- Botanical Name:Magnolia grandiflora
- Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
- Soil Type: Well-drained, Moist, Loamy, Clay, Rich
- Soil pH: Acidic (5.0-6.0)
Whimsical Watercolor Trees and Simple Floral Drawings
I am absolutely loving the combination of watercolors and line drawings lately. Watercolor is a great way to add vibrant colors to a piece of art and line drawing gives paintings some really cool definition. Here is a simple tutorial on how to make a whimsical watercolor piece with some simple floral line drawing.
Tools I used:
- Blick Premier watercolor block 140 lb cold press
- Watercolors in various colors (I’m using Winsor and Newton Professional Watercolors in tubes that I put into a palette)
- Princeton Velvetouch 3950 watercolor brushes in round 12
- Blicks Master Synthetic watercolor brush in round 10
- Sakura Pigma Micron 05
- Sakura Pigma Graphic 1
- Zebra fude disposable brush pen in medium tip
Step 1: Paint circles, ovals, and triangles
We are going to begin by painting some simple shapes in a variety of colors. Here, I am using a rainbow starting in the red/pink spectrum to the blue/green spectrum. You can choose any set of coordinating colors you want. The painting is going to look extremely abstract at this point. It won’t actually look like anything since we are only painting shapes. Keep the shapes to pretty translucent so you can see the details from the drawings later. Make paint more translucent by adding more water while you’re painting.
You want to create variation and variety in your painting by changing the shapes and sizes. These larger shapes will eventually be the trees that we draw in. Keeping them in different sizes will give your painting some more interesting elements.
Next, you can add on accent shapes like the leaves pattern and clusters of smaller circles.
Some information about the supplies:
Here, I am using a Blick Premier Watercolor Block in 140 lb cold press. Blocks of watercolor are a convenient and easy way to keep your paintings from warping due to moisture from the water. The ends of blocks are glued together and only come undone once you separate the top sheet from the rest of the block.
Crepe Myrtle
- Botanical Name:Lagerstroemia indica
- Sun Exposure: Full
- Soil Type: Well-drained
- Soil pH: Slightly Acidic (6.0-6.5)
These resilient flowering trees are a no-brainer in most of the South. They love a sunny environment and thrive in the upper, middle, lower, and coastal South planting zones. Drought-tolerant once established, crepe myrtles bloom in the heat of summer in shades of purple, pink, red, or white. They have attractive exfoliating bark in winter. Depending on the variety, these trees can grow from 6 to 30 feet tall.
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Flowering Dogwood
- Botanical Name:Cornus florida
- Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
- Soil Type: Well-drained, Moist, Sandy, Loamy
- Soil pH: Acidic to Neutral (5.5-7.0)
There are many dogwood species, but no type is quite as popular in the South as the flowering dogwood. Native to the eastern United States from New England to central Florida, flowering dogwood is the state flower of North Carolina and Virginia. The springtime blooms of this small tree are typically white, though you might occasionally spot pink and red variations. Birds enjoy the red fruits in fall, when the leaves turn a lovely burgundy color. If you live in an area with hot summers, mulch the tree well and provide protection from the afternoon sun.
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Southern Magnolia
- Botanical Name:Magnolia grandiflora
- Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
- Soil Type: Well-drained, Moist, Loamy, Clay, Rich
- Soil pH: Acidic (5.0-6.0)
The massive flowers of the Southern magnolia have become iconic in the region. It’s the state flower of Mississippi and Louisiana, and for a good reason—this evergreen magnolia stuns year-round. The late-spring blooms are wonderfully fragrant and borne among their leaves as opposed to the ends of the branches. In winter, the leathery leaves are adorned with cone-like seed pods that are popular in flower arrangements. Wild trees may grow to 80 feet tall, but you can find varieties bred for more compact spaces.
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