Reference Photos for Artists: Flowers

01
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Bee 1

A collection of flower photos for artists to use as reference in paintings.

We can't all have gardens such as Claude Monet's at Giverny, so here's a collection of flower reference photos that brings the flowers to you. Don't feel guilty about using photos for inspiration. Monet himself said: "Whether my cathedral views, my views of London and other canvases are painted from life or not is nobody's business and of no importance whatsoever." And if you get hayfever, photos have the advantage of not making you sneeze!
 

02
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Bee 2

03
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Sunflower

Things to consider when painting this photo:

Will you stick to the format of the photo or use a squarer canvas?
Will you contain the flower within the edges or let it go off?
Will you include the leaves in the background or just use a color in the background?

• Three Watercolor Paintings of this Sunflower

04
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Sunflower 2

05
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Yellow Lily

06
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Red Hibiscus 1

07
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Arum Lily

• This photo is the subject for the Painting Photos Challenge #16.

Pay particular attention to the direction of light. The sun is not hitting the flower from the front or side, but from behind. Look where the shadows and darker tones are, how sun back-lights some of the the white in the flower. Look closely where the highlights (lightest tones) are; they may not be where you expect them.

Decide on a format: is it going to be vertical, horizontal, or square? Will you include a background? If so, will this simply be a color or will it have foliage? Don't neglect to look at the large version of the photo (click on it) to observe the texture in the flower, the distinctive lines in the white.

08
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Daisy 1

09
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Daisy 2

10
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Daisy 3

11
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Daisy 4

12
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: White Daisy with Bug

The first decision to make if painting this photo would be whether to include the bug or not. It adds another point of interest to the subject, but also has a bit of a yuck-factor.

In terms of composition, there are quite a few options. You could keep things as they are in the photo, you could opt for a square format with the flower centrally placed. You might crop into the daisy so the petals go off the four edges of your composition, or perhaps on only one or two sides.

Maybe you'll add a stem to the flower so it's not floating against the background. Perhaps you'll reduce the background even further, to a single color with tonal variations?

13
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: White Daisy 2

14
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: White Daisy 3

15
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: White Daisy 4

16
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Daisy 5

17
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Daisy 6

18
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Daisy 7

19
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Rose

20
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Greyscale Rose

This photo has been turned into a black-and-white one so it's easier to identify the tones in the rose, which in turn makes it easier to paint any color you like.

21
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Pink Rose

22
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Red Rose

23
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Yellow Rose

24
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Orange Rose

25
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Blue Rose

This photo has been digitally manipulated to create a blue rose ... but then why shouldn't roses be blue?

26
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Green Rose

This photo has been digitally manipulated to create a green rose, but then why shouldn't roses be green too?

27
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Foxglove 1

28
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Foxglove 2

29
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Blue Agapanthus 1

30
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Blue Agapanthus 2

31
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Stretlizia or Bird of Paradise Flower

32
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Queen Ann Lace Flower

33
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: British Wildflowers 1

34
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: British Wildflowers 2

35
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: British Wildflowers 3

• See a painting inspired by this reference photo: Emotional Outburst

36
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Red 1

37
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Red 2

38
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Red 3

39
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Pink 1

40
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Pink 2

41
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Yellow 1

42
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Pansy 1

43
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Pansy 2

44
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Pansy 3

45
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Pansy 4

46
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Pansy 5

47
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Pansy 6

48
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Pansy 7

49
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Pansy 8

50
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Pansy 9

51
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Pansy 10

52
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Orchid 1

53
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Orchid 2

54
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Orchid 3

55
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Flowering Gum Tree 1

56
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Flowering Gum Tree 2

57
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Mums or Chrysanthemums

58
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Begonia

59
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)

60
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Pink Cone Flowers

61
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Prickly Pear Cactus

62
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Cactus Flowers

63
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Apple Blossom

64
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Pink Blosssom on a Nectarine Tree

65
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Pink Blosssom on a Nectarine Tree 2

66
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Daisy 8

67
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Daisy 9

68
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Daisy 10

69
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Daisy 11

70
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Daisy 12

71
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Daisy 13

72
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Daisy 14

73
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Daisy 15

Daisies may seem an unlikely subject for inspiration for abstracts, but if you scrunch up your eyes so the individual flowers become areas or spots of color, a clump of daisies turns into a cluster of colors.

If you're taking reference photos, you can get a blurry effect by moving the camera slightly as you take the shot, by setting the camera on manual and deliberately taking an out of focus shot, or by selecting a low f-stop on camera (such as f2.8 or f4) and focusing on a flower in the foreground.

74
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Carnation

75
of 82

Flower Reference Photos for Artists: Carnations and Cockatiel

This is Papi, my dear cockatiel, who couldn't resist the carnations!

76
of 82

Reference Photo for Artists: Daffodils

Terms of Use of these Artist's Reference Photos

77
of 82

Reference Photo for Artists: Yellow Irises

78
of 82

Reference Photo for Artists: Yellow Iris

79
of 82

Reference Photo for Artists: Purple Irises

In some lights, these irises look almost black rather than deep purple.

80
of 82

Reference Photo for Artists: Red Poppies

81
of 82

Reference Photo for Artists: Walled Garden

Taken in the walled garden at Dunvegan Castle in Scotland.

82
of 82

Reference Photo for Artists: Big Leaves

• delivery flowers Minsk https://www.iflowers.by