Wild Rose

This simple painting uses only six basic colours and two brush shapes,
the one-stroke flat and the rigger.

The techniques can be used regardless of the brush size; covers paint mixing and colour value;
 double loading; 'S' and 'C' strokes with the flat brush; 'comma' strokes with the rigger and blending.
The diagrams (at reduced size) are taken from the actual painting project.

Materials and equipment
Brushes: 1/4" or 3/8" One stroke flat brush; No. 2 Rigger
Oil paint:  Cad Yellow; Ruby Red; Ultramarine Deep; Burnt Sienna; Ivory Black and Titanium White.
Mediums: Zest-it® Clear Painting Medium; Zest-it® Brush Cleaner.
Bits and Bobs: Palette and painting knife; kitchen towel; grease-proof paper to practice on. Container to hold the Zest-it and a jar lid to hold the painting medium.

Using the palette knife mix together equal amounts of Cad. Yellow and Ultramarine Blue, this will give a green. This green is the main leaf colour. Add a few drops of Zest-it® Clear Painting Medium to the paint and mix in. When you lift the palette knife away from the paint small peaks will appear, the top of these peaks needs to 'flop' over, if they don't, add more medium.

Divide your mixed paint into three piles. To one pile add extra Ultramarine and a touch of Black to make it darker than the original colour. This will be your dark green.
To one other pile add extra Cad. Yellow and a touch of T. White to make it lighter than the original colour. This will be your light green.
For the petals: Mix your Red with Zest-it® Painting Medium until the peaks 'flop'. Also mix T. White in the same way. 

The Stroke:
Try some practice strokes. Painting an 'S' stroke. Put the chisel end of the brush to the surface with the handle pointing to the ceiling. Move the brush slightly to the left. Apply a small amount of pressure, the handle now points towards you, and pull for the desired length (about an inch long). Release the pressure and move the brush back onto it's chisel end, move the brush and lift off to the left in one flowing movement.
 Put all these actions together to form one continuous movement to paint an 'S' stroke. Using the same method practice painting some 'C' strokes. Then practice 'C' strokes with a 'wobble' in them, to do this 'wobble' the brush as you move it to form the shape. Keep the pressure the same.

Tip: If you have any holes in the painted line or it doesn't reach the end of the stroke, then either the paint is too thick (add a few drops of medium) or the brush isn't loaded enough (add more paint to the brush).

Painting the Wild Rose.

Sketch the Rose shape.

Painting the flowers:
Using a brush double-loaded with the Red and White paint, paint one short stroke in the bud area of the design, see step one of the bud.

Reload the brush and paint the two strokes that make up the middle sized flower. As you paint the stroke, 'wobble' the brush a little to form the shape.
Reload the brush and paint the petals of the rose flower in three-quarter view. Wobbling the brush as you paint gives a rippled look to the petals.

Tip: Practice a few 'wobbly' strokes before painting the finished flower.

Painting the greenery:
To complete the stems and leaves, take the No. 2 Rigger and load with thin 'watery' green paint. To mix the paint, dip the brush in the Zest-it® brush cleaner and transfer to the palette, add to this small amount of Zest-it® a small amount of green paint, mix together with the brush, the paint needs to be 'watery' enough to 'write' with. Practice a few curved lines.

Tip: Touch the ferrule to the kitchen towel to remove any excess Zest-it® liquid or it may run down the brush and thin the paint too much.

Use this brush and colour combination to add the stems and small leaves round the bud. Put pressure on the brush to start and gradually release the pressure, keep the lines very thin at the end. Use the different greens as shown on the worksheet. Light green to the right, dark green to the left. Use the No. 4 Rigger in the same way to paint the leaves and stems of the large flower. Use the No. 2 Rigger and watery B. Sienna to add a few thorns to the stems.

Tip: Use the greenery to shape the bud by painting strokes on and around the shape.

Painting the flower Centre:
Use the No. 4 Rigger to paint in a Yellow half circle in the centre of the large Rose. Pick up B. Sienna on the same brush and indicate the dark side of the flower centre using a small curved stroke. With watery B. Sienna paint and the No. 2 Rigger paint in the stamens and pollen dots.

Tip: It is often a good idea to have two brushes to work with, one for the light side and one for the dark, it saves keep washing &loading, also saves paint.

Try similar flower shapes and different colour combinations. Or try your hand at a painting like this - wild roses painted on a black background.

Others in the Tole Gallery may inspire you.

All artwork and instructions are Copyright © Jacqui Blackman 1996.