One yellow, two greens
Posted: April 21, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized 38 CommentsToday’s recipe for flowers: Hansa Yellow Medium, Sap Green, Deep Sap Green (never used it before but love how dark it is), and a few dabs of Alizarin. One brush (Rosemary Dagger, Series 772). One sheet of Fabriano Hot press paper, 140 lb. No pencil. Stir well to blend.
Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook 
wickedly wonderful. Have to get myself some of that Sap Deep…
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I really like that Deep Sap Green. And there’s some beautiful granulation with the pigment too. I will certainly be using it again this summer. Hope you like it too Sally.
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Doesn’t just feel free and wonderful to paint like this? I hate Sap light, maybe the deep is what I need!
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There is something liberating about just going straight to paint with no pencil lines. As for the Sap Green, it’s the combo of light and dark that I enjoy.
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I like these one brush experiments. I tend to work small and detailed so I always need to challenge myself to work bigger and with wetter paint. Thanks for the inspiration and instruction.
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You do work small and detailed but it’s incredibly beautiful. It is your sense of composition that makes it work so well on the page. And your hand lettering of course. Thanks so much Jean.
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Very nice
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Thanks Lorne.
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It’s lovely! Came out well. I did a whole series of anemones like that, no pencil, just lilacs and pinks
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I love anemones! I tried to grow some years ago but nothing came out of the ground. I don’t go straight to paint very often but I really enjoyed this and will try it again.
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Ours are wild – they grow in early spring
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Beautiful! I can’t find the Rosemary dagger here in the US. Could you recommend a substitute?
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I don’t know of any substitutes Edda. I order the brushes directly from Rosemary, and this was a sample they sent me. I don’t know of any other manufacturers that make this shape of brush. It’s quite unique.
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Love your work and your blog. Please can you tell me what size dagger brush from Rosemary & Co you used?
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HI Vil. This was the 3/4″ dagger, sable blend. It is really wonderful for painting flowers and foliage. It makes great twirly lines, thick and thin in one stroke. And because it’s a sable blend, it is reasonably priced, I think.
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“No pencil” – wow, I am in total awe. Beautiful.
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It’s a lot easier to go with no pencil when it’s flowers instead of architecture!
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Any tips on using the dagger brush – I’ve just bought one and tried it yesterday for life drawing. Think it needs practice!
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Hi, I’ve tried it for many things but find it works best with flowers and foliage. I love the strokes it makes when I try to go from thick to thin lines, like the ends of the leaves. But if I am trying to cover a larger surface, it doesn’t hold enough wash. For example, a sky would be hard to paint with this brush. For me, it is best used in combination with other round and mop brushes.
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I need a bouquet:)
Lovely Shari..no pencil is more than impressive.yikes.
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Everyone needs a bouquet sometimes Monique…
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Gorgeous & informative as always. Question though, didn’t you used to use Deep Sap Green a long time ago ?
Thank you for such fabulous work with excellent comments and lessons. You have a very large classroom in our area.
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Soni, where is your area? I would love to know.
I may have used Deep Sap Green and forgotten that I had tried it, but it has never been part of my permanent palette setup. I think I will have to add for Ireland though. I quite like the way it granulates too.
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It’s about 10 miles inland from Malibu, CA, & my WC Plein Air group range from Thousand Oaks up through Ventura. We all subscribe to your blog & when we meet for class or a paint day, we always talk about your latest. I love your Craftsy classes besides combing through your past blogs. Can you show a step by step demo how you paint the greens in your florals & trees sometimes? Also, how do I submit any paintings to you ? Have one I did of you painting at a market in Cambodia or such. A lot of requests, huh. Just love your work & the great way you teach. Thank you.
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Wow! Gorgeous! You make it sound so simple. I love how you can get the separation of the “greens” without it looking like a green glob.
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Linda, first I paint a big shape of green and then I go back in with the darks when the lighter green is still wet. And when all of that dries, I go back in with some more definition. But I try to start with a big shape. Thanks for writing!
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Love, love, LOVE this, Shari! WOWZA!!!
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Thanks so much!!
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Don’t you just love Spring?
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I really do. In Montreal, everyone is in a good mood because the winter has been so long… It’s great to just walk around the city.
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Wow really nice! Where did you start and which way did you paint?
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Hi Gil. I should have done a step-by-step for this. The painting order was quite simple. I painted the yellow shapes first, trying to mass the flowers and integrate some colour shifts in the yellow. Then I started painting the leaves, again, trying to get some interesting shapes. I worked from lighter green to dark, adding pure dark pigment into wet. The flowers were in a vase but I decided to leave the vase out and focus on the flowers alone. Glad I did that.
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This painting just makes me happy!
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Thanks Arti!
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It’s a wonderful painting. May I borrow your recipe, hehe.
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Of course Ros. Anytime!
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Wonderful!!! I like how you approached it without pencil lines. It just sings Spring!
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So gorgeous. You captured the best of the flower!
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