With so much attention on the plight of bees in our world, and spending hours watching them in the garden, I knew that it was important to capture them. The colourful flower beds inspired the backgrounds which are always fun to create. These bees are more cartoon-like with the use of reference photos as a guide. A fun way to spend an afternoon painting whimsical bees.
Tools & Materials:
Stretched 4x4 canvas (options: paint panels or paper)
Acrylic paints
Flat and round paint brushes
Water dish, rag & water spray bottle
Reference photos of bees (libraries are great resources)
Stencils (optional)
Acrylic spray paint (optional)
Brayer or small paint roller (optional)
Tips:
I use several different sizes of paint brushes for added interest.
A stencil brush and acrylic paint or simply adding patterns with paint brushes can be used instead of spray paint.
If using paper, coat with a layer of white gesso to add texture and substance to the surface.
Clean water dish regularly to keep paint colours vibrant.
Directions:
Using acrylic paint and brushes and brayers/rollers and plenty of water (a spray water bottle also works well), apply colour liberally on the canvas.
Allow to dry well in between layers in order to keep colours vibrant.
Using a translucent paint (or acrylic ink) and flat brush, add a transparent layer of colour in spots around the canvas (don’t cover all of the initial layer). Wet with plenty of water and allow the colour to spread and drip.
Once that layer has dried, take your stencils and spray paint to a well-ventilated area or use a brush and begin adding patterns. Pay attention to repeating pattern and colour around the canvas in order to keep the image interesting and the viewer’s eye moving around the surface. An option is to use the stencils with a paintbrush or sponge or to use items around the house such as jug lids, spatulas and brushes to add patterns of lines and circles. Finger tips create great dots.
Using the reference photos and a small round or flat brush along with a deep colour such as dioxazine purple, pthalo green, pthalo or Prussian blue or alizarin crimson to draw a bee directly onto the canvas. If you are unhappy with a line, just wet and wipe away with a rag. Using the deep colour, fill in the dark areas of your bee and then use orange or yellow mixed with white to add lines. White is also used for the wings but since the previous paint is still wet the colour will draw into the wings which adds to shadow effects.
Finally, allow to dry and then add final highlights on the bee’s back and face and with thinned deep colour add shadows around the edges.