How to paint a flower still life with watercolor on canvas
June 10, 2014 2021-07-03 17:30How to paint a flower still life with watercolor on canvas
![Paint flowers with watercolor on canvas on ARTiful painting demos by Sandrine Pelissier](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/image.jpeg)
How to paint a flower still life with watercolor on canvas
English Garden
Watercolor and mixed media on canvas
12 x 12 inches
![buy prints by North Vancouver artist Sandrine Pelissier](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/english-roses-prints.jpg)
When you want to paint from imagination, starting with an abstract background gives you a good starting point to try to see shapes. There are many ways to start an abstract background, here it is with watercolor on canvas.
Here are the steps you can take to paint a flower still life with watercolor on canvas
![mixing watercolors wet into wet on canvas](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IMG_7505.jpg)
Start by mixing watercolors wet into wet on the canvas using a dropper.
I am a Blick Art Materials affiliate and I receive a small compensation for sales. That does not effect in any way the cost of the purchaser’s order but it helps me keeping the content of this blog free.
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Yarka St. Petersburg Professional Watercolor PansSame palette of traditional colors the great masters used a century ago. Liquid-poured means semi-moist pans respond instantly to a wet brush. 24 pans in plastic case. Also individual pans. – Master Set |
![spray alcohol on watercolor for visual texture](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IMG_7506.jpg)
If you want to, you can spray alcohol to help with the formation of abstract patterns.
![alcohol on watercolor visual texture](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IMG_7507.jpg)
Let the canvas dry. As this are watercolor and they could be very easily lifted up form the canvas,, you will need to spray the painting with fixative once it is dry before the next steps.
![painting acrylic on top of watercolor](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IMG_7517.jpg)
If you want more complexity, you can paint additional layers, here a layer of turquoise blue acrylic.
![outlining shapes before negative painting technique](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IMG_7519.jpg)
![drawing the shapes of the flowers and the vase](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IMG_7521.jpg)
Now this is where the real fun starts. On the same idea as the Rohrbach test, try to guess shapes in the design. Here I see little flowers.
Outline the main contours of the shapes you see.
![outlining flower shapes from an abstract background](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IMG_7523.jpg)
![painting the negative space with white acrylic on canvas](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IMG_7524.jpg)
Block those shapes by painting all the negative space with white acrylic.
![flower still life with negative space painted in white](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IMG_7526.jpg)
![glazing acrylic on the vase](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IMG_7527.jpg)
You can introduce more colors as you go, like here on the vase.
![drawing roses on top of the watercolor on canvas](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IMG_7530.jpg)
You can draw on top of shapes to add definition.
![detail of the watercolor roses on canvas](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IMG_7532.jpg)
![outlining flower shapes with a Sakura pigma micron marker](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IMG_7537.jpg)
and add designs with markers, here I used Sakura pigma micron markers.
I am a Blick Art Materials affiliate and I receive a small compensation for sales. That does not effect in any way the cost of the purchaser’s order but it helps me keeping the content of this blog free.
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Sakura Pigma Micron PenPigma Micron pens are acid-free and archival, making them ideal for any application requiring precision and permanance. Pigma ink is derived from a single pigment to ensure color consistency, and is fadeproof against sunlight or UV light. – Set of 6, Black |
![drawing flower shapes with a red Sakura marker on canvas](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IMG_7538.jpg)
![adding patterns to the flowers with a marker on canvas](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IMG_7556.jpg)
![polka dots on flower with sharpie white marker](https://paintingdemos.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IMG_7557.jpg)
A white oil marker will work well on a darker background.
The finish painting: English Garden
Comments (2)
Andrea
Hi Sandrine,
Love your art work! I’m wondering, I use watercolor but haven’t tried it on plain canvas.
Do you do anything to fix it before painting on it and when finished, how do you preserve it?
Thanks
CheyAnne Sexton
The layers and the colors with all that white just looks like so much fun. I wish I had all these supplies to give this a try. I can see where you find the fun in finding the designs. So beautiful
peace n abundance,
CheyAnne