Magnolia Burgundy and Cream

Magnolia Burgundy and Cream.

Magnolia Burgundy and Cream was inspired by the actual flower growing in Shadowmyst Art’s spring garden. Long, elegant burgundy-white petals on a cream white base surrounded by rich green vein patterned leaves and supported by the Magnolia bush’s unique grey branches. This Little Girl hybrid is a member of the genus Magnolia, known for the stunning beauty of its usually large flowers, which emerge prior to the foliage in spring and are often fragrant. While shades of pink are the most common bloom color, the Magnolia palette also includes white, yellows, and purples. The result is an elegant, peaceful presence for any garden.

MEDIUM: Digital Painting | STYLE: Painterly Realism | SIZES: 8×10 — 11×14 — 16×20 — Custom size may be available. CLICK HERE  to inquire. | ORIENTATION: Landscape | TOOLS: Procreate, 13″ iPad Pro, Apple Pencil Pro, Giclée Fine Art Archival paper and ink | AVAILABILITY: Prints available | CONTACT SHADOWMYST ART FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

ARTIST’S PROCESS:

Magnolia Burgundy and Cream was painted in Procreate on a 13″ iPad Pro using the Apple Pencil Pro. The artwork employs layered digital brushwork to achieve the depth characteristic of traditional painting. A detailed structural drawing was made of each element, followed by color blocking and multiple rounds of refinement for textures, color, light, and shade. A final pass of subtle highlights and shading was added before merging all layers.

The background element for this piece was handled in a distinct style from the detailed main subject, the bloom, leaves, and branches. An impressionistic approach was chosen, utilizing watercolor washes and the Gaussian Blur tool to create a realized background that subtly hints at the remaining Magnolia bush. This approach ensures that the primary focus of the painting remains detailed, clear, and distinctly the subject of the artwork.

CHALLENGE:

Selecting the background treatment for Magnolia Burgundy and Cream — like the other pieces in this series — meant directing the viewer’s attention squarely to the burgundy-and-cream bloom against its grey branches, without a plain background leaving it isolated or a fully detailed bush competing with its softness. The solution was the same approach used across the series: paint the suggestion of the bush behind the flower, leaves, and branches, keeping the background muted and vague enough to support the composition’s mood without pulling focus from this bloom’s particular color harmony.

The effect was achieved using the Procreate Soft Round brush at 85% opacity across several layers. The primary layer laid moss green in broad strokes at 50% brush size across the entire canvas. A second layer added short watercolor-style strokes in varied tones to build depth. Additional layers painted soft impressionistic shapes of magnolia leaves, branches, and small blooms randomly across the canvas. Finally, the Procreate Gaussian Blur tool was applied at 15% opacity to unify the background so it read as realized without competing with the piece.

SUBJECTS AND THEMES:
Botanical — Magnolia — Little Girl Magnolia Hybrid — Burgundy and Cream Petals — Spring Garden — Nature Illustration — Floral Wall Art — CONTACT SHADOWMYST ART FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION