Botanical Watercolours through the seasons

91 pages

English

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Search Press - Sandrine Maugy

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91 pages

English

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Sandrine Maugy BOTANICAL WATERCOLOURS through the seasons An all-year-round guide to painting flowers and plants SEARCH PRESS SANDRINE MAUGY is an award-winning botanical artist, author and illustrator, fellow member of the Society of Botanical Artists, the Association of Illustrators, the Society of Authors and the Societé Française d’Illustration Botanique (SFIB). She exhibits her work internationally and writes articles for art magazines. Sandrine regularly teaches residential courses at the renowned West Dean College, and wrote the Botanical Illustration Diploma Course for London Art College. She runs an art blog, YouTube channel – Atelier Sandrine Maugy – and a Patreon site, for students all over the world. Her first book,Colours of Nature,was published in 2013. Sandrine paints and writes from her studio and garden in Southampton, UK. Her painting style captures the pure, vibrant colours of nature and is infused with dramatic light, giving this traditional style a contemporary twist. Visit her website www.sandrinemaugy.com BOTANICAL WATERCOLOURS through the seasons Dedication Botanical Watercolours through the seasonsis dedicated to my mum, who would have loved it. Maman didn’t share my love for all seasons and always struggled with the fading light of Autumn… She left this world in November 2013.

Sujets

Watercolor painting

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Publié par	Search Press
Date de parution	01 août 2022
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781781269374
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	185 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,1000€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

Sandrine Maugy BOTANICAL WATERCOLOURS through the seasons An aLL-year-round guide to painting fLowers and pLants

SEARCH PRESS

SANDRINE MAUGYis an awardwinning botanical artist, author and illustrator, fellow member of the Society of Botanical Artists, the Association of Illustrators, the Society of Authors and the Societé Française d’Illustration Botanique (SFIB). She exhibits her work internationally and writes articles for art magazines. Sandrine regularly teaches residential courses at the renowned West Dean College, and wrote the Botanical Illustration Diploma Course for London Art College. She runs an art blog, YouTube channel – Atelier Sandrine Maugy – and a Patreon site, for students all over the world. Her first book,Colours of Nature,was published in 2013. Sandrine paints and writes from her studio and garden in Southampton, UK. Her painting style captures the pure, vibrant colours of nature and is infused with dramatic light, giving this traditional style a contemporary twist. Visit her website www.sandrinemaugy.com

BOTANICAL WATERCOLOURS through the seasons

Dedication Botanical Watercolours through the seasonsis dedicated to my mum, who would have loved it. Maman didn’t share my love for all seasons and always struggled with the fading light of Autumn… She left this world in November 2013.

BOTANICAL WATERCOLOURS through the seasons An aLL-year-round guide to painting lowers and pLants

Sandrine Maugy

First published in 

Search Press Limited Wellwood, North Farm Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN DR

All rights reserved. No part o this book, text, photographs or illustrations may be reproduced or transmitted in any orm or by any means by print, photoprint, microilm, microiche, photocopier, video, internet or in any way known or as yet unknown, or stored in a retrieval system, without written permission obtained beorehand rom Search Press.

ISBN: 97799 ebook ISBN: 97797

The Publishers and author can accept no responsibility or any consequences arising rom the inormation, advice or instructions given in this publication.

No use o the artwork or commercial purposes is permitted without the prior permission o both artist and Publishers. Readers are permitted to reproduce or copy the paintings in this book only or private and personal study/practice.

Suppliers I you have dificulty in obtaining any o the materials and equipment mentioned in this book, then please visit the Search Press website or details o suppliers: www.searchpress.com

Discover bonus video tutorials by Sandrine Maugy via the Bookmarked Hub:www.bookmarkedhub.com

You are invited to visit the author’s: Website:www.sandrinemaugy.comYouTube channel: @AtelierSandrineMaugy Patreon:www.patreon.com/SMaugyInstagram: @sandrinemaugy Etsy shop:www.etsy.com/uk/shop/FlorasPatch

Publishers’ note All the stepbystep photographs in this book eature the author, Sandrine Maugy, demonstrating how to paint botanical watercolours. No models have been used.

Page 1 Dahlia‘DazzlingMagic,’fromWestDeanGardens.

Page 2 Viola collection Shown also on page 145.

Page 3 Pumpkin, watercolour Shown also on page 108.

Page 5 Echeveria, watercolour Demonstrated on pages 152–161.

