Botanic art is not an easy discipline. Last week I was very disappointed with my efforts with a Chaenomeles blossom which was only slightly alleviated by the excitement of reorganising my workroom. I will share only one of my drawings as it illustrates how difficult it was for me to draw petals (and I am too ashamed of the other drawings). A petal is delicate, light and ephemeral and flutters lightly in the breeze.
Chaenomeles blossom
Not under my heavy handed pencil work; my efforts do not do it justice in any shape or form.
My effort
So thoroughly discouraged I have put petals to one side for the moment, when I am more skilful I will revisit the lovely Chaenomeles and try again.
Thinking I need something a bit more solid to get my teeth into, my eye landed on Photinia Red Robin growing in the garden. Ah ha! tough, bold, good angles, shape and colour and not a petal in site – my next subject.
Ready to go
The outline drawing was accomplished fairly painlessly, and by the end of the day I had the outline ready on good paper ready to start the colour work. I think I am going to start drawing stones and rocks, why! Because plants move! They shift, they sag, they droop, they twist, bits fall off, they just change – moment by moment they are not the same. So the next morning all was different, so that is another skill that I need to acquire; the ability to be flexible and the ability to adapt.
Photinia set up
I am still working on this image, the colours are fun to work with, each leaf is different and I am enjoying the process. I have been listening an unabridged version audio book of Les Miserables, in all the time the musical has been running I have never seen it, and I still have not seen the film – well at least I know the story now.
Photinia work in progress
Hi Sue, please do not give up on your blossoms, your drawings are lovely. I would just like to make a couple of suggestions. To me they look heavy because your pencil lines at the top edge of the petal is to heavy, make that lighter or even break it and your petals will flutter more. The other trick is to not have a line at all and shade the background, not sure if that is in the true botanical art style though. Your second drawing is beautiful. Karen
Hi Karen, you are right about the pencil it is way too heavy, and thinking about what I did – I did not intend to colour the blossoms at all, it was just supposed to be some practice start drawings to get warmed up, but I got sidetracked and thought I would add colour. I am surprised how discouraged I felt, I obviously need to feel some ‘success’ at the end of the process. Thank you for taking the time to comment and encourage me. Sue
I think your drawings are beautiful. Maybe they did not turn out the way that you like but save them anyway and keep trying. I had an art professor who told us to draw one item 50 times in a half an hour with 3 different mediums, right hand and left hand, so we could loosen up in our style of drawing and get comfortable with creating the image before undertaking the process of creating a realistic still life of the object. Just an idea so you don’t give up.
That is very good advice, the more you do the more skill you acquire. Good fun too, I think. Easy to let go of a ‘bad’ drawing if you only spent 30 seconds on it. I like the idea of left hand drawing, you can’t possibly be precious if you are just struggling to make a mark! Thank you.
Sure. Thanks for sharing your work. I still think they’re beautiful!