WATERCOLOR PROJECT, STEP-BY-STEP: Red Tulips with Black Background

In this project, we will be painting directly, as opposed to layering glazes.  We'll be mingling 2 or 3 colors in each petal and leaf, and then mixing and painting a black background, to really make those red tulips pop.

To begin, draw some tulips, stems, and leaves on your paper.  Try to have a variety of shapes and sizes, especially in your negative space . . . 

Next, prep three colors of paint.  For the tulips,  choose a YELLOW (like Winsor Yellow, New Gamboge, or Cadmium Yellow); a WARM RED (like Winsor Red, Cadmium Red, or Quinacridone Red); and a COOL RED (like Permanent Alizarin Crimson or Quinacridone Rose).  Prepare them by bringing them into the middle of your palette and adding enough water to activate them.  Make sure there is enough water and pigment in each mixture.  If there is too much water and not enough pigment, you will end up with wimpy-looking tulips; and if there is too much pigment and not enough water, the colors will not mix together within each petal . . .

To paint each petal, start painting with yellow on one edge, directly onto dry paper.  While this is still wet, start painting the warm red, just touching the edge of the yellow.  Then while this is still wet, paint the rest of the shape with the cool red.  Try to let the colors mix on their own and not "help" it too much with your brush.  We need to remember to let the watercolor do most of our work for us.  . . 

If you find it difficult to mingle the colors this way, try painting the entire petal with the yellow, and while that is still wet, drop in the red on one side of the petal. . . 

Work your way around the painting, using two or three colors within each shape.  Don't dwell on any one petal -- make yourself move to the next shape.  The watercolor will do interesting things as it dries -- so we have to learn to let things be and not fiddle too much.  And, get that paper towel out of your left hand!  We're painting on a level surface, so the paint is not going anywhere.  If it puddles up within your shape, don't dab it.  Just let it dry on its own. . . 

After cleaning the reds off your palette, prepare new colors for the stems and leaves.  Prep 3 colors:  a YELLOW, a WARM GREEN (like Sap Green), and COBALT BLUE . . . 

Paint each leaf or stem, by mingling these three colors -- just like you did with the petals . . . 

Again, if you find it difficult mingling the colors on dry paper, try painting each leaf or stem with the yellow first, and then dropping in the green and blue while the yellow is still wet.  Work your way around the painting, until all the leaf and stem shapes are painted. . . 

Now, we'll add a few darks to the stems and leaves.  Mix a DARK GREEN (with the Sap Green and Cobalt Blue, plus a little French Ultramarine).  Paint this dark green in a few spots, like where one leaf is behind another, or where the stem meets the blossom.  Paint a small shape at the edge, and then soften the edge of that shape by touching it with a damp brush . . . 

After cleaning the greens off your palette, mix up two colors of RED -- a BRIGHT RED (like Alizarin Crimson mixed with Winsor Red) and a DARK RED (like Alizarin Crimson mixed with Quinacridone Magenta).  Use the dark red to paint some areas where you want one part of a petal to sit behind another, or at the base of a blossom.  Paint the bright red anywhere you want -- starting at the red edge of the petal, and hitting the other edge with a damp brush.  Don't cover up all the oranges and yellows.  And, don't be afraid to leave some of the petals "as is", if you really like the way they look . . . 

Now, it's time to decide whether you want to stop here, or be brave and add a black background!  Since this lesson is about mixing and painting a black background, we will go on.  But, if you like the way your painting looks with a white background, feel free to leave it this way.  There have been many times that I wish I HAD left the background white.  Unfortunately, with watercolor, there's no turning back once you've committed to the black.  But, what the heck -- let's go for it!

To mix a nice black, use plenty of pigment and water.  If you have too much water, you'll just end up with a washed-out gray.  Using the darkest pigments on your palette, mix up a rich black or blue-black.  I like to use Winsor Blue (phthalo blue), Winsor Green (phthalo green), Alizarin Red, Burnt Sienna (or Quinacridone Burnt Orange).  You don't need all these colors -- just pick three and keep mixing until you get the dark color you want.  Then, start painting the background shapes. . . 

To paint these background shapes, you may want to use two brushes -- a small one with a good point to get into the little narrow spots and a bigger round that holds more paint.  Switch back and forth between these brushes, picking up more black paint from the palette often, as you fill in the shape.  Use enough water/pigment so that the paint moves easily.  If you don't have enough paint, the result will be streaky.  If you have too much water, the result will be a gray color instead of black . . . 

Hope you had some success with this project -- I'd love to hear from you about your experience!