Abstract Orchid Drawing- Part 1

Welcome to this post about a very interesting drawing technique I want to share with you. I recently entered two very different drawings into an orchid show’s art section, and surprisingly, the one that created the most buzz was the fun, abstract one I drew at the last minute! So many people wanted to know how I had drawn it that I thought it would be a perfect way to begin the drawing section of this blog.

It is based on using oil paint-stick which is solid oil paints as a basis, then adding color with watercolor paint. The reason that this combination works so well is that water and oil don’t affect each other and if we use paint that is solvent-based, it could smudge the oil paint. The watercolor has the advantage of not covering the oil paint-stick so it offers a great contrast.

While you can use a variety of thick papers or boards, I like watercolor paper since it does not warp with the watercolor. The rough texture also makes the texture created by the oil paint-stick very interesting. Less textured paper is not as dramatic.

While my original drawing used liquid watercolor which is in ink format, in this blog I will show you how you can use the ink or the paste format which is more common. I decided to explore two alternate material in the second part of this post, so keep your eyes open for that too!

Download files and supplies

I have include this line drawing which you can download, print and use to create this drawing. I’ve also included a reference sheet of pictures I have taken and used to draw this orchid.

The Process and Supplies

We will begin by looking at 2 methods to transfer your sketch onto watercolor paper. I will be shortly posting a blog detailing transfer methods, but this should get your started.
We will prepare our oil paint-stick.
We will then draw the outline and black parts of the drawing.
CRITICAL: The drawing needs to dry for 1-2 days before we can add details.
We will use waterproof fineliner to add details.
We will color the drawing with watercolor.

Transferring your sketch onto watercolor paper

There are two easy ways to transfer our drawing onto the thick watercolor paper.

Using a pencil, you make markings on the BACK of the paper. When you tape the drawing in place on the watercolor paper, you trace over the drawing and the pencil transfers to the watercolor paper.
The second method is almost the same but you use ready-made graphite paper that already have the pencil on them.

Check out my blog post for detailed information on transfer techniques.

http://www.sayehsunstudio.com/2019/03/14/tansfering-drawings/(opens in a new tab)

2. Drawing with your oil paint-stick

When you first open your oil paint-stick, you’ll notice that it doesn’t make much of a mark on the paper. This is because exposed oil paint hardens when exposed to air and by using a cutter and cutting a bit of the hardened layer, you can see how it marks. As you remove the rest of the hardened shell, have a paper underneath your hand to catch all those little pieces that come off. It can get messy very quickly.

As a final step, I like to wipe the entire tip with a paper towel to catch any hardened bits still hanging on.

Now you can begin tracing your drawing and filling in the large areas, don’t try to get solid areas since the bits of paper that come through will be great for tiny patches of watercolor.

Dry your drawing for 1-2 days!!!

The oil paint stick needs to cure for at least a day. You will know when it has set when it does not transfer to your hand when you touch it.

Add the Details

I really like the contrast of the rough oil paint texture and the gentle details drawn with pens. You need to use waterproof pens to add details to your drawing, or your details will start running when you add the watercolor. Sharpies are the most common waterproof marker and you could use those, or check your local art store for a larger selection.

Adding Color with Watercolor

Watercolor comes in a liquid format in bottles with droppers or as semi-solid paste or dried cake. The paste and cake forms are more common and more convenient to use but have other material that I find dull the colors a bit. Either way, the technique to use both is similar. A couple of pointers to get started:

Use a simple palette to mix colors. If you have the cake-type set, it already comes with one. Otherwise, a simple saucer will do.
Have a glass of clean water to use to add water to your colors or clean your brush to draw with another color. Change this water often to avoid accidentally adding another color.
Watercolor is a transparent paint that will not completely cover a surface. Use this to your advantage to create magical effects
Lighten colors by adding more water. Increase intensity by adding more color.
One technique I like is to brush over an area with clean water and then add a bit of color. This allows the watercolor to flow gently over the surface and give you a smooth gradation.
For the leaves, I use a lighter green to paint the front leaves and add blue to get the colors for the leaves further away. This draws on the basic technique of showing distance as our mind sees cooler colors, those which have blue, further away than those with warmer (yellow) colors.