Cactus Flowers – watercolor on Yupo
There is a corner house in our neighborhood with a very nice and neat front yard, a fine example of successful desert landscaping. A month or two ago, they had a blooming cactus plant (I wish I knew the name of that particular kind : /). Me and the cactus flowers liked each other at the first glance – and then the game started. When I passed them in my car or on a walk, I didn’t have a camera on me. When I went there with the camera intending to take photos, the flowers closed or fell off or the light wasn’t good enough…So, after weeks of hide-and-seek, I finally managed to snap a couple of pictures that were good enough to make a hyper-detailed painting. And then, during one of our local swap meets, I made this:
8.5×11″. I like them…I am still planning on a larger painting with more of the plant shown but I’m not sure how to show the cactus spines without getting into too much detail.
I found it great like this, the colors are very nice and I like the loose style
Thanks Sandrine
They´re beautiful, never mind if if you put some detais, if the painting is larger, they will not appear too much. Start it and the idea will flow.
Thanks for your advice, Nona, I’ll do that!
Beautiful splashes of colors ^^
thanks Alex!
This looks really nice! I’m not sure how they look in person, so I’m not sure how to add the spines. Maybe scratching back out?
Thanks Raena! Scraching them out is one method I’m considering. The problem I see with that though is that I would run the risk of making the spines look a little too regular and straight, a little too man-made. But I guess it doesn’t hurt to try!
Really spontaneous and fun. You give the feeling of those interesting cactus flowers. One idea, you might try using the tip of a toothpick to paint the spines (or lift them out of a dark value area on yupo.)
Good idea! Thanks!
Beautiful!
Thanks Cathy!
I love this!!!! I like the story behind capturing the photo too.
Thanks Sue
Another winner! Good luck on the art show.
Thank you Sandra!
You show extraordinary control on yupo – wow. And it is a lively and beautiful composition! Who needs spines anyway?
Thanks Dan! It’s interesting you say that I show control on Yupo…when Yupo, or even watercolor in general, is so much about giving up control
– but i know what you mean. And yea, who needs spines!
I love your Yupo studies – so alive and free! The bell peppers look yummy too.
Thanks Krista! I wish my husband shared my love for bell peppers!
i just love what your colors and technique do!
Thank you!
Beautiful! I love the carefree, abstract quality. Is that done on hot press paper?
Thank you! It isn’t hot press paper, actually, though I see how you would think that. It’s on Yupo, the synthetic paper.