A Process for Painting Roses

From the time I was little, before I actually knew anything at all about how to paint, I'd love to visit galleries and museums.  

How about YOU?  Weren't you in awe of those huge murals, lifelike portraits and lovely still life paintings - especially if they included roses?  

I confess, I'd practically press my nose against painting after painting to see brushstrokes and colors up close!  Amazed (and frustrated), I'd wonder, "How did the artists capture such lovely color?  How did they actually begin?  How did they get that shadow so soft - and portray the light so well? What steps were followed? If only I could watch as they painted!"

Perhaps the photos and comments, offered below (and in the next post) will shed some new light on painting roses in particular.  This illustrates a process that seems to work for me.  Some of the pink roses are in this post, and the larger, yellow roses will be included in the post that follows this one.

(*Click on any image you'd like to see enlarged.) 

1. First, I filled in the various tones of the green background around the roses.  

2. Then, I tried to determine the size and silhouette of each rose. (I chose to start with the darks, first.)

 

3. Here, I tried to stay true to the size and silhouette of each rose.  

4. I started painting the middle tone areas (keeping in mind that where the light was hitting).

 

 

 

 

5. As I painted, I tried to be sure the "bowl" of each bud was facing the vase at the correct angle. That way, when the stems were eventually added, they would truly seem to be in the vase.   

6. I began to use more of the assorted greens found in the background to fill in the remaining areas between and around the roses.  

7. This is also when I added the bits of "super saturated" color, a fairly dark, rich red that made the roses more defined.

 

8. Then, I began to add the tops of the stems, carefully angling them to face directly into the vase.  

9. I used a grayed-down green on the left of each stem, and a medium value on the right of each stem. 

 

 

Here is a final photo of the roses - please note, the photo has altered the color a bit - they aren't quite this vivid, but they are close.   

Notice the different colors in the foliage - there are no solid green leaves and stems - the cool and warm light hitting them create variety of color and temperature. 

Through continued practice and experimenting, you'll soon be painting roses that "sing!"