Learn to Paint A Simple Daisy

As promised, long ago, I am posting the how to paint a daisy tutorial.

This is part of the Learn to Paint series.  Click on link in navigational bar to see other posts in this series.

  I was working on a new chalkboard and thought the black background the perfect surface for some pretty summer daisies.  And since I was painting daisies this was good time to get the tutorial done.

This is a full shot of the chalk board so far. I may put a trim line along the side and bottom too or a daisy in each bottom corner. I am still deciding.



I also left the peek into my studio un-cropped, it gives you a quick idea of the “out of control chaos” goin’ on in there.

I will include links to several short videos.  The audio might not be the greatest but you really just want to see how I paint and not hear my yammering anyways.  They are short but many, I have not mastered how to splice videos together.  A techie trick I have to add to my ‘yet to learn’ list.

Now for the tutorial.

First off I have a drawing I work from.  Sometimes I don’t use one as I can just jump in and paint them but when you are starting out,  a sketch is good.  This came out of one of my painting books, I think a Priscilla Hauser one, not certain.



Since I will be working on a dark surface I will transfer the pattern with chalk instead of using graphite paper.  (there is white transfer paper but I am out of it at present)

I flip the pattern over and run a piece of chalk on the back surface mostly behind the drawing. 



Then I flip it face up, position it and take a pencil or pen and trace over the drawing. 

You end up with something like this.  I had hand drawn the circle in for the rose so I could position to daisies around it.



It is a bit messy with chalk dust but that dust brushes right off.
As is my usual practice I base in the leaves first, and the rose.  (to see how I do my leaves check this post: Leaves)



I undercoat the petals in an Vintage white.  I use a #6 filbert brush, Loew-Cornell. First I do paint in a small golden yellow oval for placement of the center.

Undercoat petals

When I am in a hurry I dry the separate coats with a blow dryer.  So between videos that is what I am doing.  If a coat is still to wet with acrylic craft paints it just pulls up the prior coat.

Once dry I apply the second coat to the petals in white.  You do not have to be perfect, if the undercoat shows around some edges that just gives it dimension.

Go over petals with white

Now for the centers. I go over the centers once again with the golden yellow color.

Shadow along the bottom of the center with a yellow ochre and along the top with a brighter yellow to highlight some.
You can tap it in or stroke it for whichever effect you wish.

work on centers

centers continued

centers dimple

finishing touches

Use a small flat brush to stroke in a small C stroke with Burnt Umber for a dimple. Seems I did not get a still shot of putting in that part but it is in the videos.

Here is the final result, some bright summery daisies on your chalkboard.



One final shot of the chalkboard.

That’s it for today folks.  Enjoy and happy painting. 






 
Share your cup Thursday

Learn to Paint Lesson 5 continued

I am sorry, I did promise this post sooner but as you can tell that did not happen.

(for more Learn to Paint posts just click the link in the toolbar above)

I have endured a weird set of circumstances (stiff neck and muscle spasms in my right shoulder)which has proven nearly debilitating.  I am sitting here with a hot rice sock on the offending area as we speak and to top it off I broke a tooth yesterday.  So now that that whine fest is over and you have all become sympathetic to my plight I will finally get the ‘geranium’ flower steps posted for you.

And I have attached a few more videos at the bottom of this post.  

In this lesson I am using a #8 flat brush.  Double load your brush then start on the chisel edge, press,



wiggle your brush up and down as you make a narrow arc



and bring the brush down to the beginning letting the bristles spring back to a chisel point.  It might help to make a dot for the beginning and end spot as a guideline.



Like the other 5 petal flowers you make your little man with the head then 2 arms



and then the two legs.



If you wish to add a secondary color to the center you can at this point by dipping the corner of your brush into the new color (here I used yellow) and brush it in loosely.  To make it more transparent just mix some blending gel into your brush first.



Tap in some dark dots with a liner brush



Then add some smaller lighter dots on top



voila! A geranium blossom.

Watch the video for a few ways to paint 5 petal flowers including the geranium type blossom.

5 petal flower video

This short video shows a similar way but with the petals closer together and overlapping a bit.

more of a good thing

A repeat of how scallop strokes can be used for a flower, repeat info.

So what is next…hmmm, how about a daisy??
 
Okay I will work on getting a daisy post up soon.

Happy painting.  Back to my studio for me, I have painting to do!

q Pamela  r