Archives - Watercolour Flower Portraits Part 1 with Billy Showell

With a real flower specimen as her guide, Billy Showell starts each lesson with tips on how to capture the likeness of each flower – the beginning of the ‘portrait’. Demonstrating, in surprisingly easy to follow steps, just what to look for, in order to capture the character of each specimen.
With simple, straightforward watercolour techniques and a limited range of colours, Billy Showell goes on to describe how to lay in the tones and colours, layer by layer, lifting out the highlights and strengthening the shadows to give each flower depth and lifelike contours.
Then, by using careful observation – and being true to what she sees, she shows you how to begin adding the exquisite detail with the very tip of a fine sable brush, building up the character of each flower, petal by petal, leaf by leaf, into the final finished portrait!