How to paint Peony Flowers in Chinese Brush Techniques?
Understating the structure of the flowers before work on your painting.
Every flower has center point as an axis line (an imaginary line about which a body rotates) where the stamen position.
All of Petals are surrounding the stamen in center point and following the rotation from facing direction.
Chinese Painting Techniques - Flower - Peony
Step by step:
Step 1. Flower petals:
Brushwork: loading brush with continued three brushstrokes in vary size for each petals.
Fully wet the brush in water.
Colors: Mixing light Red in halfway of the brush, dipping Dark Red in the tip of the brush.
Start to paint from the petal in front center.
The start point on the tip of the brush facing down where the panel shows in front of the focal point.
Press brush from tip downside moving up with three stocks in movement.
Continue with side brush to paint right petals and left petals next to the first one in center.
Using side brush strokes moving around behind the side petals, and continue to build up some petals surrounding stamens. Leave empty space in center for pistil.
The first ring petals built up the structure in center.
Using side brush add on foreshortened petals in front of second ring.
Tip of the brush towards to center point of the flower continue to add petals on right and left next to the first ring of petals.
(Dipping the dark red to tip of the brush when color runs out.)
Adding water in brush create lighter colors then gradually adding more petals around outer ring. At the same time, adjust the flower shape by adding petals if necessary. (avoid too even shapes or symmetrical petals from center). Looking for interesting shapes with flow movement of petals.
For creating dimensions, Adding dark red on tip of brush, applying brush strokes on shades and folding petals.
Step 2. Pistil in center of the flower:
Colors: use small brush with yellow green (yellow in halfway of the brush, adding green on tip of the brush)
Step 3: Stamens around pistil by petals
Colors: use Chinese white mixing yellow for stamens. (two or tree dots in groups some sparse and some dense）
Step 4: Leaves, Stalk, Stain (create structure in composition)
Colors for Stalk/Stain - use Olive Green in brush, add Red to tip of brush.
Colors for Branches- Burnt Sienna in brush with ink on tip.
(*There are three stalks with three leaves on each stalk)
(out line structure for peony leaves)
Colors for Leaves - use Yellow mix Blue in brush to create Olive Green, add Burt Sienna or Red in tip of the brush for new leaves, add darker Blue or ink for old leaves.
Making three leaves by using side brush strokes in movement. Adding leaf veins before dry.
Step 5 :
Use dark red mixing with ink to draw Veins on leaves and Dots on Stalk/Stain, for making contrast or standing out the stain on the areas.
Step 6:
Adding flower buds, leaves, or insects for making balance to the composition if necessary.
