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Current Projects: Stippling the bud and stem of Paph. orchid

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Watercolor of Paphiopedilum orchid, in progress by Wren M. Allen

Notice how I stopped stippling at the border between the leaves and the stem? Adding the stippling last will give dimensionality and place the stem forward in space.

Some tips for stippling with watercolor:

  • When using colored pencil before watercolor, lay the colored pencil down lightly so the paper surface remains open and the wet paint has something to cling to.
  • Mix a great vat of the color you are going to stipple on your palette before you start.
  • If the pre-mixed color has dried, it’s alright to use your 000 to dampen and pick up paint. You don’t need to use a big brush to re-wet; that will only dilute the paint batch.
  • Start off with lighter values of the color, then stipple with more concentrated, darker shades.
  • Observe carefully the direction of growth when stippling in plant hairs, etc. It’s all too easy to get carried away with random patterning and end up with a naïf folk-art look!
  • Remember to keep looking up at your plant! Again, getting lost in the repetitive motion of dotting in color can lead you to forget that you’re trying to depict an actual, living object.
  • The 000 is best for stippling short dashes and dots. If you are trying to paint longer lines, a liner brush is best.

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