The past few weeks have been very windy and wet but mild enough to see the daffodils coming into bloom. Picked from the garden and placed in a vase, they still look elegant despite being the ones that were drooping so coated with a sprinkling of mud.
A sign of the arrival of spring, daffodil varieties range from white hues to warm yellows and oranges. They delight us with their charm, brightening up garden borders and curbs where they appear. Some varieties also produce a delicate, floral fragrance. Its Latin name Narcissus, derives from the Greek myth in which Narcissus, a young and handsome man, immortal unless confronted with his reflection rejected the nymph Echo and she was so severely heartbroken, only her voice remained. Consequentially, Narcissus was beckoned to a pool where on falling in love with his reflection before him, he fell and died of sorrow. A daffodil is said to have grown in this very spot.
Their delicate petals lend themselves to the translucent nature of watercolour. I thought I would try painting them in watercolour just for practice. Applying thin layers of colour at a time allowed me to gradually depict and build up the tones and shapes within the flowers. I used my much loved pan of Winsor & Newton watercolours. They have lasted me years with their strong, vibrant pigments.
Then having recently purchased some Faber Castell artist pens, I wanted to try out the finer of the nibs (0.3mm) alongside one of the watercolour daffodils to see how they interacted. Using the pen I drew over the pencil lines still faintly visible beneath the original watercolour’s outline. I then added some fine lines for tone and to enhance the veins within the petals. I found it necessary to add this detail, after having added the sharp lines to the edge of the flower in order to balance the piece and allow for the two media to work more equally together.
I left one daffodil as just watercolour so the effect of the pen could be compared and the results are incredibly different.
Personally, in this case, I prefer the daffodil with watercolour alone, the flower looks more light and delicate. However both techniques have their advantages. The pen defines edges and shapes making for a clearer illustration. I have since discovered that there is a finer nibbed pen which may have been better suited for this.
I will continue to try out these pens with and without watercolour to see what they’re capable of.
