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3B Graphite Pencil
Kneaded Eraser
Palette Knife (only for mixing)
Watercolor Rose Painting Tutorial Step by Step
Barbara has achieved a tremendous following on both the national and international level as a watercolor painter with a vivid and unique style.
Her paintings have been featured in solo and group exhibitions in museums and galleries throughout the United States, including the Phillips Museum of Art in Lancaster, Pennsylvania; the Millicent Rogers Museum in Taos, Mexico; the Salmagundi Club New York City; The Neville Museum in Green Bay Wisconsin; and the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts
Barbara is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society, the International Guild of Realism, the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society, and the Northeast Watercolor Society, among others.
She has been published in the major watercolor publications Splash: the Best of Watercolor Painting, and Secrets of Watercolor Masters. Barbara has been a featured artist in the leading national art magazines American Artist and Watercolor Magic.
Barbara is represented by the Oxford Gallery, 267 Oxford Street, Rochester, NY 14607
Visit Barbara’s Websites Today:
Dreamy Pinks watercolor 9 x 10″
Dreamy Pinks Painting Demonstration
Paints used for this watercolor painting: Winsor Newton and M. Graham, Holbein where noted.
- Cadmium Lemon
- New Gamboge
- Sap Green
- Hookers Green
- Peacock Blue (Holbein)
- Cobalt Blue
- Prussian Blue
- Dioxazine Purple
- Permanent Rose
- Opera (Holbein)
- Quinacridone Red
- Quinacridone Violet
- Alizarin Crimson
Paper I use is Jack Richeson 300 lb cold press watercolor paper.
Step 1 – pencil drawing on the paper.
For a complicated drawing like this, I usually do a tracing of my little photograph, then using my copy machine, I enlarge the image and copy this onto my watercolor paper. I hang the drawing on a big. sunny window, tape the wc paper over the drawing, then trace the image.
Step 2 -the color field
I paint in layers, so step one is painting the first layer. I call this my “base layer”, because I am painting the color of the subject, albeit with some variety. This is done in sections, painting every other petal, for the rose. Let each section dry completely before painting the section next to it., otherwise the colors will run.
I let the colors blend with a wet-on-wet technique, either:
A. wetting an area with water, then touching the colors on it,
B. laying in a colored wash, then adding the second and sometimes third color.
I used both techniques in this watercolor painting. They give the same results. Remember, the pigments flow with the water, so let the water do the work!
Slowly but surely, the roses are taking shape. I painted the petals using Hookers Green and Pthalo Blue, with Sap Green on the stem. Don’t be afraid to use rich and/or dark colors in this first step.
When the rose is completely painted with the first layer, and dry, I paint the background, in this case a spotty color field, again painted wet-on-wet. I used Cadmium Lemon, Hookers Green, Peacock Blue, Prussian Blue, Permanent Rose, Opera, and Dioxazine Violet.
To get this washy effect, wet the entire background area, then drop the colors next to each other . Tilt the paper to let the colors mix, but don’t do too much brushwork.
Step 3 – Shadows
Once the first layer of color is laid down, I proceed to paint the shadows. Usually the shadows on a flower are the same colors I’ve been using, only darker, and sometimes with a bit of purple (to grey the color) or cobalt blue (to cool the color). These roses are a cool pink, however, the underside of the petals and the interior is very warm- yellows, corals, and oranges. So, for these flowers, I used Dioxazine Violet and Quinacridone Violet to paint the shadows on the outside of the petals, and Alizarin Crimson and Quinacridone Red for the interior of the blossom.
Just as I painted STEP 1, I paint the shadows wet-on-wet, letting the pigments mix on the page.
Step 4- deeper colors
Background: I painted another layer of the background, making it very dark, but with beautiful, rich colors. I added drops of water onto the wet pigment here and there. The water pushes the pigment back and creates this out-of-focus mottled effect.
This technique makes very different effects depending on how wet the paper is, so practice it a bit. Also, the pigments react differently, depending on their staining* quality.
*Many watercolor paints are divided into Staining or Granular colors. It is a whole other “science“ of watercolor painting that I don‘t get too involved in. There is probably more information on the Internet, if you’re interested.
When the background was dry, I went over it again with a rich mixture of Peacock Blue. This unifies all the colors and visually pushes back the bright pinks and yellows. We don’t want those competing for attention with the flowers. Peacock Blue is one of those great colors that seems to layer beautifully over most other colors.
Step 5 -details, details
I use another layer of paint (the same colors) to enhance the colors in the darkest areas, still painting wet-on-wet. I very lightly paint the veins on some of the petals. Finally I add a small touch of Dioxazine Violet in the very darkest areas. Voila! A lush and luminous pair of roses!
STEP 1: Primary Idea: Light and Raindrops
Every decision made as I paint is led by a the primary idea. What exactly do I want to say about these roses? Beauty fills my heart with joy when I see the wet petal’s rich colors and raindrops sparkling on the deep green leaves. So the primary idea was to celebrate the form, subtle color, and textures of this gorgeous white rose.
Freehand Drawing
Freehand drawing, rather than tracing a photograph, is super important to my process. Tracing makes it too easy to draw lines and shapes without understanding what they are and how those elements interact to create a composition. Shadows and object edges are easily confused.
I draw directly on a gessoed panel with a 3B pencil exploring the composition to become better acquainted with all the elements in the painting and their relationship to each other. Close attention is paid to the placement of the rose blossom, and the angles and sweep of the leaves.
Workable Spray Fixative is applied to hold the drawing in place.
STEP 3: Block-In
Focus on the large dark shapes
Blocking-In is the time to create a solid structure of form, shape, value, and color. I start by establishing the darkest values first. Working from the background to the foreground, I use a mixture of alizarin crimson and ultramarine blue. Their transparency creates a cool, lush, dark color that sets the stage richer, saturated colors that come later.
I make the green for the leaves with a mixture of ivory black and Indian yellow, and modulate the temperature and value of that mix using titanium white and cadmium yellow deep.
The blossom shape is left untouched until I am satisfied with the dark background. There needs to be enough contrast in the dark areas to separate the leaves from the dark background while allowing the natural-looking edges used to help anchor the leaves to the rest of the scene.
STEP 4: Block-In continued
The blossom takes shape
I paint the rose petal’s cool shadows and warm yellow undertone with thin layers of color. The pearly gray colors of cast shadows are created with titanium white, a touch of ivory black, Indian yellow, and a trace of alizarin crimson. The blossom’s base color is a stain made from Indian yellow, and transparent red iron oxide scrubbed on the panel with a bristle brush. Transparent layers keep colors saturated and purer than opaque colors do. I take advantage of those colors in the final stage of painting when I let them shine through subsequent layers of paint.
