What flowers you are able to draw or paint depends entirely o n where you are and what season it is. In Colorado’s summer mountains, you’re liable to see huge blue columbines. In the Adirondacks in June, you’ll find bunchberry, lady’s slipper orchids and more. In the Ozarks, spring brings lovely ground-hugging birdsfoot violets, with their lacy, fern-like foliage. The drier mountains of California in early fall are a tapestry of dried wildflower heads in many rich shades and colors, along with the bright coral red of California fuschia or Zauschneria. In another season, the foothills are golden with fields of California poppy.
Collect (if it is legal and safe to do so) a few flowers or seed heads to paint in detail. Otherwise, paint on the spot with as much detail as you can. You may enjoy trying to identify them or simply delight in their shapes and colors.
These varied flowers were thick along State Highway 39 through the Angeles National Forest at the end of September. The Angeles National Forest is in the San Gabriel Mountains.
A quick pencil sketch can be brought to life with a little watercolor or a wash.
ANGELES WILDFLOWERS
Watercolor on Strathmore cold-pressed watercolor paper
12" × 9" (30cm × 23cm)
A complex subject may work well with a somewhat abstracted approach. Acrylic, gouache or other opaque medium may help, or try masking fluid to retain the lights.
COLORADO COLUMBINE
Watercolor pencil and watercolor on Fabriano hot-pressed watercolor paper
7" × 5" (18cm × 13cm)
Focus on a single flower. If you have the opportunity, columbine makes a beautiful contrast against a dark green background. Notice the large secondary petal at upper left. I left the watercolor pencil untouched there to show the pencil strokes.
Don’t let your work become too uniform or it will look as if it were pasted on. This is sometimes a danger with a light subject on a dark background. Try these variations:
1. Leave some pencil work untouched—the linear effect is pleasing.
2. Lost and found edges integrate subject with background. Here, a damp brush blends colors softly.
3. A bit more water creates lovely puddles. I like the fresh, juicy hard edges that form when the puddles dry.
4. Keep other areas crisp and clean like this, instead of soft.
5. Subtle color or temperature variations are nice, too. The tip of this petal is warmer than some of the other shadowed areas.
In the Adirondacks in June, bunchberry hides under the trees. I drew these in my journal and was able to use my sketch to identify them later (another great use for your artwork).