Fearless Friday, Zinnia Garden
I’m playing with gouache today,
a medium that I am not very familiar with
It has a lot of flexibility
it can be thinned with water and used like watercolor
or it can be applied more thickly like acrylic
The Red Apples done with gouache
show watery wash shadows
and highlights while other parts of the apples
were painted opaque
Today we are visiting my friend Pam’s garden again
and painting her beautiful and colorful zinnias
I started with a very light pencil sketch to position the flowers
Then I started with light washes
I started regretting the pencil lines
I erased the ones I could before painting the stems
I filled in the spaces with a lot of leaves
Then thicker paint was applied for the darker areas
Final details
“Happy Zinnias”
I just couldn’t cover up the pencil lines that were still showing
through the thick yellow paint
so I decided to add a loose ink outline
“Dancing Zinnias”
And then I had to try a little watercolor splatter!
“Zinnia Garden” 9″ x 12″ gouache, ink, and watercolor, on Mixed Media paper
Which version do you like the best?
Thank you Pam from Everyday Living for sharing your beautiful gardens!
Have fun and
Be Fearless!
I will be joining these fabulous parties and blogs
Sundays on Silverado/ Love Your Creativity /What’s for Dinner
Between Naps on the Porch /All About Home
Our Tiny Nest / Karin’s Cottage Linky Party / Creative Crafts
Crafty Creators / Full Plate Thursday
RSS - Posts
Such a fun and cheery rendition of Pam’s colorful zinnias and garden Jenna! You know I love the splatter effect version (your signature :). Your splatter mimics the lights and bokeh effect in her garden background. Happy Friday ♥
Thank you so much Mary, have a wonderful weekend~ we are getting some much needed rain here so the gardens will be much happier!
The zinnias have been so beautiful this year, and you’ve definitely captured their spirit.
Thank you Dorothy, happy weekend!
Jenna, we were in Birmingham all day yesterday, but I did read that there might be some zinnias love today. I love your artistic take on the zinnia garden. Like Mary said, the splatter effect is your signature and I love it. Thank you for sharing your amazing talent and the Dancing Zinnias!! I love that you paint from my photos, I feel so honored that you do! Happy Friday!
Thank you Pam, your photos and garden are always inspiring! I’m glad we’ve gotten some much needed rain!
How lovely! Pam’s Zinnias and all her gardens are gorgeous. And you make them live on forever with your paintings!
I agree with Mary… I love the splattering too!
Happy Friday, dear friend!
Thank you Nancy! I do love to spatter!
Your talent is amazing.
Thank you so much Carole!
I love zinnias, Jenna and you really captured the vibrant colors and joy of these blooms. Big smiles!
Thanks Jeanie, they are fun to paint!
They are all nice, but I actually like Happy Zinnias the best. I had to look really hard to see the pencil lines so that didn’t distract at all for me.
Thank you Linda, I like that version too, but it was fun to play with different looks 🙂
Through Pam’s beautiful garden and your creative paintings, the zinnias are spreading worldwide and waving their glorious colors again and again!
I wish I had a garden full, I just love them!
Zinnias are my favorite summer flower and you captured them beautifully!
Thanks so much Kim!
SO lovely Jenna! What a fun way to see Pam’s beautiful garden everyday! I like all the variations, and it’s so cool to see your process. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much Barbara!
Beautiful Jenna and Pam’s gorgeous garden is certainly a wonderful inspiration point! I love all your versions but the spatter has a bit of an edge for me. I’m so glad that you got some rain there – we are desperate for it here. Take care and happy Monday!!
Hi Kim! Thank you so much, yes people seem to like the splatter! I have been worried about you and all the fires, has the smoke been awful where you are?
This is fabulous! Wish you could come to my garden and paint, lol! love the zinnias. I had never heard of this type of paint. Do you like it better than watercolor?
Thank you Wendy! I am just learning how to paint with gouache, but so far I like watercolor better, and acrylic is my favorite medium 🎨