beauties! The only reason these grow for me is because they are planted underneath a weeping cherry tree, surrounded by a ground cover that provides a great barrier for the rabbits that would want to have these for a snack!
To begin with, I took many photos of them, from as many angles as I could.
The painting is a composite from several photos. This is one huge benefit of
digital cameras. You can take a ton of photos of your subject and not have to worry about film costs!
After the drawing was completed, I first put down a glaze of Windsor Lemon on each tulip. I also used Windsor Lemon as the main yellow on the leaves and stems. Once dry, I then used Rose Madder Genuine, Dragon's Blood, Alizarin Crimson, and some Vermillion (discontinued....arg!) for the blooms. I always like to add some of the flower color to the leaves and stems, for whatever flower I'm painting. It helps to make the stems and leaves look more realistic.....rarely are leaves and stems just a solid color. Because I wanted the tulips to really stand out with full saturated color, I kept the background cool and simple. The actual background was brick with blue forget-me-nots surrounding the leaves. I thought simple was better here. These tulips are beautiful and regal and deserved to stand alone.
