Jenny Musker RMS MASF BA(hons)

Step by step miniature watercolour 'Sitting on the Salix'

I always start with being inspired by nature, so I take a walk and see what’s springing into life. For this piece the inspiration came from the salix catkins opening up and attracting the bees, and a butterfly at rest near by. I sketched the salix, then sketched in bees and butterfly from photographs I had taken.

Preliminary sketch of Salix
Preliminary sketch
I always start with being inspired by nature, so I take a walk and see what’s springing into life. For this piece the inspiration came from the salax catkins opening up and attracting the bees, and a butterfly at rest near by. I sketched the salix, then sketched in bees and butterfly from photographs I had taken.
Base polymin
The Base for this piece is Polymin. 
Polymin is a synthetic material with a very smooth surface which will take all paint types and wipe off, handy if you make a mistake! After producing a few sketches, I take my final composition and then redraw it onto tracing paper. It’s then transferred onto the Polymin using a graphite trace down paper, which gives a faint outline. I start by painting the catkins first as I have the plant in front of me for colour reference. Painting from life is always best where you can. When painting one area, I then cover the other areas of the Polymin with acid free tissue paper. This protects the surface from accidental smudges or water droplets
butterfly
From my own photographs I now paint in the butterfly and bees. 
For my miniature paintings I use Windsor & Newton professional watercolours. 
To produce the fine detail I have used Pure Sable Series 96 brushes. 
Brush size 1 is good for base washes and the stippling and small lines are done with the finer brushes; 0 and 2/0. I also prefer painting in natural daylight and using a small magnifying glass, in winter a daylight bulb helps extend my painting hours.
framed butterfly
The finished professionally framed and mounted miniature is called 
‘Sitting in the Salix’ 
(3.5cm x 6cm and with the frame 8cm x 10cm).

Polymin can be purchased at: www.polymersplus.co.uk

Brushes used are from Rosemary & Co: www.rosemaryandco.com

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