Orchids & Gladioli Botanical Illustrations
I paint orchids and gladioli directly from nature, capturing their soft gradients and delicate forms in gouache. Here is a look at my botanical studies.
This video shows the side-by-side process of painting a stunning purple and teal orchid. Using the real flower as a direct reference, I meticulously recreated its complex colors and delicate form with gouache.
I love painting orchids. This video shows the process of bringing these pink and white orchids to life on paper, from the first outline to the final details, with the real flowers right there for inspiration.
Gladiolus flowers have such a beautiful, soft color. This process video shows how I painted this stem, capturing the gentle gradient on its petals. It’s a perfect example of how I turn fleeting beauty into lasting art.
A time-lapse of me painting a lovely pink orchid. You can see how I build the colors and shapes, layer by layer, to match the real flower. The final piece is displayed on an easel in my studio.
This clip shows the satisfying process of painting a vibrant pink gladiolus. I enjoy focusing on one flower at a time to truly capture its individual character and beauty.
Another look at the process of painting the exotic purple and teal orchid. This video highlights the initial brushstrokes and how I begin to block in the incredible colors of the flower.
A close-up shot of me adding the final touches to my pink orchid painting. You can see my gouache palette and the careful brushwork required for these detailed botanical illustrations.
The finished pink orchid painting, displayed on a mini easel in my studio. It sits beside the real flower and my palette, showing the full story from inspiration to final artwork.
This video shows another take on the pink orchid painting process, ending with a shot of the finished piece in my studio, where my cat often supervises my work.
About Orchids & Gladioli: Elegant Stems
Each piece here begins with a live flower on my desk, not a photo. I use professional-grade gouache on 300 GSM cotton paper to catch the exact gradient of these petals. Because I paint from life, you get a portrait that feels as fresh as the bloom itself.
Orchids and gladioli are particularly fascinating to paint because of how they hold light. Gladioli, with their tall, cascading stalks, offer a beautiful gradient challenge, while orchids require close attention to the intricate, often translucent, nature of their petals.
My process is simple but deliberate. I set up the flowers in my studio, often accompanied by soft music, and work layer by layer with opaque gouache. This medium gives the paintings a velvety, matte finish that highlights the natural beauty of the plant without the distraction of a reflective surface.
I rely on 100% cotton 300 GSM paper, typically Arches or Baohong, because it handles the re-wetting and layering required to get those subtle color shifts right. Whether you want a single stem study to brighten a corner of your room or a detailed arrangement, I paint these to look like a moment of calm captured on paper.
Because I work from live subjects, the final artwork retains a sense of spontaneity that stock photos just cannot replicate. If you have a specific flower or color scheme in mind that you want to see preserved in paint, send me a message and we can discuss the details.
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