Contents

Foreword 6

Introduction 8

My ethicaL studio 10

Working space 12

Painting rom lie 13

Drawing kit 14

Painting kit 16

Paints and pigments 18

Colour-mixing theory 20

My palette 22

Tone 24

Techniques 28

SPRING 32

Level 1: Dafodil 38

Level 2: Anemone 48

Level 3: Tulip ‘Queen o Night’ 58

SUMMER 66

Level 1: Sweet peas 72

Level 2: Rosa ‘Odyssey’ 88

Level 3: Sunlower 100

AUTUMN 108

Level 1: Ginkgo biloba 114

Level 2: ‘Catillac’ pear 122

Level 3: Hydrangea 130

WINTER 140

Level 1: Pansy ‘Midnight Glow’ 146

Level 2: Echeveria 154

Level 3: Holly star 164

ConcLusion 170

Paint-conversion tabLe 172

GLossary 174

Credits 175

Index 176

FOREWORD

Tom Brown, Head Gardener at West Dean Coege, West Sussex; Journaist and Broadcaster

Over recent years, te word as sowed down enoug or peope to stop and earn to appreciate te natura word around tem. Botanica painting optimizes te process o understanding and interpreting tose beautiu intricacies o nature troug art. Sandrine’s book aows us to deveop our creativity troug er step-by-step tuition wic I enjoy wist se teaces at West Dean Coege. Troug Sandrine’s guidance we can earn to ceebrate and document te natura rytms o our green spaces around us, rom our gardens and courtyards to nearby orests and ieds. Sandrine as been teacing at West Dean Coege since 2005. On eac o Sandrine’s visits to West Dean, se is very engaged wit te garden and andscape, seecting owers and subjects tat optimize te time o year and encouraging er students to get out into te environment to study and induge in te orticuture around tem. As Head Gardener o tis 90-acre garden, I ave assisted Sandrine’s casses by providing a range o ruits, owers and vegetabes or er students to study and paint. I reve in te opportunity to ook at my surroundings rom anoter perspective, taking time to vaue te subte buses on a ripe pear and a composition o te eeting deicacy o a tuip as I gater materias or casses.

Te gardens at West Dean and, indeed, our own gardens aow us to competey immerse ourseves in te dynamic o te seasons, witnessing te eruption o ie in Spring and te bamy Summer eat, inuencing our interpretation o te botanica subjects around us. It is Sandrine’s botanica knowedge tat sets er apart; troug er observation and expertise, Sandrine’s interpretation o natura orms is eigtened. Botanica painting gives us an insigt into te subte anguage o owers – ow tey attract poinators or invite ertiization on te igtest o breezes. A o tese aint or inconspicuous processes are, in teir own way, proound and need to be onoured troug inormed art. Coour is a vita component o tis book – tere is a kaeidoscope o tones o eac and every coour, wic is ceebrated in botanica art. Noting in nature is superuous or unnecessary: eac acet o botany is in pace or a purpose, and botanica art reveres tis. In many aspects o our ives, we urte troug day ater day, missing te wonderu intricacies a around us. Let’s take some time, eac and every one o us, to isten to te sounds o nature, ee te rytm o te seasons and observe and interpret te wonders o pant ie troug botanica painting.

INTRODUCTION

I ave aways oved te passing o te seasons. It gives a rytm to ie tat I ind at times sooting and at oter times stimuating, but aways wecome and most enjoyabe. Spring brings te joyu waking-up o nature, dispaying arrays o yeow-greens and brigt coours wie te birds regae us wit teir dawn corus. Te uscious Summer carries intense bues in te sky and in te ower borders, inviting us to temporariy move our painting studio to te garden or a spe oplein airpainting, setering rom te dazzing sun in te generous sade o te pacid trees. Soon te sient mists o eary Autumn mornings appear, to be vanquised and ited by a weakening sun, reveaing brances aden wit coouru eaves. Te storms take tem out one by one and our waks turn cruncy underoot. Finay, te naked garden o Winter sivers under ow skies tat ave me waiting and yearning or te snow tat wi us te word and turn te andscape into a dreamy, monocrome picture. Ten te birds get noisy again, waking us up at dawn wit teir antics, and it starts a over again… Being a botanica artist as added anoter dimension to tis rytm. Eac season yieds a bounty o new subjects to paint and brings anoter reason to anticipate te canges. Te paette adapts to nature’s transorming coours and textures, and te inspiration oows. I woud ind it diicut to paint a dead ea in Juy or bossom in September, but I ook orward to portraying tem wen tey are in season.

