no. 12 flat • 1⁄4-inch (6mm) scruffy
Thicket • Fresh Foliage • Yellow Light • Burnt Sienna • Black Cherry • Rose Pink
1. Create a Faux Leather background following the instructions in the techniques section. Let dry. Paint the stems and long thin leaves with Thicket and Fresh Foliage double-loaded on a no. 12 flat. Occasionally pick up Yellow Light to vary the colors of the leaves.
2. Begin the blossoms with the background flowers and opening bud. Load Yellow Light on a no. 12 flat, sometimes picking up a little Burnt Sienna to shade the petals. Paint each petal by starting at the outer tip and pulling toward the center.
3. For the foreground blossoms, load a no. 12 flat with Yellow Light and pull the back petals first. The petals are shorter in the back and get longer as they come around the sides. The front petals are longest. To paint the center cones, load a 1⁄4-inch (6mm) scruffy with Black Cherry. Pounce on the centers of the open blossoms. While the Black Cherry is still wet, pull little streaks out onto the petals with a no. 12 flat and Burnt Sienna.
4. Clean up the edges of the cones with dots of Black Cherry. Highlight the tips of the cones with Rose Pink on a no. 12 flat.