Drawing a Spider Mum

Started a new drawing today of a spider mum. I have always loved these flowers and fall seems like the ideal time to try and draw one.

Spider Mum layout

This is more in the line of experimenting. It will be a mixed media, in a way.

First I sketched it out on tracing paper, then transferred the drawing to a piece of mat board. Mat board is heavy enough and textured enough to take multiple layers of colored pencil.

After the flower was transferred to the mat board, I put on a layer of watercolor pencil, in complimentary colors. I don’t know if this is the best idea for colored pencil. I generally do this for oils. I like the rich colors it results in, but we will see how effective it is with colored pencil. I have some concerns. This is a lovely orange/yellow chrysanthemum. The compliments of orange/yellow are purple/blue. I am wondering if these might be too dark and pigmented for over “painting” with lighter colors of colored pencils.

Watercolor pencil underpainting

We will just have to wait and see.

 

As tempting as it would have been to rush the underpainting

layer, ea. Watercolor pencil, I did take the time to put on several layers of watercolor pencil. Then I stood back to see how it all looked. Sometimes you can see what is happening in a layout better with the compliments, rather than a more realistic take. I also added a bit of green to suggest some foliage, but I am not going to put in any real leaves or stems. Just the suggestion that they are there.