InBotanical Watercolours through the seasons, I ave expored te subjects oered aong te year, starting wit te awakening o Spring and ending wit te estive oy, coosing dierent textures and coours wie oering a coice o diicuty eves. Eac o te seasona capters contains tree tutorias. Te irst one is or beginners, te second one or intermediates and te ast one or more advanced painters. Te subjects reect te varied types ound in botanica art, demonstrating a seection o owers, eaves and ruit. Initiay, oowing te tutorias step-by-step soud give you te conidence to pick your own subject and adapt tem, using tem as an inspiration and a guide wit your own drawings and paettes. Te opening section gives advice about wic materias to use, tone and sadows, coour teory, and te tecniques I use in my work. Wen coosing materias and paints I strive to run an etica art practice, using environmentay-riendy and cruety-ree products. At te end o te book you wi ind a useu coour-conversion cart tat wi aow you to oow te tutorias even i your paette diers rom mine. Starting wit a sunny daodi, I invite you to join me on tis journey troug te seasons and enjoy te pants, booms and ruit tat Nature is bestowing upon us or inspiration.

Happy painting!

MY ETHICAL STUDIO

Do you sometimes wonder were your art materias come rom and wat impact your art as on te environment? My endeavours to run my ie and my ome in an etica way ave naturay spied into te art studio and as a resut my art practice as evoved over te years to be as etica as possibe. Weter you woud ike your art to be cruety-ree or respectu o uman rigts; your art materias to be in ine wit your vegan iestye; or weter you simpy care about te environment, ere are a ew tips tat soud ep you towards your etica goas.

PaintsI the environment is your main concern, water-based paints are more environmentally riendly than oil-based media. Watercolour and gouache are less polluting than acrylics, which are adding to the plastic waste contaminating the oceans. The main thing to watch out or is the pigment type. Some are non-toxic but some are bad or the environment. The most notorious is cadmium, which is radioactive. As a botanical artist, it does not make sense to me to take my inspiration rom nature and then pour cadmium-contaminated water down the sink. We also have to think that although the paint manuacturers in Europe have strict contaminated-waste-disposal guidelines, the pigments themselves are made in countries where environmental laws and rules protecting workers and villages near toxic actories are almost inexistent. While cadmiums were once desirable colours, I think that their toxicity now outweighs their useulness. These days, there are some excellent cadmium substitutes available – some brands such as Daniel Smith have removed cadmiums completely rom their range and I am sure that eventually other paint manuacturers will ollow their lead. Regarding pigments, there is also an ethical issue when it comes to lightastness. Using a ading paint such as Opera Rose and then selling a painting that will degrade rapidly is not the most ethical thing to do. Picking your pigments careully will ensure that people who love your art enough to buy a painting will enjoy it or a longer time.

PaperSome cartridge-paper pads are made rom recycled paper, and bamboo watercolour paper appeared a ew years ago, being marketed as more environmentally riendly than cotton paper because bamboo requires less water to grow. Many watercolour papers are sized with animal-derived gelatine: Arches and most Saunders Waterord papers are the most prestigious examples. Fabriano Artistico and most Fabriano papers use a plant-based size and Bockingord paper is also gelatine-ree.

BrushesWhen I irst started to learn how to paint, I used sable brushes because that is what my tutors told me to do. The idea was that synthetic brushes were or amateurs and that real artists used animal bristles. Kolinsky sable brushes were the best in the world, because the sables living in Siberia were so cold that their tails were bushier as a result. I would have been horriied at the suggestion that I should wear a real ur coat but never gave a second thought to the idea o using sable hair. And yet… Sables

are raised on ur arms where they live in unnatural and oten cruel conditions and are killed exclusively or their ur. Years ago it was a hopeless mission to ind a synthetic brush that would perorm as well as sable. These days, though, some synthetics are so good that I could easily be tricked into thinking that they are natural hair. I have recently been testing dozens o models rom diferent brands. I you want to retain the eeling o animal hair without the ethical dilemma, I recommend the da Vinci Casaneo series 9. I personally preer a slightly stifer brush, as natural hair is a bit too ‘loppy’ or me. I like Pro Arte Prolene Plus Series 007, and Jackson’s Studio Synthetics series 0 collections. The Princeton Neptune synthetic squirrel is a wonderul brush. At a raction o the cost o real animal hair and without the cruelty, all these are deinitely worth a try.

PlasticPlastic is less insidious than other environmentally unriendly substances (such as pigments); however, swapping plastic water pots or old jam or mustard jars, using a wooden or metal paintbox and carrying brushes in a wooden brush case can be easily done. My plastic eraser has been replaced with the Fabriano rubber eraser. There are still little things like watercolour pans that dey my determination to eliminate all plastic. However, as I use Daniel Smith watercolours, the pans are ininitely reillable.

