Orchids are the subject of endless fascination, with fan clubs all over the world. Take a look at this list of planet-wide orchid societies if you have any doubt about that. In another watercolor orchid tutorial, I discuss orchid symbolism.
Draw 50 Flowers, Trees, And Other Plants the Step-By-Step Way to Draw Orchids, Weeping Willows,
BOOKS IN THIS SERIES Draw 50 Airplanes, Aircraft, and Spacecraft Draw 50 Aliens Draw 50 Animal ‘Toons Draw 50 Animals Draw 50 Athletes Draw 50 Baby Animals Draw 50 Beasties Draw 50 Birds Draw 50 Boats, Ships, Trucks, and Trains Draw 50 Buildings and Other Structures Draw 50 Cars, Trucks, and Motorcycles Draw 50 Cats Draw 50 Creepy Crawlies Draw 50 Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals Draw 50 Dogs Draw 50 Endangered Animals Draw 50 Famous Cartoons Draw 50 Flowers, Trees, and Other Plants Draw 50 Horses Draw 50 Magical Creatures Draw 50 Monsters Draw 50 People Draw 50 Princesses Draw 50 Sharks, Whales, and Other Sea Creatures Draw 50 Vehicles Draw the Draw 50 Way
Copyright © 1994 by Jocelyn S. Ames and Murray D. Zak All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Watson-Guptill Publications, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, in 2012. www.crownpublishing.com WATSON-GUPTILL and the WG and Horse designs are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc. Originally published in hardcover in the United States by Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, in 1994. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ames, Lee J. Draw 50 flowers, trees, and other plants / Lee J. Ames with P. Lee Ames. — 1st ed. p. cm. 1. Flower painting and illustration—Technique—Juvenile literature. 2. Flowers in art—Juvenile literature. 3. Plants in art—Juvenile literature. [1. Flower painting and illustration—Technique. 2. Flowers in art. 3. Plants in art.] I. Ames, P. Lee (Parsis Lee) II. Title. III. Title: Draw fifty flowers, trees, and other plants. NC805.A43 1994 743’.7—dc20 94-7192 eISBN: 978-0-77043292-8
To Jocelyn, who makes things beautifully verdant … always.
Cover Title Page Copyright Dedication Author’s Note To the Reader First Page About the Author Draw 50 Flowers, Trees, and Other Plants
Author’s Note In recent books, I have worked with artists whom I consider to be superbly talented. All are top achievers and craftspeople, highly acclaimed by their colleagues and fans … and some have names and work you may recognize. This way we are making available to you other styles of drawing, techniques that are different from my own. With that in mind, I consider myself very lucky to have been able to persuade Persis Lee Ames to join with me in creating this book. P. Lee Ames studied extensively at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and at the Art Students League in New York City. She then entered the commercial art field and developed a career in advertising, book illustration, jewelry design, and silver and greeting cards for Tiffany & Co. Now that her children are grown, she works full-time on commissions for portraits, landscapes, and murals for interior designers and private clients. Her work can be found in private collections here and in Europe, and has been featured in major magazines and newspapers. Mrs. Ames considers herself an illustrator of nature and a realistic painter. Flora is her specialty. She also excels in imaginative and whimsical trompe l’oeil and faux finishes. Recently she has studied at the Isabel O’Neil Studio in New York City, famed for its accomplishments in decorative arts. Her portrait paintings, murals, and screens demonstrate the artistic talents of this truly Renaissance woman. And in case you’re wondering, Persis and I are not related.
