Supplies:

• Set of soft pastels
• Kneaded eraser
• Black, heavyweight construction paper, 9" x 12"
• Photo reference of bird of paradise flower (see below)

1. Using the sharp edge of a yellow pastel, draw the shape of the two bottom leaves.

2. Now draw the shapes of the YELLOW petals.

3. Fill in the yellow petals with the yellow pastel and carefully smudge with the tortillion.

4. Fill in the bottom leaves with light blue and green (see photo).

5. Using a dark violet pastel, add shadows to the yellow petals. Look carefully at the photo reference below for the shadows!

6. Now go back over those violet shadows
with a darker yellow pastel.

7. Using the lightest yellow pastel you have, add highlights to the yellow petals, according to the photo reference below.

8. Using a dark blue pastel, draw in the dark blue petals.

9. Add white highlights to the dark blue petals with a white pastel.

10. Now look carefully at the leaves in the photo reference and note all of the various
colors in them: dark blue, yellow, green and red. Add these colors to the leaves as you see them in the photo reference. You may smudge these with the tortillion if you wish.

11. Using the sharp corner of a white pastel, add any other highlights you see on the flower. Do not smudge these.

12. You may wish to mount this drawing onto another larger piece of red or yellow construction paper.