Winsor & Newton Watercolour Magnolia Tutorial

Opus Resource Library

In this tutorial, artist Stéphanie Vos (All Things Elysian), teaches a method of painting a magnolia flower in watercolours.

Materials Needed For This Tutorial:

Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolours (5ml tubes)

Winsor Yellow
Permanent Sap Green
Perylene Green
Burnt Sienna
Vandyke Brown
Sepia
Permanent Rose
Quinacridone Magenta
Opera Rose

Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolour Paper – Hot pressed – 300 gram

Step 1: Sketching & First Washes

I sketch the Magnolia in pencil. If you like, you can start mixing your colours with water on a pallet so that they are ready to use. I moisten the paper and use a Gold II Round Brush No.4 to paint the petals in a wash of diluted Permanent Rose.

Step 2: Colouring Petals

I always start at the edges, where the colours are darkest and let the light colour gently run on the damp paper. To do this, I use the belly of the brush (the fatter part in the middle) and hold the brush diagonally to the paper. When the first petal is finished, I choose a petal somewhere else, so that the colours don’t run into each other.

Step 3: Starting The Stem

I moisten the whole stem and start with a light wash of Burnt Sienna. Here I let the water work to my advantage, From the edges I use the point of the brush and I blend out the colour with the belly of the brush. I use the Sceptre Gold II Round Brush No.4 and No.7 for the larger areas.

Step 4: Adding In Green

For the green part, I use Permanent Sap Green and now work with brush no. 2. Again, I work wet-on-wet, just as I did with the petals. If there’s too much water/colour on my brush, I regularly wipe it off on a tea towel.

Step 5: Highlights and Shadows

I only add another wash/layer when everything is completely dry. At this point, any pencil lines can be erased.

I now focus on the light and the shade areas on the photo. I use a mix of Permanent Rose and Opera Rose or Quinacridone Magenta on darker areas to add depth.

For the green area, I use Perylene Green, Sap green and Winsor Yellow.

In the stem, I add details with Burnt Sienna and Vandyke Brown.

Step 6: Final Details

With the point of the no. 4 brush, I moisten the leaf and use my no. 0 brush to go over the veins with Permanent Rose. I also add a little Vandyke Brown to the stem, wet-on-wet for more depth. In some places, I then let the colour fall onto the moist paper. The water will cause the colour to spread by itself. Here the colour mix has more pigment and less water.

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About The Artist

My name is Stéphanie Vos. I’m the person behind ‘All Things Elysian’. The name Elysian stands for everything that is creative, and creativity is in my blood.

For over 17 years, I worked as a professional make-up artist for various very well-known brands. The face was my living canvas! Transparency and explosion of colour, mixing and blending colour and using brushes have thus become second nature to me. Watercolour is an ideal continuation of this theme and the softness of this medium always fascinates me.

Even as a child, I loved this medium and I spent many hours painting in watercolour. And now in combination with modern calligraphy, I’m doing a lot of watercolour painting again.

I make personalised birth and wedding announcements. The versatility of watercolour and modern calligraphy make them a golden combination. I customise everything to the customer, so each card is unique and personal. I also give watercolour workshops, so that I can introduce other people to this wonderful medium. I am convinced that everyone can learn how to paint.

For me, choosing Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolour products is a no-brainer. They make painting so much easier and more enjoyable. I can really enjoy bringing my new painting to life with the right colours and products. Because the products are always top quality and constantly in use, you know what you’re using and you can always rely on them.