Campanula persicifolia

The blue variety of Campanula is today’s watercolour sketch. The white Campanula also grows in the garden, but it’s not as abundant as the blue Campanula. It’s a lovely vibrant blue with straight tall stems and the flowers always turn towards the sun.

For this painting I’ve chosen a Campanula stem where the flowers are all facing towards me. I decided to paint the Campanula just as they are starting to appear in the garden. I wanted to paint them at their freshest, with bright blue petals. The petals are quite a simple shape, but when painting it’s about capturing the curve and depth of the flower heads.

Campanula painting process

First I painted an overall blue wash to all the petals (leaving the pistil and stamen unpainted). While these dried I painted the first light green wash (yellow and blue mix) of the stem and flower bud. I didn’t use a wet wash, but added just enough water, so the paint would flow evenly.

Then I added more blue pigment to the wash and applied another layer of blue to the petals. I also added more blue pigment to the green mix, for a darker, deeper tone of colour.  Then I added more blue pigment and a little bit of red pigment to get a deeper purple tone to add shade and contours to the petals.

Finally I brushed a pale yellow watercolour on the pistils and then the stamens were painted a pale pink red tone. It is so easy to overwork a simple flowerhead, so I have only applied four layers of paint with the final two layers adding definition.

I am sure I’ll do a watercolour of the white Campanula as well, once they appear. I’ve learnt that as soon as a flower blooms, I have to paint it quickly. It’s no good thinking I can paint it another day, because either I become too busy or the wind has got to it’s petals or pests have attacked it. So while I’m weeding I’m also seeing what plants are sprouting from the soil, which plants are in bud and what plants are about to bloom. I really hate to miss an opportunity.