I recently created my first voice over painting tutorial, if you haven't seen it check it out here:
I wanted to included a written version of this tutorial, since people all learn in different ways. Gouache was a medium I truly never thought I would use, but once I was taught how to use it, it became my staple. If you'd like to know how I created this painting, keep reading!
Phase 1:
Alright so I’m starting this painting by first using the darkest color, which is black.
I used this to establish the darkest shadows and to fill in the geometric shape.
Note:
For this part I’d normally reccomend using painters tape or masking tape, however I ran out of it so I had to resort to using white paint to clean up any mistakes along the edges. I used a flat brush, which gave a crisp line to the edges.
Since I used white along the edges, I went ahead and used white on the rest on the paper outside the triangle so the white shade is consistent and also makes for a great base for the shadows beneath the lily petals that I will be adding in later.
Phase 2:
I’m starting off the lilies with muted purple, blue and a little bit of green tones. Because I’m using gouache, the underlying layers tend to mix with whatever color you’re putting on top.
So when I put a layer of white or cream on top of these tones, it looks really multi-dimensional and realistic, rather than only using grey or black to create shadows.
Phase 3:
Then after that, I’m using white and black paint to make those colors darker or lighter. Where the petal curves and catches a shadow, I get a damp brush with a small amount of black and mix it in with the blue color I already placed in that area. This will result in a cool toned shadow. This stage will require a bit of repetition.
Note:
Because I am using gouache, it’s important to use a smaller brush that is very damp in order to create smooth gradients. It’s a little bit harder to blend than a medium such as oil paint, and will definitely takes some practice to get used to.
In order to get the right amount of dampness on the brush you're going to use, I suggest keeping a drop of water on your paint palette, tray, easel, or whatever you're using. Use this tiny drop to dampen the small brush, and carefully tap off any excess water. This should be the perfect moisture level to blend the paint to create smooth gradients.
Blending will require a lot of back and forth. Lots of repetition. You may have to go back in with some blue or purple. Observe the color shift in the light and shadows of your reference!
Phase 4:
Next, I painted the stems that come out from inside the lily. I places the overall tone of the color green I wanted, then got a small amount of black and blended it on one side of the line. I did the same with white, and blended it on the other side of the stem. This gives a sense of roundness and dimension to the stems.
For the anthers, where the pollen is held in a flower, I used a deep brown and stippled the color into a spongey-looking long shape on top of the stems. After that, I used a orange-toned lighter brown and stippled a layer over the darker brown.
Phase 5:
I started the eye by blending a deep brown into the iris. Because the painting has dim lighting, I didn't put too much detail into the iris.
The whites of the eyes, as you can see, aren't perfectly white. I used a purple/blue off white in the center, then blended it out with red towards the tears ducts.
Since I wanted the eye to look irritated, I included some red veins by carefully drawing thin lines using a tiny detailing brush.
Phase 6:
I used white to establish where the tear line is before going in with red to make the blood tear.
Once I had a base layer of red, I used some black and blended it in to create a gradient on the tear drop. After that, I blended out the harsh white highlights with more red to create a glossy look, then went back in and reapplied accurate highlights.
Note:
I used this same process for the drops on the lily petals.
Phase 7:
I blended a blue toned grey onto the white background underneath the lily petals to give the illusion that the flowers are coming out of the triangle.
Phase 8:
I created some blood splatters on the bottom of the painting to contribute to the illusion. I shaded the splatters where the shadow from the petals would be.
And that is it! I hope this was informative and I look forward to making more tutorials in the future.