 COLUMBINE
STUDY
by Bonnie Crandall
|
| SUPPLIES: |
1 8&1/2 in to 9 in. plate or tile of appropriate size. |
| BLUE COLUMBINE: |
Blue Violet Mauve or Elderberry Warm Gray White or Light
Ivory Chartreuse Warm Brown Green Royal Green Mixing Yellow Yellow Ochre
or Yellow Brown #1 |
| RED COLUMBINE : |
Yellow Red or Meissen Red or Red Shoes Dull Red Ivory or
Mixing Yellow Same Greens as used in Blue Columbine plus Black Green Background
of your choice |
| PINK COLUMBINE: |
Soft Pink or Pale Pink Cosmos Pink or Pink Pompador Light
Ivory Mixing Yellow Same greens as used in Blue Columbine Background of
your choice. |
| DETAILS OF THE COLUMBINE: |
The outer petals of the columbine is shaped like an elongated
oval leaf, including the center rib. This center rib is usually white or
at least a very pale shade of the color used in the outer leaf. To form
this petal, pull away from the center of the flower, just as you would
for a leaf. Keep the petal darker toward the center of the flower. Wipe
back some of the color to give your petal highlights. Be sure all highlights
are turned toward your light source. (ie. upper left or right) The columbine
is actually 2 flowers in one. The outside petal is the one with the most
color. The inner petal has a rounded shape, an elongated oval and is slightly
cupped. There are five inner petals and five outer petals which are alternating.
That is the five inner petals are evenly spaced with the outer petals coming
between these inner petals only on the outside of them. Usually not all
five out petals are visible unless a side view or dropped face is used. |
| SPURS: |
The columbine has five spurs coming on the outside which
are actually a continuation of the inner petals. I find longer spurs make
you flower appear more graceful. |
| STEMS: |
The stems are rather slender with only a very few small
leaves at the base and some (very few) small ones along the stem. |
| LEAVES: |
The leaves themselves are clustered at the base of your
blooms. |
| PODS: |
Seed pods are apparent after the blooms are spent. These
start as a pale green, almost a chartreuse or very pale moss green and
as the seed ripens, the seed pod turns a pale tan or sepia. |
| BUDS: |
As the first or pattern page shows are almost a wide arrow
shape. There is NO calyx, the spurs are tightly folded against the bud
proper and these form the calyx. |
| FIRST FIRE: |
Using the color of your choice, paint the centers in. I
used blue violet for the very center. A word here, the center petals are
actually two toned. An outer area of cream or white with the center being
the color of your choice. Paint the outer petals with blue violet plus
mauve (mixed). Start at the inner part of the petal and pull out in even
long strokes. The center petal is formed by using a "C" stroke
and deepening the color toward the very center of the petal to make it
look cup shaped. The spurs are painted next using a very pale mauve color.
There is a little tiny ball at the very tip of the spur This also helps
make your flower look more graceful. Paint in your leaves using chartreuse
and wipe back some of the color to leave some highlights, not too many
as these are at the base of the flowers and are shaded by the flowers.
Pull your stems in carefully with either warm brown green or a dark green
of your choice. Fire 017 (If you use the red combinations of colors, fire
only to 018, vent kiln thoroughly, through out the firing (ie leave lid
propped 1 in. with at least one peep hole plug out.) I also put my plate
or tile on the bottom of the kiln where it will fire cooler. |
| SECOND FIRE: |
This is the place for some backgrounding work. I like to
add the background colors and then wipe out some Qeen Anne's Lace or other
little flowers to add to the overall design. I also decide whether or not
I need to add some shadow leaves etc. If Queen Anne's Lace is used, you
don't really need the shadow leaves. Remember the QA Lace has very fine
fern like leaves but you don't really need the leaves of it. Deepen the
colors used in the columbines making sure you continue to keep the highlights.
Use Warm Brown Green and a darker green to deepen the colors of your leaves.
I would say that in reality the leaves are at least a royal green or shading
green. You might want to add a little black green in a place or two to
give it a little punch. Fire 017 or 018. Continue the background work,
refining the Queen Anne's Lace. Add a little more color to your columbine,
if needed. Fire Continue refining your background and deepen colors ie:
Fire 017-018. |
| FORTH FIRE: |
Add some white enamel to Queen Anne's Lace to make it sparkle.
You may want to accent some of your Columbine with colored enamel. You
can color enamel with the paint you have used, just be very sure you only
use a very little bit as it will fire deeper in color than the paint will.
Happy Painting. |
