Winsor & Newton Botanical Watercolour Series: Striped Orchid

Level: Medium

Duration: 30 mins

Learn how to paint a striped orchid using Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolour paints.

Click here for a PDF version of the template.

What you will need

• Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolour paints (Caput Mortuum Violet, Prussian Blue, Gold Ochre, Winsor Green (Blue Shade), Permanent Alizarin Crimson)
• A4 Watercolour Paper
• Orchid Template
• Paint palette for mixing
• Watercolour Brushes
• Water pot

How to do it

1. After drawing or tracing your orchid onto your paper, use Caput Mortuum Violet wash for the stem. Add a bit of Prussian Blue to the Caput Mortumm Violet to create a purple and use this to add shadow to the bottom of the stem.
2. Use both the Caput Mortuum Violet and the purple created in step 1 to paint in the root. Vary the saturation and the colours used so that it adds more interest to them.
3. Use a gentle wash of Gold Ochre to the bottom petals of the orchid.
4. Use a slightly more saturated wash of Gold Ochre to the top two leaves.
   
   
   
   
5. Whilst the leaves are wet use some Winsor Green (Blue Shade) along the bottom of each leaf and blend upwards.      
6. Use a delicate wash of Permanent Alizarin Crimson to the base petal cup of the orchid.
7. Whilst wet, apply another heavier application of Permanent Alizarin Crimson to the bottom and left side of the base petal and blend upwards. This creates the illusion of the 3D shape.
8. Then mix a bit of Prussian Blue with Permanent Alizarin Crimson and place a gentle wash on the left side blending out slightly.
   
   
         
9. Add the next leaves by mixing Gold Ochre and Prussian Blue together for the left leaf. Wash over with a heavier application on the bottom part of the leaf.
10. Wash the other leaf with Winsor Green (blue shade). Add some Prussian Blue mixed with Caput Mortuum Violet and Winsor Green (blue shade) to the bottom of the right leaf.  
11. Take a gentle wash of Permanent Alizarin Crimson and Prussian Blue mixed. Use this to wash the bottom half of the bottom petals and around the top of the right petal as well as define the centre of the orchid above the red petal cup.
12. Use the above mix to work into the top large petal along with delicate washes of Permanent Alizarin Crimson.
    
    
    
    
13. Add a delicate wash of Gold Ochre to the top petal.
14. Add some Permanent Alizarin Crimson mixed with Gold Ochre to create a red-orange and wash gently over the half of the top left petal from the centre outwards.
15. Use Permanent Alizarin Crimson to add some detail speckles and ruffles to top of the bottom petals.       
16. Use Caput Mortuum Violet with Prussian Blue to add around 3 - 5 of the middle stripes to the top petal. Use this to also add the bottom stripes behind the middle red petal cup.
    
    
    
    
17. Use Caput Mortuum Violet to finish off the remainder stripes.
18. Add a thin delicate wash of Prussian Blue to the top of the top petal to create shadow.       
19. Use a delicate wash of Prussian Blue to the sides of the central part of the orchid above the petal cup.
20. Use Prussian Blue to add a bit of extra weight to the bottom right leaf and any anchoring of the roots to the plant.