Saguaro

How to Paint a Saguaro

The saguaro is known for its size. When painting it, you want to create long lines that are thin and layered to establish the width. The lines should have subtle texture to them for a natural look. You can accomplish this by adding slight curves as you paint the lines. Essentially, you are painting a skeleton of lines that you can use as a tool while painting this pink beauty. I know they are not naturally pink, but it is fun to paint from your imagination!

STEP 1

The lines you create for the saguaro have to be delicate. It is about creating enough volume in the lines to add and lift color. Start with a light rose color, use your round brush to create a textured line going down. To create the texture, move the brush ever so slightly as you are pulling it down. This will be your center line. It is not the full length of the saguaro, you can look ahead to see what I mean.

While the pink is still wet, load your brush with some raw sienna and add it to select areas along the edge of the line. The color should bleed into the pink creating a blend. If it does not bleed, that means the pink line has dried. If this happens, you have to rewet the pink line by vibrating your brush along the surface with water, this will lift the color out of the paper. Now try adding the raw sienna again. Remember, as you are layering wet-on-wet, the colors should have less water the more you layer, otherwise all of the colors will bleed into one color and you will lose your depth. I know that was a lot to absorb, but you are doing great. Let’s keep going!

STEP 2

Paint another rose-pink line along the left side of the center line, leaving a very thin white gap between the two lines.

While the line is still moist, add the raw sienna down the right side of line, filling in select areas of the white. The raw sienna may bleed across the line in certain areas. You can leave it if it looks nice, but if it is too overpowering lift some of the color out before it dries. I like to leave a little white showing through here and there for some highlights. By adding most of the sienna on the right side of the line, you are creating a divide, or depth, between the two lines.

Finish the top of the saguaro by adding a third line to the right of the center line, and use the same technique to create the line and the shadow. Instead of painting the raw sienna along the right side of the line, paint it along the left side, the side closest to the center line.

STEP 3

It is now time to start adding the saguaro’s arms. It is a similar process to the body you just created. Start by using your round brush loaded with a light rose-pink, and start at the bottom of the saguaro’s body. Create the first arm by painting a line that slightly curves out and then continues straight up. While still moist, add some deep pink and raw sienna along the inner-right side of the line. Think about this: The shadow is painted on the right side (facing the body of the saguaro) because theoretically the light would not be able to hit it as easily when it is facing inward.

Because the arm’s lines are so thin, you can probably paint the remaining two lines at the same time and layer in the colors before they dry. The inner line will be the darkest as less light is able to hit it, and the outermost line will be lightest along the edge. If you use too much color, lift it out with your paper towel. The area at the bottom of the arm, where it curves into the body of the cactus, will have the most shadow and gradually lightens as the arm extends. Again, this is because the bottom of the curve faces the ground, so light is not likely to hit it.

Using the same technique from the first arm, create the second arm. Make this one a bit different from the first arm. Like in the example, the second arm extends out more and is longer than the first arm. Variation is important for a natural, organic look.

STEP 4

At this point you will finish the body of the saguaro. Use the same technique you used to paint the top of the body to finish the bottom section. Start with your light rose-pink and connect it to the center line of the saguaro and extend it downward. Layer in your raw sienna for contrast.

Complete the body by adding the remaining two outer lines to the base of the saguaro. Notice the colors are deeper at the bottom of the saguaro, especially where the arms connect to the body. Make sure to add some deeper pinks and raw sienna in these areas without losing your line work. Blending colors while they are moist is necessary to create nice bleeds, and if too much of a bleed happens, you can lift out the color with your paper towel and reapply if and where color is needed.

STEP 5

The body is finished but to add a little more detail, you can paint some cute blooms on the ends of the arms and body. Load your small round brush with a coral color, and create the center of the flower by using the tip of your brush and stacking thin lines together in a circular shape, leaving the middle open. Then create the petals with Naples Yellow; use small, rounded brushstrokes, placing them around the coral center. Lift the color out along the edges of the petals to create highlights within the flower. Notice in the example, the coral bleeds a little into the yellow, but the coral does not overpower the main yellow color. To add a bit more depth, add some small deep-purple lines in the center with the tip of your brush, leaving some white space.