Forever Tulips

I love having fresh flowers in my home but these days the cost of buying a beautiful bunch can make you hesitate, especially when it is Tulips. Often they droop very quickly in our warmer climate and within a few days they are gone. Painting them however, means they last forever.

Having found a reference image (credit Anna from Unsplash) of a beautiful bunch that was just about a perfect composition I was inspired to have them as my painting muse for just over a week.

Paper: Saunders Waterford 425gsm hi white cold press.
Using the high white gave me the chance to have the white tulips highlight be bright rather than the slightly creamy colour of the standard paper.
A detailed drawing was required as each of the open blooms had many complex shapes.
Colours: I used Holbein and Winsor and Newton paints
Reds and Pinks: Opera, Perm. Rose, Cad Red Light, Pyrrol Red, Quinacridone Scarlet, Perm. Alizarin Crimson
Yellows: Lemon, Aureolin
Blues: Peacock, Indigo,
Purples: Winsor Violet, Bright Violet

A like to mix up my painting process rather than stick to just a formulae. I wanted to paint without using masking fluid so I knew careful observation of each petal would be required so that I could make sure I saved my whites. To enable this I decided to try and work from top to bottom nearly completing each section before moving on rather than multiple glazes over every part first. I did start with the darks and followed with some greens to help set a clear map of where everything was.
This was a very rewarding and enjoyable painting to complete.
I made sure that I stopped frequently to enjoy seeing water and pigment do it's magic as often if you hurry, you miss seeing these special moments.

After 7 days of about 5 hour sessions.
I let it sit overnight and with fresh eyes decided it was finished.