This content uses links from which we may earn a commission. Disclosure.
Colorful Metamorphosis of Orange Daffodils
In the realm of art, few subjects evoke a sense of beauty and joy quite like flowers. The delicate and vibrant nature of daffodils has long fascinated artists, inspiring countless works of art throughout history.
In this tutorial, I am thrilled to share with you my latest oil painting featuring stunning orange daffodils, which not only pays homage to the great Masters like Monet and Rembrandt but also employs the classical realism technique to bring these flowers to life.
Join me on a journey as I unveil the process of creating this captivating masterpiece, from a monochrome grisaille block-in to the infusion of brilliant, glowing colors.
STEP 1A Prelude to Colors: The Grisaille Block-In
- Before diving into the vibrant world of colors, the initial stages of my painting involved embracing the classical approach of the grisaille technique.
- By working with shades of warm brown, I focused on capturing the play of light and shadow through the abstraction of simple geometric shapes.
- The daffodil’s core, resembling a box or a cylinder, emerged as the focal point, with planes in light and shadow, creating a foundation for the subsequent layers of colors to come.
STEP 2The Illusion of White: Translucent Petals & Rainbow Hues
- One of the remarkable aspects of daffodils is their translucent white petals, which possess the ability to reflect an entire rainbow of colors.
- In my painting, I aimed to capture this ethereal quality by subtly hinting at the presence of each hue within the delicate petals.
- By carefully layering transparent glazes and employing the technique of optical mixing, I created an illusion of white illuminated by sunlight.
- The interplay of colors within the petals adds depth and visual interest, elevating the painting to a new level of realism.
Art We Like: Spring Daffodils by Ira Whittaker
Many cultures celebrate the first day of spring on the 1 st of March when they mark the event with a bouquet of spring flowers, with a white and red thread as a symbol of spring in some East European countries or with a daffodil worn by Welsh people on St. David’s day.
We also wanted to mark the beginning of spring and we had a hard job choosing just one painting for our “artwork of the week”. ‘Spring Daffodils’ by Ira Whittaker captures the essence of spring as the bright yellow of the flowers stand out beautifully against a dark grey background. We talked to Ira about the inspiration for this artwork and we are very excited to share it with you:
Where did the inspiration come from for this piece and what is the creative process when creating your floral art?
One day, while shopping in the store, I saw green stems of flowers. Those were not yet blossoming daffodils. I bought them, brought them home and put them in a jar of water. They brightened up my room and made it cosy, like the first rays of the sun after a long winter. Day by day, the daffodils opened up and became more and more beautiful. Those sunny flowers reminded me of the coming summer and inspired me to paint. The easel, paints, brushes and canvas were in my hands. The creative process began. This is the most exciting feeling.
I can paint my pictures for hours, forgetting about time and food. I often deviate from the original and bring my own colours to the painting. In this picture, I adjusted the colour of the petals a bit, and I also made an intricately smoky background. You can see this in the photo.
I painted the picture for a week in several sessions, until the flowers had their strength and beauty. Gradually, the daffodils wilted, but their shining and wonderful mood remained in my painting, which I am very glad about.
Goodies You Can’t Google
You’ve found a member-exclusive project. But for less than the price of a fancy coffee. You’ll get instant access to this and over 2,000 other premium projects inside the Lia Griffith membership!
“With Lia, you get a ton of beautiful projects from one site. It saves me time searching the web, and the project tutorials and videos are easy to follow. I definitely get my money’s worth every month!” Vivian
Nothing says spring like daffodils! We have made some simple paper daffodils in the past. So we kicked it up a notch for this month’s Member Make with the addition of PanPastel pigments and acrylic paint. If you haven’t used these mediums before, we encourage you to try them out! They are a great way to make your paper flowers look more realistic.
Ready to join this month’s challenge and learn how to make crepe paper daffodils? Here’s how it works:
How to Join the Member Make Challenge
- Become a member and join our Member Make Facebook page.
- Gather the tools and materials you need for this project—listed below. Then download the daffodil flower template at the end of this post. There is an SVG file for those of you with a Cricut Maker and a PDF template for those of you cutting by hand. (We cut ours by hand!)
- Watch the video to craft along with me and create your own version of this flower. Feel free to use different colors, create different sizes, make just one flower or a whole bunch, integrate them into another DIY project, and so on.
- Reach out to me and others in the community if you need some support! You can post progress pictures or ask questions on our Member Make Facebook page.
- Share your finished project with us by the end of the month to be entered in our giveaway. Make sure to post your pictures on our Member Make Facebook page or on your Instagram page with the hashtag #MemberMake. And feel free to include a little blurb about your flower-making experience!
How to Make Crepe Paper Daffodils
Once you have everything ready to go, watch our video tutorial above!
- Lia Griffith Extra-Fine Crepe Paper — Secret Garden Collection or singles in Cypress, Coral, Blush, Chiffon,Vanilla, and Linen plus Gold
- Lia Griffith Double-Sided Crepe Paper — Ferns & Moss
- Floral Tape — Fern & Moss
- PanPastel Lia Griffith Designer Set — Pearlescent Red, Orange, and Bright Yellow Green
- Thick Paper-Covered Stem Wire
- Floral Wire – 24-Gauge Paper Covered White
- Aleene’s Turbo Tacky Glue
- Acrylic Paint — Golden Straw
Tired of scrolling endlessly for the perfect project? Save time, money, and Google-induced headaches with us! Our membership makes it easy to create beautifully finished crafts without needing to look all over the internet for ideas and materials or spend lots of money on individual videos and templates.
