Cherry blossoms
Cherry blossoms are beautiful little flowers that symbolise spring, a time of renewal and the fleeting nature of life, because the blossoms only last for about two weeks each year. Since their lifespan is so short, cherry blossoms are admired for their tragic beauty. In Japan, the period in which the cherry blossoms bloom is celebrated by eating and drinking under the cherry blossom trees. This tradition is called hanami (花見), which literally translates to flower viewing. Did you know that Sakura, the name of our Japanese brand, means cherry blossom?
In this step-by-step plan, our colleague Siona from the Royal Talens Experience Centre, shows us how to create your own cherry blossoms on black paper using Sakura Gelly Roll Moonlight gel pens. These vibrant gel pens with opaque ink show up well on any colour of paper, including black!
What you need
- Sakura sketchbook with black paper (12 x 12 cm)
- Sakura Gelly Roll Moonlight 10 pens:
- Sakura Gelly Roll Basic 08 in white
- Bruynzeel Design colour pencils
Step 1
Draw the overall shape of the branches, leaves and flowers using the green Gelly Roll using a reference photo if you need to. This first sketch doesn’t have to be too neat, you can add the colours over top of each other because the ink is very opaque, so you don’t have to worry about the details too much.
Add the shadows on the underside of the branches in the same colour and make sure to work with curved lines to show the roundness of the branches.
Step 2
Add some initial highlighting on the upper side of the branches using the fluorescent yellow Gelly Roll. Focus on the parts where sunlight would naturally hit the branches and leaves.
Step 3
Use the fluorescent pink Gelly Roll to add some colour and more definition to the blossoms. Now you can start focusing on creating the individual petals of the flowers.
Step 4
Now you can add highlights to the top of the branches, leaves and flowers using the white Gelly Roll. Use this pen to add details to leaves and flowers as well, such as the lines in the leaves and petals.
Step 5
Accentuate the individual flowers using red. The red adds more depth and definition than just the fluorescent pink would.
Step 6
You can leave the background bare or create a light wash of colour using Bruynzeel Design coloured pencils.
That completes your cherry blossom drawing! We hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial and try it out for yourself.
This step-by-step plan was created by our colleague from the Royal Talens Experience Centre.
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