Working with yellow and tackling a leaf - Part 1

Working with Yellow and Tackling a Leaf - Part 1

For this lesson, we'll be using a lemon as our subject. It's the perfect specimen to discuss how to approach the limited tonal range of yellow and the pitfalls that this can present, as well as offering an opportunity to practise communicating the form of a leaf.

The Problem with Yellow

The tonal range of yellow is quite limited; pale hues can be barely visible, while darker colours tend to veer into muddy browns. This can make it quite difficult to create depth and form when painting yellow specimens.

While most people reach for brown to darken their yellows, I would always recommend using purples instead to maintain a fresh and lively look.

Creating the Form of a Leaf

Generally speaking, the front face of a leaf is slightly boat shaped with a dip in the centre and each side cupping round.

This shape is actually a great help to us in botanical painting, as there are obvious moments of shade and light that we can represent to communicate the illusion of form. The midrib will be the darkest point, and the right side of the leaf the lightest.

The veining can be thought of as tiny pillows, using light and shade to create undulating dips to represent each vein.

A leaf's underside is often a much paler green, and the middle section protrudes with the midrib sitting proud from the leaf's surface. This requires a different approach, so for now we'll be focusing on the front face.

What You Will Need

• Paper
• Pencil
• A lemon with it's leaves
• Vase to hold your flower
• Putty rubber
• Divider
• Acrylic brushes in size 3

I use the Da Vinci Nova 5570

• Slightly old and worn out brushes for mixing paint colours
• Jar of water
• Watercolour paints

I am using Lemon Yellow, Windsor Yellow, Aureolin Yellow, Indian Yellow, Cobalt Blue, Cobalt Violet, Cerulean Blue, Permanent Magenta and Winsor Violet, all from the Winsor & Newton Professional watercolour range in the half-pan size.

• Ceramic palette
• Kitchen towel

Painting a Lemon

Step 1

Position the specimen in a pleasing way and then, using a pen and paper, draw a simple outline of your lemon and its leaf. When you're happy, use a rubber to soften your pencil marks.

• Simplify your composition to suit you and make it easier to draw and paint.
• Pay attention to the stalk and how it sits on top of the lemon - you'll find there's a nice scalloped edge to it.
• When drawing a leaf, start with the midrib and draw both sides of it, capturing how it tapes to a point at the leaf's tip.
• Be sure to draw the veins on the leaf at the correct angle, otherwise the perspective of your painting will be off.

Step 2

Begin painting with the shade Lemon Yellow. Apply it mostly around the outside of your shape, while gradually pushing the paint inwards - this initiates the creation of the spherical illusion.

Step 3

Mix a very pale green, and apply it in a wash to your stalk. You can also add it to any green areas you can see of the lemon itself.

Step 4

Mix a slightly darker green, and paint it over the entire left hand side of the leaf. Start at the bottom, and brush the paint upwards. Then apply a small amount to the edge of the right side and the midrib.

Step 5

Keep moving between the lemon and the leaf, and continue layering the Lemon Yellow and your pale greens to build up your base of colour.

Step 6

Next, look for opportunities for places you can go darker. This could be around the base of the stalk, the edges of your lemon or the midrib of your leaf. Use Aureolin Yellow and Cobalt Violet on the lemon, and mix a darker green for the leaf. Make sure you are preserving the white space in the middle of the lemon and right side of your leaf.

Step 7

Continue to systematically build up layers of colour, slowly and smoothly. Look out for characteristics of the lemon to capture and make it feel more realistic. Enrich the shadowy areas with very subtle touches of mauves and cool blues, such as Permanent Magenta and Cerulean Blue.