Painting Demonstration 1
Before I begin painting, I reserve a few highlights with a wax crayon.
I start with a very loose wash of cobalt blue and ultramarine blue. I leave lots of whites to look like distant cherry blossoms.
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Painting Demonstration 2
I add some nice bright spring greens with a lot of azo yellow. Once the negative painting is done, it's time to start painting the actual subject of the painting - the cherry blossoms!
Painting Demonstration 3
I'm using very subtle cobalt violet and cobalt blue in the flower petals with just slight hints of quinacridone red.
The rough press paper is perfect for the loose, hit and miss strokes.
Artist Tips
Don't paint every edge and detail. Leave your strokes loose.
Painting Demonstration 4
Continue very lightly moving around the painting. Remember, white flowers are subtle!
The flowers that have already dropped their petals are a lovely bright pink mixed with green. Great contrast!
Painting Demonstration 5
Now I'm increasing the contrast between the flowers and the sky in just a few places. Keep this simple and very light. The rough press texture is your friend!
Painting Demonstration 6
Let it dry just a bit before you start adding the delicate filaments. Otherwise it will blur everywhere!
Painting Demonstration 7
I add the delicate filaments in white gouache. Reserving the gouache would have felt clunky. It's one of the cases that only gouache would work well.
A bit of splatter paint loosens up the center of the flowers.
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Cherry Blossoms Painting Tutorial Final Watercolor Painting!
A few more darks behind the flowers and a few subtle details and the painting is done!
I love this huge cherry tree in my front yard. I've painted it for years, but I always find something new every year to paint. It's one of the joys of spring for me!
I hope this inspires you to paint a flowering tree near you this spring!
