"28 Years" - Year #18

For general information about this 22"x30" colored pencil drawing, see this blog post.
For more information about the flower symbolism I used (Years 15-28) and life events that led me to select those particular flowers, see this blog post.

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I used zinnia and dandelion to represent my 18th year.

• Zinnia: symbol of endurance, lasting affection, daily remembrance, and thoughts of absent friends
• Dandelion: symbol of resilience, overcoming hardship, healing from emotional/physical pain, emotional/spiritual intelligence, survival, long-lasting happiness and youthful joy, and getting wishes fulfilled

First, I drew outlines of the plants on black paper:

These were the two botanical drawings I used as reference while I worked (I do not own either of these; I found them on Google):

Once I had my outline in place, I lightly sketched in the dandelions first, and then the zinnia second.

I started adding more detail and color to the zinnia petals.

I filled in the rest of the drawing, coloring in the leaves and stems of the zinnia, and then moving on to the dandelion flowers, the white flower-gone-to-seed, and the weedy leaves.

Here is the whole drawing so far. There will be three more "mini-drawings" in this row, and then seven in the final row at the bottom. Only ten more to go!