Hi Molly, I think that ability to transfer what you see to the page just comes with practice. But I still get scared making the first mark on a white page. Sometimes marking out the faintest of shapes as a guide (to be erased later) can help. both with the drawing and with the fear. I keep meaning to try and do a film of the drawing process on my Youtube channnel; its just super tricky to film pale graphite….. You could try various drawing excersizes like continuous line, blind contour, or not lifting the hand from the page. All of these seem to free up the motor skills a bit. But you’re right to pinpoint the drawing as the hardest part. The rest is, to some extent, just super-posh colouring-in! Thanks for the comment. x

I love the way you can draw your subject so easily, this is where I have trouble, I am self taught mostly botanical, I have traced but like to draw but find it difficult

Hi Linnea, oh I’m so glad to hear it. Thankyou! x

Oh yes, getting whites right from photo ref is a nightmare, I agree entirely. That’s a great tip, the diluting of the shadow colour. Sometimes I wish I had a “colour picker” tool for real life, like they do in photoshop, especially when it comes to ascertaining the precise hue of a shadow. With whites, indeed they almost always do have some colour. The trick is to keep it clean, that’s where I sometimes mess up. I get too involved in the minute colours on the petal and before you know it the whole flower looks grubby. I guess less is more. The echoing of the shadow is a lovely tip, I’ll remember to try that one. Thanks!