Spring flowers add seasonal interest to a towel rank for bath or kitchen.

SUPPLIES

• water container
• palette or plastic plate
• paper towels
• tracing paper
• pencil
• 1" flat brush
• 1/2" flat brush
• stylus
• black fine-point permanent marker
• sanding disc
• 5/0 liner brush
• #4 filbert brush
• wooden towel holder
• dark graphite paper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Using the 1″ flat brush, base the towel holder surface with a mixture of Titanium White and a little Burnt Sienna to create a pretty, peachy-pink color.
2. When dry, sand lightly with a sanding disc.
3. Transfer the pattern to the towel holder surface with dark graphite paper.
4. The leaves are painted with a brush mix of equal amounts of Pine Green, Titanium White, and Yellow Oxide. For variety, add just a touch of Cobalt Blue Hue to give a little different color to a few leaves.
5. Base in the back-most petals of the tulips with a brush mix of equal amounts of Titanium White, Yellow Oxide, and Hansa Yellow Medium. Add a touch of Pine Green and apply shadow area. Let dry.
6. Dampen the brush with water and wipe off the excess. Fill in the remaining tulip petals with Titanium White, Yellow Oxide, and Hansa Yellow Medium in the same base mix as step 4. Edge into Titanium White and highlight the petals' edges.
7. Dampen the brush with water and wipe off the excess. Apply a shadow of Raw Sienna, pulling from the petal stem area towards the tip of the petals.
8. While the brush is still damp, dip it into Hansa Yellow Medium and apply to lighter areas of the flower to highlight the petals. Let dry.
9. Dampen the brush with water and wipe off the excess. Make a line of Burnt Sienna where the petal comes out from the stem. Pull out from the stem and about 1/3 length of petals. Let dry.
10. Dampen the brush with water and wipe off the excess. Apply a final light of Hansa Yellow Medium plus a touch of Titanium White, if necessary. The detail is Titanium White on the liner brush.

11. Paint the crocuses with Cobalt Blue Hue and just a little Titanium White to a medium value. Let dry.
12. Dampen the brush with water and wipe off the excess. Apply a shadow of Cobalt Blue Hue. Let dry.
13. Dampen the brush with water and wipe off the excess. Apply a brush mix of Cobalt Blue Hue and a little Red Violet randomly on the petals.

14. The stems are painted with Pine Green, Cobalt Blue Hue, and a little Titanium White.
15. The pussy willows are a brush mix of Red Violet, Raw Umber, and a little Titanium White using the filbert brush.
16. The calyx is painted with the colors from the stems. (See step 13.)
17. The dragonflies are done first with Carbon Black and a liner brush. (Or just draw in with a fine-point black permanent marker.) When dry, wash with a color of choice.

18. Use a clean pencil eraser to remove any pattern lines.
19. Varnish with Traditions Satin Varnish.

DOWNLOADS

RELATED PROJECTS