And if you are vegan…?I you are vegan, the art world is as much a mineield as the rest o your lie, but by now you are probably used to it. Most watercolour paints contain either ox gall or honey; many papers are sized with animal gelatine; some pigments, like Bone Black, are made rom charred bones and even cruelty-ree brushes can have shellac-varnished handles. Obviously Egg Tempera is not an option… On the ollowing pages you can ind the materials and equipment I use or drawing and painting, all o which are vegan-riendly.

I am not suggesting that you throw away all your paints and art supplies and replace them all at once. But when you inish your next watercolour tube or your current paper pad, perhaps you can think about how you choose to replace it. I hope that this inormation will help you select the best-quality art materials while ollowing your choice o ethical liestyle.

WORKING SPACE Te irst ting to do wen embarking on your artistic endeavours is to set up a working space tat is practica, inspiring and tat reects your personaity.

My painting desk is installed in a bay window that aces west. By setting up a potter’s stand in ront o the right window, I allow the main light source to come rom the let, lowing through the let and main ront windows. I have set up a bird eeder in theMagnolia grandiflorathat grows outside the window, so I always have many eathered companions to keep me entertained while I work. It can be maddeningly distracting but never ails to lit my spirits. The sparrows are especially bossy, landing on the window rame and staring at me until I give in and ill the eeder. It never takes more than a couple o minutes – and I suspect mind control. I don’t work well in artiicial light, so this setup also ensures I have plenty o natural light to work with. It also means that my painting days are longer in the Summer than in the Winter.

PAINTING FROM LIFE Wenever possibe, try to work rom rea owers and ruit rater tan rom potograps. Potograps are cod and at, wic can make it diicut to inject ie into a painting. A ive subject wi insti your work wit its vitaity.

I ind that working rom live subjects is a lot more inspiring than working rom photographs. Apart rom the act that photographs never show the true colours o lowers, I need to be able to touch the subjects, eel their textures, see their colours with my own eyes and smell their perume. You can learn a lot about the top o a lea i you are able to turn it over and see what is happening on the underside. You can ind out which colour to use as the base or a petal by checking what colour it is on the reverse side. In addition, I don’t wish my paintings to look like photographs: I want them to look like paintings. I ind this easier to achieve when the subject is right there in ront o me. Get to know your subjects, talk to them, and they will in turn talk to you, giving you inspiration and inusing your work with lie.

Papers

DRAWING KIT

Cartridge paperI use Fabriano cartridge paper, in diferent weights and sizes. I like their White Ecological Artist Paper, which is sustainably produced using hydro-power and is 00 per cent recycled.

Tracing paper and Tracedown transfer paperI use tracing paper to trace my sketches and transer them to the watercolour paper. The lighter the weight, the better. To transer, I use a red coloured pencil with Tracedown transer paper, which is similar to carbon paper but grease- and wax-ree. This method allows me to be as loose and messy as I need to be, as the inished transerred drawing will always be immaculate regardless o what happened in the sketchbook.

Sketcbooks I love sketchbooks. Rather than having piles o unrelated sketches in various drawers, I like the way a sketchbook tells a story. When I draw in a sketchbook, I tend to write notes not directly related to my subject, like what the birds are doing outside the window, or which music I am listening to while drawing. Reading these years later brings back memories that would otherwise be orgotten. My avourites sketchbooks are the Atoma system and the Frisk laylat sketchpad (shown right). The Atoma is a clever system that allows any kind o paper to be perorated and added to a ring-binding system, whatever the weight. This means I can add watercolour paper as well as cartridge paper to the binding. The pages can be removed, repositioned and added multiple times. The covers are bought separately and come in card as well as washable ‘vegan leather’ paper. The Frisk pad is very handy when taking my drawing kit on trips. The A4 ormat (297 x 20mm¼ x ½in) lays lat to become A3 (297 x 420mm¾ x 6½in). The paper is white and smooth and the 290gsm (3lb) weight takes a light wash.

Pencis I preer mechanical pencils to traditional ones because I don’t like to break the low o drawing with the need to sharpen. I use mechanical and clutch pencils made o wood with a metallic mechanism to avoid using plastic. I have a 2mm 2B that I use or the initial loose drawing and a 0.mm B that I use to reine the drawing once I have the main lines. I sometimes also use a Derwent Dark Wash sketching pencil or quick tone studies (shown opposite, next to the red pencil).

Erasers My main eraser is a Fabriano rubber eraser and I also use a putty eraser to lit of excess graphite i the transer paper gets too heavy.

Geometry equipment I like to have a ruler and even sometimes a pair o compasses to work out my composition. They help to keep things balanced and within the right shapes without the need or measuring everything, which again helps with keeping the drawing loose. For the ‘Holly Star’ tutorial (see pages 64–69), I also used a protractor to calculate the positions o the ive branches o the star.