Throwback Thursday Painting: Hedgehog & Birdie
We've started this series to highlight recipes, crafts, and features from our previously published titles! This is a painting tutorial from Painting Nature with Clare by Clare Therese Gray.
Painting is a great form of self-care, and one we wanted to emphasize for Mental Health Awareness Month! This is a beautiful painting of a Hedgehog & Birdie from Painting Nature with Clare: Create Beautiful Gouache Motifs of the Garden, Countryside, Sea, River and Forest by Clare Therese Gray.
“This whimsical little project is a great one to bring together different techniques and try a couple that you may not have before—scraping and wet-on-wet blending. We will be creating a lightly textured painting by using slightly thicker wet paint and then scraping some prickly texture for the hedgehog’s spines. Set aside a little more time for this one as some of the thicker layers take a while to dry. Drawing together a range of techniques in one piece will help you find your own style and give you the confidence to create your own scenes.”
Supplies:
Brushes:
Fine round
small round
Paint Colors:
Burnt Umber
Cadmium Yellow
Opera Pink
Permanent White
Ultramarine
Other Supplies:
Pencil and eraser
scratch paper
fine tool for scraping—a blunted cocktail stick would work!
From ferns and flowers to seascapes and songbirds, create charming paintings alongside popular designer and illustrator Clare Therese Gray. This book is packed with stunning illustrations accompanied by detailed instructions so that readers can enjoy each step of the way in creating their own painted masterpieces.
You will learn to capture the world around you with Clare's signature, whimsical style, ideal for gifts, invitations, greeting cards and more. Paint woodland mushrooms, beautiful botanicals or calming pastel landscapes; each project is broken into simple steps so you can enjoy the process and let go of perfection. Similar to watercolor yet easier to control, gouache is a fun and approachable medium for artists of any skill level.
You'll find 25 unique tutorials for creating enchanting relaxing artwork. Pieces are organized from beginner--like a jam jar of wildflowers--to advanced--like a twilight owl scene--so you can grow in confidence and expertise as you paint through each chapter. The book includes a thorough introductory section covering everything you need to get started: choosing and mixing colors, handling paint, selecting brushes and mastering basic techniques.
Let your creativity soar from riverbed to treetop and beyond with this gorgeous guide to gouache.
Clare Therese Gray is the pattern designer and illustrator behind the popular Instagram account @ClareThereseGray. She creates patterns and illustrations for textiles, paper craft collections, packaging and homewares, and has partnered with brands like Windham Fabrics, Craft Consortium, Heathcote & Ivory and many more.
She has a passion for lino printing and loves spending time in galleries drawing ceramics and paintings. Otherwise, she can often be found enjoying the English countryside, growing and collecting flowers to dry and, of course, drawing and painting every single day. She lives and works on a rural Hampshire farm in the English countryside with her husband and young family.
You'll find a glimpse of her studio life almost daily on Instagram. Connect with your own artwork using the hashtag #paintwithclare.
This is darling!
Love this!