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Botanical Art Online Dianne Sutherland
Module 2 continued
Leaves
Leaves are arguably one of the most challenging subjects to paint, this is particularly true on vellum. It can be hard not to overwork them, layers must be applied very finely to avoid a heavy build up of paint, whilst trying to build in the necessary detail needed to create a realistic and natural looking painting. In this part of the course you should paint at least three different leaves and submit them for assessment, one of the leaves should be green. Below are a few different examples for guidance.
AUTUMNAL OAK LEAF
This section of the course begins with an aging oak leaf, and ideal subject to begin with. This isn't a video but a step-by-step range of images, showing each stage in detail - in order to clearly break down the process into stages.
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Choose a Leaf
The first task is to select a suitable leaf - and some are better contenders than others. I try to choose a leaf with interesting contours and markings. I chose this aging oak because I liked the colour fade and shifts and the markings, which are typical in an aging leaf. Also this leaf won't change very much as it's already dried and lost its colour, so allows the time needed for a small detailed study.
Light and Photography
Once a leaf decided upon, I play with the lighting on the leaf and take lots of photographs, for me light is the most important factor - diffused light will be dull and uninteresting so I tend to use more dramatic lighting to create contrasts and cast shadows within a subject. Where possible, I try to use natural sunlight, which exaggerates the light - although I don't paint it quite so dramatically, it's helpful to have more contrast than needed. Photographs are extremely useful as part of this process and I work from a live leaf and photo reference for lighting.
​Colour
Colours should be identified as soon as possible by making a colour card. I like to used natural coloured paper rather than white because its similar in colour to Kelmscott vellum.
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I usually start with underlying colour, in this case some violet - so Quinacridone Magenta and Cobalt Blue are favourites I can make it more neutral by adding a touch of Transparent Yellow or I can make it warmer by using mire magenta or cooler by adding more blue.
Next I need a basic hue, thats the main colour of the leaf, which is a golden brown with a yellow bias and a warmer brown for shadows, for these colours Quinacridone Red, Transparent Yellow and a touch of Cobalt Blue work well and for the darker red browns, Permanent Alizarin Crimson, Indanthrene Blue and Transparent Yellow. The colours can be altered in ratio to make rich purples and a range of browns. See the image on the right for colours.
Painted Outline
After drawing the leaf on paper, I transfer it using a light pad directly onto the vellum
With this type of leaf I like to paint in a very pale outline and vein positions, using the basic hue, as you can see in the image. This line is painted with a small size 1 or 2 miniature brush. The line must be pale enough to blend in,to subsequent colours, once painted - I lightly rub over it with the pumice to lighten it as much as possible. the result is shown in image 1.
​Underlying Colour
I begin by adding underlying colour, in this case violet - so Quinacridone Magenta and Cobalt Blue are used.
If you look carefully at image 2, you will see that the violet is cooler on the light side and warmer n the shade side - achieved by altering the ratio of blue and magenta.
The colour is applied using a size 4 miniature using soft sweeping strokes with a lightly dampened brush.
Colour is only applied where needed and not all over. this colour is for the highlights but also serves as the discolouration in the leaf.
Adding the Basic Hue
Next I use the same approach to add the first layer of the golden brown colour and blend into he violet to avoid painting over it, so using a soft sweeping motion with a lightly dampened brush. Only very little paint is needed for this and it will not work if the brush is too wet. More colour can be built on top as long as the brush is fairly dry
This stage is shown in image no. 3.
Building Colour and Detail
Once the first layer is established, from step 3, colour must be added using a dry brush approach. Small details can also be added, veins picked out and the gradual slow build begins.
Several different dry brush techniques can be used, with drawing dry brush used sparingly for veins and details.
Modelling or tiny hatching strokes can be used to build the colour and texture. Shown in image no. 4.
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Finishing Touches
After spending a considerable amount of time slowly building colour, around 6 hours.
I also add some red/ purple shadows and a few touches of warmest colour using small hatching strokes with the very tip of the brush. With this technique the finish should be smooth and little or no brush strokes should be visible, unless they are being used to indicate texture. The approach is very much like using a pencil.
Note that in image 5, the colour has become much richer from adding more layers of dry brush work but at the same time paler areas have been maintained, this is the beauty of dry brush - it allows us to control the application of paint and retain the highlights.
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this leaf took around 18 hours to complete
GINKGO BILOBA LEAF
This next leaf is an aging Ginkgo leaf, which has a different type of linear venation, however, it is not a monocot leaf but is a unique gymnosperm, which is a plant with a naked seed, and belongs to it's on division, the Ginkgophyta. It's an interesting leaf and much loved by botanical artists, so I thought it worth including.
As previously the leaf was lit and photographed, this time with a lamp and in a fairly dark room as this makes the lighting slightly more dramatic. But predominantly I work from life with such a subject.
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Colours and Beginnings
Colours are identified the leaf outlined with at the basic hue first, jus as it was in the Oak leaf.
Colours include: Transparent Yellow TY, Quinacridone Red QR, Quinacridone Magenta QM, Permanent Carmine PC, Cobalt Blue CB and French Ultramarine FU
1. TY + QR = Golden Yellow
2. TY + QR + small amount of CB = Darker more neutral Yellow
3. QM + CB =Violet
4. QM + CB plays a small amount of TY =more neutral Violet
5. FU + PC + TY = Neutral Brown which can be varied to a warm brown it a violet brown
See colour chart
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The Outline
The first step is to take a colour similar to the basic hue colour (no. 1) and you paint a very pale light outline. after painting art can be lightened by gently rubbing over with pumice, if required.
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