PROJECT SHEET

For this watercolour project, you will move through six steps to create this watercolour rose.

You’ll begin by carefully sketching out our subject, and then slowly bring this beautiful painting to life, one layer at a time.

Be prepared to be patient as we allow our layers of paint to dry between applications (this is key for detailed watercolour paintings!).

Beginners and intermediate painters alike are encouraged and welcome to try their hand at this painting!

Time: 1-2 hours recommended.

INTRODUCTION

Watercolour Rose

MATERIALS LIST

1. Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolours:

• Alizarin Crimson• Winsor Yellow• Permanent Sap Green• Winsor Blue (Green Shade)

2. Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolour Paper Block (Cold Pressed, 7x10 or 9x12)

3. Winsor & Newton Series 7 Kolinsky Sable Hair Brushes (Size 2 and 00)

4. Mixing palette

5. Towel or napkin (for blotting paint)

6. Pencil (F) and eraser

7. 2 cups of water (1 for rinsing brushes of paint, and 1 kept clean for mixing new colours)

PROJECT STEPS

STEP 1: Sketch Your Painting

With any detailed watercolour painting, it’s important to begin with a thorough sketch of your subject. An F pencil is a great one to use, I find that I’m able to erase the markings easily (after the painting is completely dried and finished of course!) Be sure to take your time here, a good sketch makes all the difference in your finished product!

If it helps to trace the sketch I have referenced here, hold it up to a bright window, and then place your watercolour paper over it and carefully follow the lines. You can also pull up my sketch on your computer, place your paper over it, and gently trace it (it helps to be in a dark room!).

STEP 2: Underwash

The first step is to paint an even layer, called an “underwash,” of our lightest colour values. “Value” refers to the lightness or darkness of colour.

To begin, evenly space out small amounts of colour onto your palette. With a very wet size 2 brush, gently touch your Alizarin Crimson and create a small puddle of a very faint pink colour. This mix will be mostly water. Cover every bit of your rose with that light watery Alizarin Crimson mix. Try your best to make this layer of colour as even and smooth as you can!

As the paint on the rose dries, mix a blend of Winsor Yellow and Permanent Sap Green to create your leaf underwash. Mix a small puddle of colour on your palette. Once your rose is completely dry to the touch (we don’t want the leaf colour and rose colours to touch each other, or the colours will become muddy!) Paint an even layer of this colour to each of your leaves and the stem.

Watercolour Rose

While working with watercolour, I try to avoid going dark too quickly. Instead, I build layers of colour slowly and thoughtfully, adding darker colour values as I go.

TIP

PROJECT STEPS

STEP 3: Deepening Rose Colour Value

Once your painting is completely dry, it’s time to paint a second layer of paint onto the rose petals.

On your palette, mix Winsor Yellow with Alizarin Crimson. This mix should be a darker value than your first mix. Starting on the outermost petals, move around the rose, slowly adding the darker pink mix into the crevices of the petals (as pictured). Be careful to keep the edge of your petals a light pink colour.

STEP 4: Deepening Leaves Colour Value

Next, mix some Permanent Sap Green on your palette. Using your smaller brush, carefully add more colour to your leaves avoiding the yellow veins. This part is a bit more tricky, so work slowly here!

For the rose stem, I carefully painted along each edge of the stem, then used my damp, clean brush to smooth the lines, keeping the center of the stem light green.

Watercolour Rose

To create smooth gradients of colour, once you put paint on your paper, you can come back with a clean, damp paintbrush and use it to gently smooth the shadows on your rose. To really deepen these colours, you may need to do 2-3 layers of colour on each petal. Since watercolour appears lighter once it’s dry, it often takes many layers of paint to create dark colour.

TIP

PROJECT STEPS

STEP 5: Deepening Petals Value

Once the paint layer from step 4 is dry, mix a heavy mixture of Alizarin Crimson with a little bit of Winsor Yellow and Winsor Blue to create a dark reddish brown colour. Using your smaller brush, add the dark mixture in between the petals in the places that would be submerged in shadow.

STEP 6: Darken Contrast to Leaves

Finally, go back to the leaves and add a heavy mixture of Permanent Sap Green with a bit of Alizarin Crimson (to keep the green on the warmer side!) Paint the green mix onto the leaves in the spots where you want them to be an even darker value of green. Once the painting is completely dry, erase all the pencil markings. And there you have it — You’ve finished this watercolour rose painting, congratulations! Don’t forget to sign your work!

Watercolour Rose

Dotting or dropping colour is a great way to leave more colour on your paper (instead of brushing it on!) I typically only use this technique when I want a very dark colour value.

TIP

Watercolour Rose

ABOUT WINSOR & NEWTON

In 1832 chemist William Winsor and artist Henry Newton brought together the knowledge of the scientist and the creativity of the artist to offer an unprecedented choice of colour, clarity and permanence to fine artists. It is this commitment to quality and innovation which are part of a rich heritage which informs Winsor & Newton to this day. We’re dedicated to the craft of the fine artist and to providing them with new ways to explore their creativity, allowing them to share their work with a worldwide community. We embrace new ideas, we seek out the latest technologies and materials – we devote our time to creating the world’s finest art materials, which are used by some of the world’s finest artists.

To learn more about Winsor & Newton and its products, please visit: www.WinsorNewton.com

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Shealeen Bishop

Shealeen Bishop is a watercolour painter based out of Corrales, New Mexico — a small village outside of Albuquerque, where she was born and raised. She grew up in a family that encouraged creativity at every turn, and she spent much of her free time as a child drawing, baking, writing plays, and playing piano. Ironically, years later it was while pursuing a music career that Shealeen realized that physical art was her truest passion. She is best known for her detailed and lush floral watercolours. Some of her favorite clients include: Urban Outfitters, She Reads Truth, Anewall, HGTV, and all the wonderful people who have asked her to paint their wedding bouquets through the years.

When she’s not painting flowers, you can find her rearranging furniture in her home, cooking up traditional New Mexican meals, or going for walks along the Rio Grande with her husband Dan and their pups.

Website: www.shealeenlouise.com Instagram: @shealeenlouise