Cyclamen, two ways

Work has been keeping me busy these days, and my sketching feels very rusty. I notice it as I draw and also as I paint. But I needed a break from my computer today and I had these beautiful cyclamen sitting on my dining room table — a beautiful gift from a friend that needed to be recorded in my sketchbook.

I started my first sketch with an ink drawing and then added watercolour. I really wanted the pink flowers to stand out, but I knew as soon as I painted it that the dark background was a mistake. I lost all the delicacy of the flowers and the whole thing became too heavy. My rusty painting manifested itself here with paint that is too thickly applied.

For my second try, on the facing page of my sketchbook, I gave up on the ink line and went directly to drawing with my brush. And not just any brush, it’s a new swordliner from Rosemary & Co. It’s a long pointy and slightly floppy brush (I have the 1/4″ version) that holds a lot of paint, and I am just getting to know it (and to love it). I think the dancing movement of the petals is much better described with lighter and more juicy washes, and I’m much happier with this version. I’ll make sure I post other experiments with the brush. I think it will be fantastic for florals and also for foliage and trees.