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Painting Cherry Blossom

Using the negative painting technique

Watercolour Cherry Blossom close up workshop.jpg

In this workshop, we’ll paint delicate cherry blossoms set against a soft, abstract background using a negative painting technique. The focus is on soft dappled sunlight, freedom, and letting the watercolour do the work.

 

Suggested Colours

 

Pink, cad Yellow, Cerulean Blue, Sap Green, Ultramarine blue , Indigo

Optional colours:  Sepia and deep cad yellow for the centres

 

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Cherry Blossom Skech.jpg

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1. Light Sketch / trace

 

Lightly sketch a few simple blossom shapes (5-petal flowers).

Keep lines  very faint*— just enough to guide you.

Add a few centres and overlapping petals for interest

A handful of background leaves

Pink cherry blossom photo.jpg

2. Negative Painting Background

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You are now going to paint whole background except the flowers.  When I'm painting this I aim for the colours underneath the petals to be the darkest. As I move away from the flowers, I make the paint lighter.  I also tend to use light blues at the top, working my way down in to darker and darker greens.

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I'm loosely suggesting the sky and background foliage. Think leaves and dappled sunlight - not detail, not smooth, just atmosphere.  Make sure you work in a methodical way, section by section and use the wet into wet technique.   When you get to a leaf area, try and keep that area yellow/light green, but don't form the shape of the leaf just yet.

3. Create Texture & Interest

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While the background is still wet:

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Add  splashes for energy and interest.  Water, paint and white gouache will all give you different looks.

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If needed, lift out areas with a damp brush or tissue to bring back light

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Keep it playful and experimental

4. Paint the Flowers (Keep Them Soft)

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Mix a a couple of greys, one on the pink/purple side and one on the green side 

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Drop in a hint of these colours on each petal, where they meet the centre.  Blend it out softly, but leave lots of white space.  Use a cocktail stick to add petal texture, while the paint is wet.

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Add a  light wash to the edge of some petals, where they flip over, leaving plenty of white paper.

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Where one petal is beneath another, add some slightly darker grey to indicate the cast shadow.

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Try not to overwork the flowers, keep everything  loose and pale— we’re just suggesting form.

 

Let this dry

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5. Centres & Details

 

Once dry, add centres using  yellow with touches of indigo or sepia.  Use a stippling technique - the opposite end of your brush is good for this

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Flick out fine lines for stamens with a liner/rigger brush

Keep it  loose and  soft

 

6. Leaves, details, Soften & Blend

 

Add dark paint around the background leaves to pick them out then blend out

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Use a  clean damp brush to gently pull background paint over some petal edges.  This will enable them to soften and fade away into the background. .

 

All this helps create that lovely lost-and-found edge effect.  It makes the blossoms and leaves feel part of the environment.

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You maybe finished?

Do you need to add more darks under the petals?

More white or colourful splashes?

Lift out dappled sunlight with a thirsty brush?

Add watercolour pencil and sandpaper for pollen on the flowers?

 

Watercolour Tips

 

Work  light to dark 

Let the paint  move on the paper 

Don’t overwork — freshness is everything

Embrace happy accidents!

Cherry blossom example handout.jpg

Book Your Spot

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