Painting Glorious Rose Flowers in Watercolor – in 7 Stages

Lela Stankovic is an artist & author based in Toronto, Canada. In her art, she seeks to integrate the techniques of Old Masters with the inspirations from today’s world. Lela loves to explore new elements in her Oil & Watercolor paintings, and her paintings and drawings reflect the joy to be had in simple things all around us. In her new book, "Painting Glorious Rose Flowers in Watercolor – in 7 Stages", Lela shares the techniques which make her watercolor paintings glow with light. We have conducted an interview with her.

What do you seeks to integrate the techniques of Old Masters with?

The Old Masters excelled in capturing form, space and time in their masterpieces. I have been on a quest to discovering their secrets and applying them to my own painting subjects. The subjects I choose are really timeless - people, flowers and still life.

What inspires you to the founding of the online 'Paint and Draw Community'?

I find it frustrating that people who want to learn art on their own have such a difficult task at hand. They need to put in more effort, time and dedication than those artists who are in a position to devote all their time and money to learn painting and can afford to just focus on just practicing and painting. So, I thought it should not be that hard to gather like-minded souls and help each other. Whether you are an accomplished artist or a beginner, I am sure painting together with other like minded souls is an enriching experience for you. As I have stated on PaintAndDrawTogether blog, my goal is to "To try to gather all folks who want to progress in painting under one umbrella, so that, together we can all practice, progress, learn and advance much faster and in a more consistent manner than most people can on their own. What I can promise is consistency, fairness, respect and support."

What is your new book about?

My new book, "Painting Glorious Rose Flowers in Watercolor – in 7 Stages," contains a detailed demonstration of the 7 stages multi-layer watercolor painting technique. I developed this technique over the last several years in my art journey with watercolors.

Using my 7 stages multi-layer watercolor technique, I teach you how to create a realistic and convincing three dimensional rose flower that reaches out of the paper to meet you. In this book, I show you how to start painting in watercolor, how to fine tune it, and also, how to know when the painting is finished.

Most importantly, I hope this book serves as a guide to help you observe, analyze and truly “see” your painting subject. The knowledge you acquire along will serve you well in painting any subject you wish to paint and empower development of your own painting style. My goal in this book is to help you bring your art closer to the professional level.

Which new elements have you explore in oil and watercolor paintings?

In comparison to the times of Old Masters, today we live in a new and different world. I think we live in an artist's paradise! Today, the art materials & pigments we have are different, the things which influence our lives today are different and many new art forms - impressionism, abstract and others - continue to mature. Moreover, unlike old times, it is easier to journey to far-off places and bring back impressions which then get reflected in your own paintings. My art journey explores all these elements and my paintings reflect the new experiences I continue to have.

How did you discover the secrets to painting in oil and watercolor? How do you make them glow with light?

The process of discovery is really simple.. lots of research, learning from other artists, studying the techniques and trying them and then more study to educate yourself.

How do you make them glow with light?

The starting point for making your paintings glow with light is being able to truly "see" your subjects. Deepen your power of observation so you can identify the shadows, the tonal values and even the colors in the shadows. My book, "Painting Glorious Rose Flowers in Watercolor – in 7 Stages", explains this process in depth. This is a process which enriches your painting regardless of your painting style - realistic, impressionist or abstract. Being able to observe is a key aspect of any painting style. Even when we paint realistic looking paintings and portraits or make drawings, what we are really painting is form, space, shadows and light.

In a nutshell however you can make your paintings glow with light through a multi-layered technique, good use of optical blending and using a full value range from the lightest of light to the darkest of dark. In my paintings you will find a special emphasis on three dimensional form and ariel perspective.