Illustrating Nature with Watercolor and Pen

Illustrating Nature with Watercolor and Pen

“Congratulations! You have reached the end of this Domestika course. Thank you for taking part and I hope you're ready to embrace the new skills you've learnt! In the beginning, watercolours can seem intimidating due to the inability to control them. They often move as they please and do unexpected things. This is actually one of the best things about the medium and what makes it so versatile! With just a little practice, you’ll quickly find that you can predict where the paint will flow, whilst also happily seeing where it takes you. The versatility of watercolour means that you can really make your mark and create artwork in a multitude of styles. For example, it is very common to see modern watercolours used to create vibrant underwater or space scenes, perhaps with a phrase or quote as the focal point. At the other end of the spectrum, a traditional style can be used to produce detailed specimens or seascapes. These can look a little daunting. I encourage you to practise the techniques you've learnt to experiment a little and discover which style suits you. But, before venturing on your own artistic journey, the time has come to complete the project: a painting with a floral motif. Watercolours lend themselves well to illustrations of the natural world. So, let's get started by reviewing the necessary steps!

• First, gather your references. Use the links I provided to study botany. Go outside and pay attention to the world around you. Surround yourself with nature and be analytical; your paintings will see the benefits.



Then, choose a flower you feel comfortable drawing. If you're someone who likes to draw in more detail, covering only a small area of the page, select a flower with thinner petals such as a daisy. On the other hand, if you enjoy painting with big hand gestures and move fast, then a flower with larger petals will be more suitable, such as a peony or a rose. This will allow you to build confidence in your hand as it will feel less strained, so your pen and brush marks will be smoother.

• Next, sketch out your chosen flower. Start by positioning it at the centre of the page, then draw the flower buds. By sketching these first, you can make sure that the positioning is balanced and the page is filled evenly. Make sure not to press too firmly with the pencil so that the marks can still be removed later.

• When you are happy with the general layout and details, use a fineliner to create an almost graphite effect. With the pen, create a gentle outline of the flower and then slowly added delicate details. Start with the petals, then the leaves, and finally the stems. Allow the ink to dry before erasing the pencil and moving to the next stage.

• Now it's time to add the initial base layers of watercolour. These few layers are key to bringing extra depth to the final painting. Remember to leave areas of the paper exposed to apply your highlights at the end. Though easy to forget, this step is very important to remember.

• Once the base washes are dry, add some colour! Build the layers up gradually, increasing the opaqueness with each layer. Apply the different techniques you have learnt, such as "pulling colour" to add shadows and an element of 3D. To complete the painting, you can use the wet-on-dry technique to add bold details. Because the layer beneath is completely dry, these details will be clear and crisp without bleeding into the previous layer.

And that's all! I would love to see your project! Once you feel it's ready, share your work with all of us by clicking on "Create your project". Remember to share both the final result of your painting and the steps that have led you to it. It would be great if you showed a picture of each step and added a brief explanation about what you have done in each one. I can’t wait to see what you’ve created! I also encourage you to help and give advice to other students in this course – working together can be very helpful and inspiring. We can support each other and learn some new techniques in the process. I'll be reviewing your work too, and I'll give you feedback as often as I can. Also, don't be afraid to start your own project; you may have been inspired and conjured up new ideas. I'd like to see where your watercolour journey takes you, so connect! Thanks again for enrolling in this course. See you in the forum!”

Partial transcription of the video

“ Final Project Congratulations on reaching the end of this Exploring the Natural World with Watercolours and Pen course. You've been great and should be happy with all that you've achieved. I'm glad that you chose to join me on this journey and learn about what I love to do. We began the course by covering the materials you need for the lessons. Then, we did some exercises together where we sketched shapes, used fineliners, and got comfortable using a brush and water. One tip would be to be careful when washing the brushes to make sure you don't damage any of the fine hairs. Then, you saw ...”

This transcript is automatically generated, so it may contain mistakes.

Course summary for: Illustrating Nature with Watercolor and Pen

• Level: Beginner
• 98% positive reviews (59)
• 2311 students
• 4 units
• 16 lessons (3h 2m)
• 2 downloads

• Category

  Illustration

• Areas

  Botanical Illustration, Drawing, Fine Arts, Painting, Traditional illustration, Watercolor Painting