PRINTABLES: HOST PLANTS IN “QUICK WATERCOLOR”
The menu for a hungry caterpillar is very specific; each species of butterfly has a set of host plants that provide exactly what it needs to fuel the process of metamorphosis.
Monarchs cannot survive without milkweed. For the eastern swallowtail, host plants are members of the carrot family: dill, fennel, celery, parsley or Queen Anne’s lace (wild carrot).
Today we’ll look at some of these vital plants through creating a quick watercolor study. This is the type of watercolor you might make in the field (or in your garden) when it’s necessary to strike a happy balance between capturing important details and keeping the process as simple as possible.
If you can get a sprig of any of these host plants, or if you have some growing nearby and you can go and sit beside it while you paint, that is ideal. But using our reference images will work, too.
The goal is to use a minimal palette -- three colors -- and work in a clean, clear and unfussy style to take “visual notes” of what you see:
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