I painted this iris ages ago and took photos of the stages. Thought you might like to see the progress of the painting. It’s quite small…about A4 size.
I love depicting these flowers with their delicious folds and frills!
The challenge was to bring out the iris against a dark background. The white edges at the top were important in making the flower stand out and not be lost in the background. I like putting in a background as I don’t want to produce a botanical study but to try and catch the spirit of the flower growing in its natural environment. I like the stroked in leaves at the bottom giving a bit of depth and context.





The Final Painting
Colours used:
Cobalt blue, Ultramarine blue, cobalt violet, Winsor violet, quinacridone gold, aureolin, permanent rose, Indian yellow
Winsor blue, quinacridone gold, aureolin to make the GREENS
Cobalt blue,cobalt violet, touch of permanent rose for the FLOWER SHADOWS
Indian yellow for the CENTRE