blunt tip. This is what I have so far:

[Mike Sibley]

That's a truly excellent use of light. I can instantly understand every curve and twist of those two leaves. And you've used the thickness of the leaves' edges and bright highlights to expose the important edges.

This is going to be spectacularly good! Not that I'm adding any pressure, of course

[Laurene]

Thanks Mike! I was feeling a little rusty at first but I’m really getting into it now. Luckily for me, flowers are not ultra precise…the petals and leaves wobble and twist and have all kinds of imperfections, making this a great subject for me right now.

[Mike Sibley]

I’m really getting into it now...

That's obvious. And so is the fact that.... it's like I can see inside your head. You're describing every twist and curl so wonderfully well that what you're imagining is crystal clear. Keep going.... I'm enjoying this!

[Laurene]

Thanks Mike! I didn't think I'd enjoy drawing a flower as much as I do.

I'm approaching it the same way I would wing or tail feathers, I would treat each feather as a separate drawing, and that's what I'm trying to do with these petals and leaves. This is as far as I've gotten.

I'm trying to find the darkest shadows first, and working lighter shadows from there. I'm finding that I have to go back and reinforce the darks using HB in order to get enough contrast.

DWM - LSpino-Garden Tulip 02.jpg

[Mike Sibley]

I didn't think I'd enjoy drawing a flower as much as I do.

I didn't doubt it for a minute - you enjoy drawing... go on, admit it

... I would treat each feather as a separate drawing, and that's what I'm trying to do with these petals and leaves.

When I discovered that way of drawing, I'm certain I made the biggest jump forwards ever. Well, I'm a bloke, so not expected to be multitasking , but it's so much easier to concentrate and recall things when you limit yourself to one piece of one object at a time.

I'm trying to find the darkest shadows first, and working lighter shadows from there. I'm finding that I have to go back and reinforce the darks using HB in order to get enough contrast.

But at least you are drawing the darkest first. TI'd rank that as my number two lightbulb moment - when I realised that drawing dark to light cut out all the guesswork. And all the overworking that comes with working light to dark.

This is still looking spectacular... not that I expect anything else, of course

[Shmush]

Very Impressive!

[Laurene]

Thank you Mike and Shmush .

I think I've taken this one as far as I can. I had trouble scanning the softer greys, but I think you can get a pretty good idea from the image below. This was quite an exercise in soft textures and I have to say I enjoyed using my pencils again! Please let me know if anything looks off before I spray it with fixative.

Thank you for following along! Your latest video again inspired me Mike and I think my next project will include much harder textures, like stone. From one extreme to the other!

[rideum51]

Wonderful, it must be spectacular to know that your technical skills allow you to be creative.

[Mike Sibley]

That is simply superb! I really feel I could reach out and feel the curves of the leaves, and the folds within the petals.

You've got to pick up a pencil more often... if only because we get so much enjoyment out of it