How to Draw Flowers on Piano in Pen and Ink

Skill Level : 1 Beginner

Medium : Pen and Ink Drawing, Watercolour Painting

Subject : Still Life

Tutor : Dennis Clark

Class Length : 1 hour 17 minutes

Avg Rating : No Ratings Yet

Silver Level or Higher Class

Class Description

After the concert! Flowers on a piano keyboard. A fun painting in pen and ink with watercolour wash.

In this lesson you will learn:

1.  How to sketch the keyboard in perspective
2.  How to simplify the flowers and beads
3.  How to add the wash

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Short Class Video

Class Tutorial

Drawing the outlines

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Once you have transferred the design to paper we can begin to go over all the pencil lines with Indian Ink. The pen I'm using here is called a mapping pen. I've switched over to another felt-tipped pen.

Drawing the piano keys

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We can now begin to block in the black keys of the piano. Begin inking in the outlines of all the keys. Notice that they all conform to the single point perspective. These black keys give impact to the picture – the intense black against the stark white of the keys.

Drawing the white keys

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Ink in all the gaps between the keys. Notice how the gaps appear smaller towards the left-hand side of the painting. Complete all the vertical lines, and the black keys hiding behind the flowers. Finish off the edging of the keys against the piano.

Drawing the black keys

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A series of very fine lines to the black keys will show up the reflections off them.

Drawing the shadow on the keys

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The shadows here are not very dark so I have come back to my fine point mapping pen. You can also use a 0.l mm tipped here just as well. A series of small curved lines are added to give volume to the ivories.

Drawing the flowers

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Use a fine tipped pen to add in the shadow areas of the petals. Once again, be careful in adding too many lines. Notice also that there are many tonal ranges in the petals.

Drawing the leaves and stems

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Draw in the veins and shadow areas of the leaves. The flower stems will be a bit darker on the lower side. Rough in all the centers of the flowers. The outside edges a bit darker than the center portions.

Drawing the pearls

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The shading of the pearls is just a series of small curved lines and dots to give the impression of the rounding of each one. Don't forget to add the cast shadows onto the piano keys. Also don't forget to shade the pearls almost hidden under the petals.

Erasing the pencil lines

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Make sure the ink is dry before beginning to erase all the pencil lines.

Adding a color wash to the painting

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In order that the lettering will show up better, I've made up a light blue-black mix of watercolor and roughly painted in the background.

A pale desaturated pink mix is used to glaze in the shadows of the keys. The leaves are a light yellow green.

The petals are a nice dark yellow color for the two left hand daisies plus the one under the other flowers. Two of the flowers are orange. Darken up the flower centers.

The pearl shadows are a light yellow, while the ones to the right reflects the flower colors.

Final painting

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how-to-paint-still-life-in-pen-and-ink-pin

About Dennis Clark


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