Illustration Studio: Inking Florals

A step-by-step guide to creating dynamic modern florals in ink and watercolor

Isa Down

• Publisher: Walter Foster Publishing
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781633228375
• Topic: Art
• Subtopic: Techniques d'art

Illustration Studio: Inking Florals features inking and watercolor tips and techniques, drawing basics, an overview of plant and flower structures, and step-by-step inking projects for a well-rounded, engaging introduction to multimedia botanical art geared toward artists of all skill levels. You will love learning to work with ink, pencil, and watercolor as you create your own favorite plants and flowers. Step-by-step projects feature popular flowers, including poppies, peonies, roses, freesias, snapdragons, and more, for a wide variety of well-loved plants that many of us have in our own gardens and/or see while out and about. The Illustration Studio series features interactive exercises, creative prompts, and step-by-step exercises to educate and excite beginning and aspiring artists working in a variety of media and techniques, from manga and anime to illustration done in ink. Illustration Studio: Inking Florals opens with an introduction to plant structure. Essential tools and materials are covered as well, and then you can learn all about drawing basics, ink shading tips, and watercolor techniques so that you have some basic knowledge before getting started on the more than 15 step-by-step drawing projects that round out the book. The final project is a bouquet that incorporates all of the instructions and tips that you have learned throughout the book. Each project in the book makes a beautiful keepsake item or gift for a loved one. With Illustration Studio: Inking Florals, you can learn to draw, ink, and add watercolor to all of your favorite botanicals!

Step-by-Step Florals: The Basic Formula

You can follow this basic formula for each of the floral projects in this book. While I will go into details on different aspects of the individual flowers, it’s helpful to read this section first.

Step 1

Study the shape of the flower—both the overall shape of the bloom itself, as well as the smaller components of the plant. Look for a general shape, such as a circle, an oblong, or a triangle. How do the shapes interact with each other? What shapes make up the center of the flower?

How many flowers are there? Is there just one central bloom, like a rose, or several separate flowers, like in a foxglove? How many petals are there on each bloom, and how many leaves are there? What do the branches look like?

Step 2

With a pencil, lightly sketch the outline of your image, beginning with the middle of the flower and working your way out. This is not the time to add small details, but rather to give the overall shape and movement. If I add any shading during this stage, it is simply to differentiate between petals with intricate folds, as with a frilly peony.

Step 3

Next, using a fineliner pen, trace over the pencil lines. This is your opportunity to make any final changes to your layout. Once the ink is dry, erase the pencil lines so that you can clearly visualize the flower.

If you have not already drawn the center of the flower, add it now using ink. Then add shading lines using a combination of techniques, and let the ink dry.

Step 4

Now it’s time to add watercolor! This step can be both exciting and terrifying. Consider what technique and style you are going for, and then have fun and work with confidence. In this book, I have detailed two techniques that you can use to add color to your pieces: wet-on-dry and wet-into-wet (see here). You don’t need to let your paint dry before moving on to the (optional) next step.

Step 5

I love this step the most, which has become a hallmark of my style. While my florals dry, I use the primary color of my painting to spatter the page with pigment. If any of the spatters land inside the flower, I recommend blending before the piece dries to avoid distracting from your gorgeous watercolor wash and fine ink lines.

Snowdrop

Now let’s dive into our inking and watercolor painting projects!

Step 1

To begin, let’s review the basic shapes of the petals and leaves that you will use to create a snowdrop. I did a web search for “snowdrops” and used a variety of reference images to create the different angles shown here.

Practice outlining your petals and leaves from different angles. You can trace over these images using tracing paper, or d...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Finding Inspiration
• Tools & Materials
• Techniques
• Let’s Talk About Color
• Basic Flower Structure
• Step-by-Step Florals: The Basic Formula
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgments
• About the Artist
• Copyright