Part of what inspires me in miniature painting comes from nature in all its glorious forms. This time of year presents a lot of inspiration in the form of flowers. Specifically the colors, and the patterns of flowers.

These are just a few of the pictures I took this spring while out walking. The vibrant greens and rich hues of the petals remind me that nature has the capacity of providing bright colors. Humans try to imitate this in cloth and art, which can be extrapolated to what other cultures in fantasy worlds would do as well.

Flowers also help showcase which colors go well together and sometimes at what ratio. Flowers offer us a visual cue on how much of one color is needed to compliment a main color, or in some cases, how much of two colors are needed to compliment the main color chosen for a model. Like the flowers themselves, the color combos are endless.

Another good use for flowers is a for freehand work on models. Having a pic on hand is great for reference if you decide to try this. Freehand work is a great way to practice control and creation of lines that do not exist on model’s sculpture.

Recently I finished an elven mage model that I used a daffodil color scheme for. Light yellows, whites and various greens as the colors for the clothing. Pics of her and the use of flowers for free hand in the pics below.

If you still feel unsure of color choices via the use of flowers one can always invest in a color wheel. It’s a quick and easy way to view complimentary and opposing colors. Especially if you’re just starting out and feel unsure of what is a Analogous (related) color or a complimentary color. When looking for a wheel, start off with a simple one and as you progress in skill invest in a more complicated wheel if you so desire.

I’d love to hear about what inspires you in nature. Please share in the comments.