Milkweed

One of my final assignments is a botanical illustration, complete with dissections. I considered adding little fruit dissections to my serviceberry composition, but loved it too much without.

I had a full page of sketches and color swatches for Orange Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) sitting in my cupboard, and loved the bright colors and elegant habit of this native wildflower.

I began by sketching out a composition. I typically start with small thumbnail sketches in pencil. Then I draw out the ones that look the most promising on my tablet. Drawing it out in color is very useful for making sure the colors are balanced.

I use adobe fresco to draw and manipulate my composition until it is just right. Then I draw the plants and use photographs of the drawings to double check my composition will work the way I envisioned. I make adjustments to my drawing, all before I put anything on the final sheet of watercolor paper.

I painted the milkweed, and drew the dissections and felt like something was missing. I took a picture of the painting with my phone and looked at it over and over until I concluded this painting needs a butterfly.

It’s winter and I don’t have any photographs of monarch butterflies in my photo library, so I bought a dead monarch from a shop on Etsy. It came with a missing leg, and was in an awkward position, so I used photographs I found online to determine what position she should be in to look alive, but used the measurements, colors, texture, and shape of my butterfly.

I have now shipped all three of my final diploma portfolio paintings. I feel both relief that I am finished, and suspense as I wait for the feedback.