How to Paint Spring Flowers in Watercolor

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Look at the first blooms of the season with a welcoming and curious eye.

    Find photographs of your favorite flowers so you have lots of time to study their make-up, color, and special qualities.
   
   All the while, look past the obvious to see the flower's structure. This is an exercise in simplifying the flowers' forms to see them as lines (stems) and common shapes: circles, ovals, shields, daggers, etc.
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   Step 2: Pretend you are a landscape designer and let the dreams begin as you compose your garden in your mind.

   What all-over shape do you want the garden to have: curved symmetrical, random, or on levels? Will the taller flowers be off to one side or scattered throughout? Will the smaller ones be in rows? How will your choice of colors create drama? Would intricate flowers be highlighted next to simpler ones? Could a favorite object such as a statue be employed as a centerpiece or a focal point? Will flowering trees or branches from a shrub be visible at the edges of your picture's plane? , Reduce the blossoms to simple geometric shapes and, for the moment, eliminate details and color.
   
   For example, a rose is basically round and the layers and rows of inner petals can be shown as a few, wiggly crescent-shaped lines converging at the center. , The broad petals can be depicted with long curved lines from top to bottom.
   
   Use a double line whether the stem is thick, or spindly to allow room to paint it.
   
   The tulip's spiked leaves begin at the base of the stem and flare slightly at the top. , They are called a "radial" type of flower because they are round and petals radiate out from the center. , Start by outlining the basic shape of the blossom, round for hydrangeas and elongated for lilacs.  Within that shape, make many smaller circles for individual flowers.
   
   Divide each tiny flower into small petals and at the center of each flower make another small circle which can later be colored to define it. , When divided into sections, this outer circle becomes the petals. It is a good idea to make the correct number of petals for any given flower, so check references.
   
   Note how some petals curl backward. , The edges of the flaring trumpet can be curved or ruffled.
   
   Deep inside the center of the trumpet are long, thin strands which often release specks of pollen onto the petals. , Tiny flowers and statice or baby's breath, make nice fillers for your design. , Dogwood, apple, and cherry blossoms are delicate, round flowers growing from a small stem off a branch.
   
   The dogwood has four petals with an indentation at the top center.
   
   Cherry blossoms are pale pink and apple blossoms white. , Try not to be obsessive about perfection, though.
   
   Save your materials by starting an Art File and use them for future reference., You will be creating an imaginary garden, by celebrating the flowers' shapes and colors regardless of whether it realistically makes a whole lot of sense.
   
   This is called employing "artistic license" and following the laws of design rather than the bounds of nature.
   
   This satisfying painting lets you forget about mulching, hoeing and weeding because it is a work of art, not of nature., Use an ordinary pencil to lightly sketch your flowers according to what appeals to you and what looks good on paper.
   
   Compose freely and creatively.
   
   For added interest, you might put some of the flowers in pots, ornamental planters, or hanging baskets.
   
   Add height using a trellis or strings to support climbing varieties of flower., Or squeeze tube paints around the edge of your palette, keeping the center clean for mixing your colors.
   
   Take whatever colors you think you'll need, but always put the primary and secondary colors out, as well as brown.
   
   Select small and medium round brushes and a 1/2" flat. Add paper napkins or sheets from a roll of paper towels and a container of water. , Watercolor pencils and water soluble crayons to cover larger areas are a joy to work with.
   
   Possibly, use a combination of watercolor pencils, water soluble crayons, and watercolor paints.
   
   With the dry media, just draw normally and wet the area with a brush and clear water to, magically, turn it into paint. , There is no right or wrong place to start, so just jump in.  , Pencil in a shape for a particular flower, then fill the whole shape with that flower.
   
   Move to another shape and fill it with a different flower.
   
   Use different shaped flowers and contrasting colors for richness and to carry the viewer's eye throughout the painting., Work those greens by making the leaves and stems different shapes and colors. , Add a touch of drama with a cat and some birds.
   
   You might incorporate a water feature and lily pads with waterlilies and a lazy frog sunning himself., Yellow, exemplifies sunshine.
   
   Multi-colors look like sunrise or sunset.
   
   Just try to keep the background colors sheer and vibrant.
   
   Wipe with a tissue or dab out areas for fluffy clouds, if you wish. ,  Set it up and study it to see what areas need more "oomph".
   
   Then, return to the painting and add notes of slightly deeper values or shades of the same or complementary colors to the parts where needed.
   
   This is also the time to add another sheer layer of color in places that dried lighter than you'd hoped.
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   Step 3: Begin a practice session by first drawing each flower in pencil on a pad of good drawing paper.

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   Step 4: Draw tulips as a U-shaped cup with a ragged top.

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   Step 5: Begin with two circles for daisies

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   Step 6: sunflowers

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   Step 7: bachelor buttons

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   Step 8: chrysanthemum

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   Step 9: dandelions

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    Step 10: and the black eyed Susan.

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    Step 11: Look closely at the luscious blooms of the lilac and hydrangea because their large heads are made up of many small flowers clustered together

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    Step 12: designating them as "cluster" blossoms.

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    Step 13: Don't fear the more complex trumpet shaped flowers such as daffodils or jonquils because when broken into simple shapes you'll see two distinct ones;  a cone or trumpet in the center and a circle at the base.

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    Step 14: Observe the single trumpet or cone flowers like the holly hock

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    Step 15: or amarylis.

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    Step 16: Shrink down those large trumpet shaped flowers and cluster them to get the delicate bluebell

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    Step 17: Lily of the valley

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    Step 18: crocus

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    Step 19: or grape hyacinth.

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    Step 20: Look upward to the trees or sideways to the bushes to see flowering branches.

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    Step 21: Doing this research to break down each flower and practicing drawing them is time well spent and will make using these flowers in a painting easier.

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    Step 22: Begin your painting by letting whimsy rule the day.

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    Step 23: Obtain a pad of watercolor paper

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    Step 24: 11" X 14" size #140 weight.

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    Step 25: Activate your paints

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    Step 26: if they are the dry type

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    Step 27: with a little water on each pad.

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    Step 28: Use other tools.

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    Step 29: Think of the delicate nature of your flowers as you begin to paint and dilute your colors to get the required transparency

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    Step 30: using the mixing area of your palette.

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    Step 31: Group flower types.

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    Step 32: Vary your greens for leaves and vines by adding bits of yellow

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    Step 33: violet or even red to them as you work.

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    Step 34: Bring extra

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    Step 35: unexpected life to your garden in the form of woodland visitors: butterflies

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    Step 36: dragon flies

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    Step 37: lady bugs

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    Step 38: a rabbit

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    Step 39: a toad

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    Step 40: or a squirrel.

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    Step 41: Remember that pale blue will always resemble and make viewers think of the sky.

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    Step 42: When complete

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    Step 43: allow the painting to dry thoroughly.

Detailed Guide

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