To the Reader To be able to see and enjoy what you are seeing is much to be grateful for. But even more, being able to reproduce and convey to others, by drawing, what you see or imagine provides greater satisfaction. As in all my books, my purpose and pleasure are to show others, like yourself, a way to construct drawings. This world is full of glorious things to see. I think you’ll agree that the flowers, fruits, trees, and the rest of the subject matter here are testament to our beautiful world. In my earlier books, living subjects were all chosen from the animal kingdom. The other major kingdom in the tree of life is the vegetable kingdom, and almost all the drawings in this book are from there. The only exception is the mushroom, which is one of the Fungi. When you start working, I suggest you use clean white bond paper or drawing paper and a pencil with moderately soft lead (HB or No. 2). Keep a kneaded eraser handy (available at art supply stores). Choose the subject you want to draw and then, very lightly and very carefully, sketch out the first step. Also very lightly and carefully, add the second step. As you go along, study not only the lines but the spaces between the lines. Size your first steps to fill your drawing paper agreeably, not too large, not too small. Remember the first steps must be constructed with the greatest care. A mistake here could ruin the whole thing. As you work, it’s a good idea to hold a mirror to your sketch from time to time. The image in the mirror frequently shows distortion you might not recognize otherwise. You will notice that new step additions (in color) are printed darker. This is so they can be clearly seen. But keep your construction steps always very light. Here’s where the kneaded eraser can be useful. You can lighten a pencil stroke that is too dark by pressing on it with the eraser. When you’ve completed all the light steps, and when you’re sure you have everything the way you want it, finish your drawing with firm, strong penciling. If you like, you can go over this with India ink (applied with a fine brush or pen) or a permanent fine-tipped ballpoint pen or a felt-tipped
marker. When the drawing is thoroughly dry, you can then use the kneaded eraser to clean out all the underlying pencil marks. Remember, if your first attempts at drawing do not turn out the way you’d like, it’s important to keep trying. Your efforts will eventually pay off, and you’ll be pleased and surprised at what you can accomplish. I sincerely hope you’ll improve your drawing skills and have a great time drawing these beautiful plants. LEE J. AMES
Rose Family: Rosaceae Genus: Rosa
Weeping Willow Family: Salicaceae Genus: Salix
Daisy Family: Compositae Genus: Chrysanthemum
Foxglove Family: Scrophulariaceae Genus: Digitalis
Christmas Cactus Family: Cactaceae Genus: Schlumbergera
White Pine Family: Pinaceae Genus: Pinus
Passionflower Family: Passifloraceae Genus: Passiflora
Tulip Family: Liliaceae Genus: Tulipa
Brussels Sprout Family: Cruciferae Genus: Brassica
Poppy Family: Papaveraceae
Fir Family: Pinaceae Genus: Abies
Iris Family: Iridaceae Genus: Iris
Mushroom (poisonous) Family: Agaricaceae Genus: Amanita
Water Lily Family: Nymphaeaceae Genus: Numphaea
Saguaro Family: Cactaceae Genus: Cereus
Madonna Lily Family: Liliaceae Genus: Lilium
Skunk Cabbage Family: Araceae Genus: Symplocarpus
Daffodil Family: Amaryllidaceae Genus: Narcissus
Poinsettia Family: Euphorbiaceae Genus: Euphorbia
Orange Family: Rutaceae Genus: Citrus
Gladiolus Family: Iridaceae Genus: Gladiolus
Baobab Family: Bombacaceae Genus: Adansonia
Narcissus Family: Amaryllidaceae Genus: Narcissus
Peas Family: Leguminosae Genus: Pisum
Palm Family: Palmae Genus: Cocos
Chrysanthemum Family: Compositae
Grape Family: Vitaceae Genus: Vitis
Dogwood Family: Cornaceae Genus: Cornus
Mountain Laurel Family: Ericaceae Genus: Kalmia
Prickly Pear Family: Cactaceae Genus: Opuntia
Giant Sequoia Family: Taxodiaceae Genus: Sequoiadendron
Angel’s Trumpet Family: Solanaceae Genus: Datura
Oak Family: Fagaceae Genus: Quercus
Orchid Family: Orchidaceae Genus: Cattleya
Douglas Fir Family: Pinaceae Genus: Pseudotsuga
Strawberry Family: Rosaceae Genus: Fragaria
Protea Family: Proteaceae Genus: Protea
Hollyhock Family: Malvaceae
Chinese Lantern Family: Solanaceae Genus: Physalis
Calla Lily Family: Araceae Genus: Zantedeschia
Holly Family: Aquifoliaceae Genus: Ilex
Kapok Family: Bombacaceae Genus: Ceiba
Maple Family: Aceraceae Genus: Acer
Gloxinia Family: Gesneiaceae Genus: Sinningia
Lady’s Slipper Family: Orchidaceae Genus: Cypripedium
Artichoke Family: Compositae Genus: Cynara
Cup-and-Saucer Vine Family: Polemoniaceae Genus: Cobaea
Thistle Family: Compositae Genus: Cirsium
Pineapple Family: Bromeliaceae Genus: Ananas
Morning Glory Family: Convolvulaceae Genus: Ipomoea
Lee J. Ames began his career at the Walt Disney Studios, working on films that included Fantasia and Pinocchio. He taught at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, and at Dowling College on Long Island, New York. An avid worker, Ames directed his own advertising agency, illustrated for several magazines, and illustrated approximately 150 books that range from picture books to postgraduate texts. He resided in Dix Hills, Long Island, with his wife, Jocelyn, until his death in June 2011. Persis Lee Ames studied at the Museum of Fine Arts School in Boston and at the Art Students League in New York City. After a professional career in the commercial art field, including advertising, book illustration, jewelry design, and silver and greeting cards for Tiffany & Co., she married and had four children.
