To draw this poppy, we used :

• Canson Mi-Teintes Velvet paper in Golden Beige
• Lyra Polycrayon pastels
• Daler-Rowney System 3 inks & Maimeri Blu Watercolours
• Lyra Rembrandt Sepia Dark Oil pencil
• Princeton Velvet Touch brushes

1. Creating the background

Apply your watercolour, starting with the lighter shades at the top and ending with the darker shades at the bottom. Work in successive layers: the paper will support it very well. At the end, the idea is to obtain a gradient going from blue (sky) to green and finally forest green.

When the background is dry, apply white pastel and blue pastel to the top, then blend by hand. Once again, don't hesitate to superimpose the layers to get the shade you want. 

Next, apply a gradient of blue, yellow and green to the central area. This will add depth to your background. To do this, use the square pastel edge, which will allow you to work in large areas. 

Add blue and brown at the bottom to create even more intensity. 

Finally, create areas of light with a white pastel in the upper part.

2. Drawing the poppies

With your oil pencil, sketch your poppy flowers.

Then paint them with Daler-Rowney System 3 ink. To avoid damaging the drawing and keep your hands clean, don't hesitate to use a protective sheet. Once the paint is dry, add pastel to your poppy flowers to give them depth. Finish the drawing by retracing the contours of the poppies to give a feeling of volume.

Extra tip

As you'll see, Mi-Teintes Velvet paper supports infinite superimpositions. What's more, it lets you mix all the mediums of your choice, wet or dry. 

So don't hesitate to give this wonderful paper a try!