A new watercolour project has just arrived and even if I do say so myself ~ it's a delight! I so enjoyed developing this tutorial as it allows you to really study this flower in detail and as seen in a landscape. It will also give you the opportunity to add a touch (or more) of your own creative ideas as you can select your own images, their crop and the overall, final composition.
Every year I wait in anticipation to see carpets of glorious blue roll out in the woodlands. Where I live in Surrey, we are blessed by having the most wooded county in the country ~ so it is no surprise that we are also blessed with some of the most spectacular displays. The flowers however are quite short lived ~ so you have to time it well to see them in all their glory.
In the UK we actually have more than half of the World's population of Bluebells! This is quite something when you consider we are only a small island. However the British Bluebell is sadly starting to come under threat from loss of habitat and through hybridisation (with the non-native Spanish Bluebell) and as such is protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act ~ so remember ~ you are not allowed to dig up bluebells in the countryside and you should also be careful not to trample their delicate leaves! you can find out more about these delicate bell-shaped flowers here: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/plants/wild-flowers/bluebell/
Many of the local National Trust properties boast beautiful displays ~in particular Emmetts Garden (just a quick trip over the border into Kent) which is famed for its display, along with Hatchlands Park in Surrey and Standen (just across the border into West Sussex). To find the best National Trust Bluebell displays in the country follow this link to see if there is one near you!
In celebration of this humble, little flower, I have put together a number of mini paintings which can be painted as a group to create a study page. This is a lovely technique which can be adapted to suit any subject and it's a great way to work in a sketchbook to capture a place or an object.
If you're short on time you might like to paint just one or two of the 'Minis'. Alternatively, just one on its own would work equally well on a hand painted card.
In the main we will work using the 'Direct Brush' technique, building up the foliage and flowers using small brushstrokes. This technique creates little spaces of white remaining which give the paintings an illustration/sketchbook style. For the close up flower we will work building up layers from light to dark. If desired you could add more flower heads to this study.
Once your paintings are complete I will show you a lovely technique to create simple, subtle frames around your paintings. I will guide you through how to create a template, which can be used alongside an embossing tool to create an embossed or de-bossed frame. This will create a subtle raised edge around your image.
To find out more about this project, take a look at the short video below.
I have given this tutorial a single paintbrush for difficulty as you will use some basic techniques, which once mastered, you will b eable to complete all three of the mini landscapes. I have also give it a single timer as you can choose how many or few of the paintings you would like to complete. But all of the paintings will take around 40 minutes to complete.
I hope you really enjoy painting this one and that you get a chance to get out and about to discover some bluebells near you! If so, feel free to swap out my selected photo references for some of your to create a painting which reflects and celebrates your local area.
Don't forget ~ if you want to see some behind the scenes info or to take a look at what is coming next to Tracey Bengeyfield Art you can look on Instagram (just click it on the menu bar of the website) or if you have the app you can follow me @traceybengeyfieldart.