TEN STEPS.

Bonjour!!

This is my first time writing a tutorial! Wish me luck.

This is mainly for the group watercolorists wich is planning run some tutorials in a lot of areas every three months (if people join, of course). So if you want to share your skills in anything related to watercolors (how to paint, brands, paper, tehcnique, business, etc) you will be VERY welcome.

If you're reading this, it means you somehow love roses or do have some interest in paintint it. Or you're a BIG curious, haha.

Whatever. I'm here to show you one of my ways to paint roses.

I love lists, so:

There's a lot of roses types. Our category here will be a sweet modern garden rose. (The popular rose that looks like a rose in fact, haha.)

If my memory is good enough, since the pic is old and had been on my phone from a long time, it is an hybrid tea rose from David Austin. Read more here.

This is not a tutorial for an extremely realistic painting. It's more a impressionist-like rose. The far you see it, the colors join in your vision. It is simple so everyone can join, even if it is you first time painting watercolors.

This is our model girl. No source, couldn't find the direct link. :(((

IMPORTANT: How to draw a rose?

The best thing to paint something is to know the structure of that something.

Roses are shaped like cups. The stem of the rose is centered with the core, where there is that beautiful yellow.

The petals are born like fish scales, one above the joint of the other two. They are NOT born exactly one above the other. (You can see it in the example. The three petals at the bottom.)

The amount of petals vary a lot. If you put too many or too few petals, you will end up making a rose, whether you like it or not. haha

I'm writing this because: I didn't take pictures. But I plan, I plan... It would be very long for only a tutorial.

Let's get started!

You will need:

Magenta.

Cadmium Red Light.

Sap Green.

Quinacridone gold. (Or ochre, or indian, any powerfull not so opaque yellow you have)

300g paper. (Cellulose or Cotton)

Water and brush medium to fine.

1. Pass a very thin layer of paint all over the rose. Very thin. Use the magenta or cadmium. Or another pink hue you have.

Let it dry.

Ignore the hare looking at you.

IGNORE.

2. Those are the colors, and other colors all messy in my palette. (i've tried a rose earlier, but it was not my better.)

I know, this should be posted as the first.

3. Now that it dried, take the brush and mix your two paints. Don't need it to be equally. Don't worry about the hues, we want it to be fun.

But pay attention, don't put too much water.

The brush must not be dry, but it must not be dripping.

We need the paint with a stronger color here.

Use your color in the shadows. No, it is not to you to paint in the corners of your bedroom. The shadows of the rose!

Don't let it dry for the next step.

4. Scumble from the inside out of the petals. Just the tips, not too much water. Let it dry for the next.

5. Dilute your red into something transparent that barely remembers red anymore. It's almost salmon.

6. Use that pale red in the most light petals and the tiny petals in the core. PLEASE, don't cover everything. Only in the tips of the petals.

Let it dry for the next.

7-8. Use a light yellow, with a bit of water, to spread it into the rose, this is up to you how much you want it. Even if you don't want it at all. Skip this step.

But I love it. It gives some warmth to the piece.

Also, this is not in the picture, but I spread the yellowish for the left bottom petal. You can see it in the next.

Let it dry for the next.

9. This red/purple color is the darkest part of the rose. Attention to not drop it in the core. The core needs to be vibrant. ^^ <3

You can use another tone of red and not use violet if you want it.

Also, you can use sepia, or dark blue.

Roses are incredible because you can use a lot of colors.

The true is, you can use a lot of colors whenever and wherever you want since you know how to deal with values. :d

But this is for another tutorial. (I'm not the expert in values neither lol)

Don't let it dry to next step.

9.1. Repeat the step number 4.

In the darkest areas, let the paint dense.

If you need it, put more dark paint to it, but don't get too much.

Can you see the dicotomy? The warmth on the left, the cold in the right.

10. OH NO ARE WE OVER?

YESSSS, this is our rose.

Pro tip: put some green on the petals too! It gets cool. This is watercolor, let it blur and put a lot of tiny little watercolor marks on it. ^^

I know, the photograph is not so fair with the colors actually, but the scan is. :P

We end our tutorial here. Any questions, just leave a comment. I love to explain stuff, really.

Next time we will paint an Old Garden Rose together. They're different, they're awesome! Fluffy petals, cabbage-like flowers that I LOVE with my very soul.

Bye bye. <3