DRAW 50 FLOWERS, TREES, AND OTHER PLANTS Experience All That the Draw 50 Series Has to Offer!
With this proven, step-by-step method, Lee J. Ames has taught millions how to draw everything from amphibians to automobiles. Now it’s your turn! Pick up the pencil, get out some paper, and learn how to draw everything under the sun with the Draw 50 series. Also Available: Draw 50 Airplanes, Aircraft, and Spacecraft Draw 50 Animals Draw 50 Athletes Draw 50 Baby Animals Draw 50 Cars, Trucks, and Motorcycles Draw 50 Sharks, Whales, and Other Sea Creatures Draw 50 Vehicles
Step 1: Drawing the pink orchid outline.
When I started drawing the orchid, I realized it was a bit like drawing butterflies. The petals are arranged symmetrically, and this poses a specific challenge. If you draw a butterfly without perspective, you can get away with drawing only half. Trace that and then transfer the flipped half and voilà! you’ve got a butterfly. But orchids don’t come that easy. Even a “headshot” has a slight perspective, as in the reference photo for this tutorial. I found no exceptions in my photo search.
My book “How to Draw Flowers Step by Step. 46 Easy Designs” is a helpful tool for practicing flower drawing. No perspectives, realism, or decoding of flowers. Just clear, simple steps to draw 46 different flowers.
The orchid drawing in this tutorial is available as a free download in the One Tree Art Club library. (Members: check your newsletter for access). You can trace and transfer it to your paper.
Step 2: Drawing the shadows with watercolor pencils.
Before you start drawing, choose the pencils you are going to use. My Arteza watercolor pencil set has many colors, so I selected shades of pink and purple. One of the colors is even called Orchid Purple.
I transferred my own drawing to watercolor paper. Afterward, I erased the lines on the petals lightly. With a tiny amount of graphite left behind, you can still see the lines. The reason for this is to avoid smudging by the dark pencil mark. The purple lines will come out “dirty” if drawn on top of pencil lines.
Squint your eyes to see the dark areas of the petals clearly. Then draw the shadows first. Make soft gradations, just like you do with ordinary pencils. I used a darker purple, with a pink overlay in some places.
Step 3: Draw the lines on the petals.
You don’t need to be exact when you draw the lines on the petals. The reference photo is a guide only. You are going to create your own beautiful flower, not a carbon copy. Still, look at the photograph to guide you. Drawing the lines takes a bit of patience. To avoid getting bored, I suggest you listen to a podcast while drawing. You may even find yourself wanting to draw more lines once you get in the flow.
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Expand/Collapse Synopsis
Draw 50 Flowers, Trees, and Other Plants shows artists of all levels how to draw with ease by following simple, step-by-step examples. Celebrated author Lee J. Ames shows you how to create a lush garden of roses, orchids, cacti, and a variety of fruit, as well as forests of towering firs, sequoias, and weeping willows.
Ames’s drawing method has proven successful for children and adults of all ages over the past forty years. The twenty-nine books in the Draw 50 series have sold more than 5 million copies and have shown artists from beginning to advanced levels how to draw everything from animals to airplanes. It’s easy to grow your own garden when it’s done the Draw 50 way.
