Abstracted Flowers

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  Step 1

  Randomly “splotch” 3-6 different colors of watercolors onto your paper. This can be done in one step, and it’s okay if the colors overlap and run a bit. (I usually use a half-inch flat watercolor brush.) Leave some whites spaces. Let dry completely.

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  Step 2

  Once your watercolors are dry, get out your white gesso. Using a DRY brush (or one that you’ve squeezed most of the water out of), start painting gesso circles around areas of the watercolor, as shown above. Once you paint a circle, immediately turn the brush around and “draw into” the gesso with the brush handle. Draw lines for petals, circle-y scribbles, etc.

  Cover the in-between areas with white gesso, too. (Also, the white “stars” above are made by putting a dollup of gesso in the middle of a color patch, and then turning the brush around and drawing into it.) Let gesso layer dry completely.

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  Step 3

  Next, add pencil to pull out your flower shapes even more. Keep your hand as loose as possible.

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  Step 4

  I went back in with gesso and added a few more star shapes, as it seemed a little bare after step 3.

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  Step 5

  Fill in the areas between the flowers with a light layer of pencil. Vary your directions a bit, and then smear with your finger to soften.

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  Step 6

  This is hard to see here, but this step involves lightly going back in with an eraser here and there. (This is an optional step; I just felt I was a little too heavy-handed with my pencil in Step 5, so I wanted to soften it a bit.)

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  Step 7

  Finally, I gave the entire piece a VERY LIGHT layer of sepia brown watercolor to unify the piece. (Again, an optional step for you!)

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