Billy's Sketchbook - Iris Reticulata & Hellebore Drawing - Preview

Hello, this week's tutorials are two sketchbook lessons to help with your drawing. Sometimes it is nice to have a small moment capturing the flowers of the season. Preparing a sketch and gathering information is essential before settling down to a final painting at your painting table.

Noticing those small details and changes in perspective so that you can add dimension to your studies.

Iris reticulata is a beautiful, small Iris with simple yet captivating patterns. It’s a lovely blue violet colour and a great Iris to practice on before attempting a large, bearded Iris. 
Use this little study to practice analysing the shapes and foreshortening.

A stem of Hellebore flowers at different angles is a great subject for looking at negative shapes. I use an apple to describe the changes that occur when looking at ellipsis, and how to imagine the centres of the plant or flower when you can't always see them. This helps me illustrate cup-shaped flowers.