Clip Studio Paint: PAINT AN ORNATE FLORAL PORTRAIT

Ejiwa ‘Edge’ Ebenebe reveals how she utilises whimsical and ornate flower elements to create a joyful, colourful portrait

- Ejiwa Edge Ebenebe

I created this painting for the Light Grey Art Lab charity show Small Art For A Big Cause in late 2018. We were given an open brief, but were encouraged to keep to themes that could be relevant all year round.

Creating something joyful and calming seemed fitting, and as it was also winter I wanted to counteract the bleak weather surrounding us. I decided to paint something bright and indulgent. Flowers have so many whimsical, ethereal features, and fitted perfectly into the theme I was going for. As I was considering how to engulf the piece in flowers, the idea came to mind for the ornate hair.

I decided that I wasn’t concerned with depicting realistic elements, but rather wanted to play around with creating pattern and exploring some fun, stream-of-consciousness painting. I was also at the earlier stages of leaning into more surreal, abstract elements in my pieces, and decided I wanted to try dipping my toes into that pool too.

While I made a quick scribble on paper, the majority of the process – from sketching to final painting – took place in Clip Studio Paint. I love the way the brush engine works; it feels intuitive and helps me feel more tuned into my digital process.

How I colour…

A PORTRAIT ON A SINGLE LAYER

1  Explorative sketching