Painting Bearded Irises in Watercolour
Sheryl Elaine Pape, SBA DLDC Fellow has been a member of the Society of Botanical Artists for around 10yrs and has exhibited regularly at the Mall Galleries London with SBA and has been featured in the SBA Magazine recently as well as Roots Magazine.
In 2024 her work was chosen for exhibition with The Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour. Sheryl has won awards for Iris paintings and has been commissioned to paint National collections by specialist growers.
She teaches locally and further afield and has been chosen as Artist in Residence for the British Iris Society and The British Dahlia Society at RHS Wisley Gardens 2023/ 2024.
Sheryl paints mainly in Watercolour. However, she paints large bold water based oils and sometimes acrylics.
Painting a purple/violet Bearded Iris in Watercolour.
We will be working from photographs as the Irises are usually not out until May.
This is an intricate bloom and a delight to paint.
Sheryl will demo the drawing and then demo each petal separately.
Sheryl wrote the following for our workshop students:
“We will make life size sketches in sketch books then trace our outline then transfer of our subject via trace down paper on to Hot Pressed 300gsm smooth watercolour paper 9 x12 inch ( 22.9x 30.5cm )
We will practice:
• Mixing colours
• Matching colours
• Making a swatch of the colours we see in the subject
• Practicing Wet in Wet technique
• Glazing / layering the washes of paint.
• Dry brushing
• Add finer detail and produce a beautiful watercolour Iris”
Materials to bring:
A board for your painting (preferably A3 size or at least sufficient for your paper size).
Fabriano HP 300msg Satinata, size 9in x 12in (22.9×30.5cm).
Tracing paper roughly the same size.
White ‘Tracedown’ paper (optional).
HB, 2H pencils and eraser.
Brushes & mixing
Pointed round no2, no4, no6 sable or synthetic.
ProArte miniature painting 3000 very fine brush for small details, or Winsor and Newton Sceptre Gold 3000.
Please bring a selection that you are comfortable painting with if you have already got a brush collection.
Palette for mixing.
2 water jars/containers (I use small ceramic bowls).
Kitchen paper.
Paints
Sheryl uses Winsor and Newton, Schminke, Daniel Smith mostly. Bring your paint box or collection of paints.
Sheryl recommends the colours below for best results. She prefers tubes, however, use pans if that is your preference. Sheryl recommends Winsor and Newton professional watercolour as best because of the pigment content as opposed to the Cotman student quality.
Colours best for the workshop:
Winsor Violet (Dioxazine)
French Ultramarine
Indanthrene Blue
Cadmium Yellow
Winsor Lemon
Cadmium Red
Permanent Rose
Perylene Violet
Permanent Sap Green
Workshop specific instructions – hide or delete if none