Wild Roses – Acrylic on Watercolor Paper

Wild Roses is an acrylic painting done on watercolor paper. The key to painting with acrylic paint on heavy watercolor paper is to use less paint. The acrylic paint allows for layering giving the result of depth and richness of colour. The first layer was a thin wet layer of paint. Once that layer dried I added more detail to the painting with sweeping dry paint across the background. I then dabbed finishing touches to the flowers and leaves to complete the painting.

I chose to paint Wild Roses because my mother once had a giant overgrown wild rose bush in our backyard. I loved to collect bouquets of roses during the summer even knowing I would walk away full of scratch marks from the thorns.