Leisure Painter March 2009

Finding suitable subjects to draw or paint is often quite difficult, so to make things a bit easier for you I have selected three of my photos which you may freely use.

If you are using a photo, place it at arms length from you, as if you were looking at the actual flowers at a distance and avoid copying the photo too rigidly. Remember it is merely a reference point for you. If you want to copy a photo exactly then you might as well put the photo in a frame! These photos were in an outdoor planter, so you may choose to use all or part of this photo. You may also move the flowers about till you have your own composition. You could of course also change the colours!





If you are using real flowers, draw the close up blooms rather than including the pot they come in. If you begin with a drawing, avoid sticking too rigidly to your pencil lines, keep the whole thing very suggestive and concentrate on your use of colour and tone rather than details. Look at the linear structure and decide if, and where it may be appropriate to use the scraffito technique.
These tulips were photographed nice and close up. Notice how I didnt include the jug they were in.
You could copy this photo as it is and change the white background perhaps?


The geraniums I photographed do need the pot however. In fact the pot rather enhances them and gives a feeling of warmth. The shadow is also important so this makes a very different subject for you. This photo gives you the opportunity of creating some great background textures or a change of colour or surroundings.

So I have given you three very different images to choose from, all of which are challenging in different ways.
I hope you find them inspiring and enjoyable to use.
Enjoy the project, and most of all, have fun!