Create a large pressed flower artwork - Hellebore with roots

Creating a Large Pressed Flower Artwork - Hellebore with Roots

In this lesson, we demonstrate how to approach a larger-scale artwork with a more complicated specimen; piecing together a pressing of a Hellebore for a show-stopping piece.

Creating a Composition

Follow the same steps that you did in the previous lesson - there are just a few different tips and tricks when working on a larger scale that are noted below.

Tips for a Large Scale Artwork

• Spend time going through your specimens and sorting them, working out where the best place might be for them as you go.
• When building larger compositions, it's especially important to keep it feeling natural by following the stem lines and not overcrowding with too many elements.
• Make sure your final composition sits centrally within the frame and nothing overlaps the score line.
• Taking a photograph of your piece often gives you a different perspective and might inspire you to make some small changes.
• Glueing larger-scale artworks is more complex, so take your time to work out the best order in which to glue all the different elements.
• For larger specimens, you probably won't be able to glue them all in one go. Instead, concentrate on the stem and roots first then you can come back and glue the petals and flower head down later.
• Be extra vigilant when reconstructing, making sure that there aren't any empty stems or missing leaves.

You Will Need:

• Hellebore pressings that include the roots
• A1 size acid-free off-white mount board
• Scalpel or scoring tool
• Scissors
• Scrap paper
• Glue - we use Mod Podge in the matt finish
• Small paint brush
• Pins
• Tweezers

Flowers Used:

• Hellebore