This is my entry of @helene 's Drawing Challenge #2, and the flower I chose is Bombax Ceiba (Cotton Tree). I like this flower very mush, almost the most favourite. Cotton flower blossom around March to May in Hong Kong. Starts from March, and the cotton capsules ripe at late April to May.
The red colour of the flowers is very impactive to me and I like the scene of floating cotton. It makes me recall many. Like sitting in the classroom and the cotton landed on my desk. I would keep it in my pencil case. While walking or sitting in park, the falling cotton like snow, or looks like after a pillow battle; neighbours dried up the flowers for medicine use; hit by the falling heavy flowers, etc.
Actually I decided to draw many other flowers. I wanted to draw a real flower rather then only searching on the internet. I went to flower market. I saw many beautiful flowers but at the end my mind is still occupied by cotton flower. (Well, still a lovely day in flower market). Finally I could only draw with photo as reference. The only scene can be seen in specific time in a year. May be cotton tree is my nostalgia. Cotton tree has another name, "Hero Tree". Full bloom looks like burning, passionate and strong. After the bear fruit, it touches people with the soft and light cotton. This contrast is so attractive.
This time I still stick with watercolor. Usually I draw illustration with wood made paper and water brush. For painting, I change to watercolour brush and cotton paper(what a interesting coincidence). Watercolour brush is easier to control the water volume with pigment, and cotton paper can afford heavy water and durable for brushing then wooden paper.
這是參加 Helene的Drawing Challenge #2的作品。我選的是木棉花。在香港，它大概於三至五月開花，到四月底至五月結果。果實裂開後，棉花帶著種子隨風四散。
木棉花滿開的景色很吸引我，而且我也很喜歡棉絮在空中飄著的景色。這令我想起讀書時，棉絮會飄入課室落到我的枱面上。我會把它收藏在筆盒裡。在木棉路走過，或者在公園，棉花像初雪一樣輕飄；大風吹過時又像打了一場枕頭大戰；又想起兒時鄰居拾木棉花晒乾做藥；想起上學下課在外面被掉下來花擲頭（其實現在還會）。
起初在構思畫甚麼花時，不想只是看著電腦的圖片，所以去逛了花墟。在那裡看到很多很多可愛的花朵，但是回家後仍然對木棉有一點執著。結果還是用了相片做參考。一年只有在幾週才遇上的景色，連結著一些回憶，很有鄉愁的感覺（額，我在家說啥鄉愁）。木棉樹有個別稱叫「英雄樹」，很帥氣的名字～它滿開時一片通紅，像烈火一樣；之後綿絮又溫柔地輕撫著人們的臉，這種對比令我很著迷。
這次我還是用水彩，不過跟平時有點不同。通常為方便用自來水筆；紙也是用比較普通的木漿厚水彩紙。但是畫畫的話，我會用水彩筆，因為水份比較好控制和多變化。而畫紙就用上棉漿紙，因為它比較能吸水和耐刷（打到這裡才醒覺又是棉花）。
Tools 工具
Watercolor : Van Gogh half pan / Paper : Saunders Waterford, Rough, 300gsm, 100% cotton, mould made
Color used : Yellow light,Vermillion, Permanent Red Light, Madder Lake Deep, Prussian Blue, Payne Grey
Process 過程
Practice 練習:
I wanted to draw it moody and the strong image of cotton flower. I am a fan of Yuko Nagayama. This is a imitation of her style which is too fit with my idea. I practised and here is some tests. The square one is the first try. I tried to overlay the color layer like Nagayama. But failed. One of the reason is that she uses many color and with different objects and different colours for details, but I only choose one main object and I chose the pigments of red, yellow and black only. I don't want to add other colors which will lower the impact….
我想畫一種矇矓又色彩強烈的畫面。我很喜歡永山裕子的風格，所以這次來模仿一下她！我練習了一些畫法，而右上的正方式是第一次畫的，有點亂和太厚重了。分析了失敗原因，是因為她的畫有很多不同的靜物，會混色來添加細節。可惜我只想用紅黑加一點黃突顯對比，不混色；而且又只有木棉花，所以疊太多變得累贅。
Draft 起稿
Start with background and the light yellow layer for petals foundation.
先從背景畫起，還有為花瓣用淺黃打底
I draw the side flowers with fewer details and let the pigments spread to make it hazel and blur.
次要的花朵我不加太多細節，而且加水任由它和背景混合
Then, filling the main flowers. I failed in the first try, I overlaid 2 layers only for the petals.
畫中間的花。經過第一次的失敗，我控制在疊色在兩層之內。
Finish the basic petals drawings
基本的花完成了
The stem. I used payne grey and little bit prussian. High contrast is what I want. Draw stamens by adding red between the gaps.
莖部我用了佩恩灰和很少的普魯士藍。執意保持對比鮮明。把空間補上把花蕊「畫」出來。
More dark in the background to highlight the main flowers. Watercolour goes dark is the rule. The brightest is plain paper.
花的周圍加深，水彩基本畫法是由淺至深。最光的地方就是空白的地方。
Spread a little bit red in the background and petals. Only gradient is a bit dull. But just little, no repeat the former failure. And the stigma!
洒一點紅色，為背景和主花瓣添加一點細節，不敢加太多免重複第一張的失敗。還有柱頭！(點睛～）
I enjoy the process very much although it was unexpected time consuming. How to blur it nice; balance between the simple and details. I tended to add many details while drawing. This is a challenge for me to draw lesser but expressive. (Less is more?). Hope you enjoy this painting. And lastly, thank you Helene for organizing this contest. (edit : also thank you @deanliu as guest judge)
Goodnight.
我很享受畫的過程，縱使比想像中花時間和有難度（是我輕敵了）。模糊得好看也是個學問；靜物細節去蕪存菁等。我有越畫越多枝節的毛病，有時變得畫蛇添足，所以這次是一個很好的練習。希望你喜歡這次的作品，也謝謝Helene舉辦這個比賽～（edit : 也謝謝Dean姐評審）
晚安
