Grape hyacinths and butterfly – tips and techniques

I know that amongst gardeners there is a debate about these flowers being plants or weeds. All I know is last year they produced a glorious display in many gardens. Hence I tried to capture the beautiful blue colour which gets paler towards the top of each flower.

1. Load a medium brush with a bright blue and tip with indigo. Lay the brush tip downwards, on the paper starting with the bottom layer of each flower, working towards the top. The shade of the paint should naturally become paler as you work upwards.
2. Paint further florets going into the distance getting paler and more indistinct. Remember avoid four of anything and odd numbers are favoured apart from eight which is very lucky.
3. Mix a dark blue/green colour tipped with dark red for the stems. Paint from the flower downwards.
4. Use a bright spring green and paint a very narrow orchid-leaf stroke for the leaves.
5. Add a tiny coronet of white dots on the flowers at the bottom of each stroke to give the impression of the bell-like structures(optional).
6. Add the detailed butterfly.

Claire