Pink Orchids Watercolor and Ink Painting Demo

These orchids are amazing. They bloomed for four months (well, I suppose orchids do that), but once the blossoms faded and wilted off, another set of blooms appeared.

I had been wanting to paint them for a while. When one of my students shared a technique she'd learned at a recent workshop, I decided to try it with the orchids. Which is a good idea since the students want me to demo that technique at the next class.

So, here we go! Read more to see this watercolor and ink technique (it's quite fun) and how the orchid painting came out.

First,  I draw the composition on 140 lb. hot press watercolor paper (you can use cold press as well). Then, taking a very wet natural squirrel hair brush, I soak the entire paper with clear water:


After waiting a minute or two for the water to sink in, I begin to paint while the paper is still quite wet:


The colors run together in a lovely way!


Until we have this:


Note that I am not concerned with staying strictly within the lines since the paint will bleed together on the wet paper. As long as the colors land in the general place that I want them, all is good. Now to let it all dry until the paper lies flat.

Once the paper is thoroughly dry, I take an extra fine point permanent Sharpie marker and outline the petals, the flower details, the stem and the leaves:


Finally I add some details with paint:


That's it - so much fun! I rather like the results and can think of several ways to use this technique again:

Pink Orchids watercolor and ink painting 10x8

Will you be trying this? Let me know if you do.





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