How to Paint White Poinsettias in Watercolor

Take a good look at a poinsettia or another white flower to understand its design.  , Designate the flower heads with circles, drawn lightly in pencil on a piece of #140 pound watercolor paper, 11 x 14" size., Wet the paper with a wash brush and...

16 Steps 2 min read Advanced

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Take a good look at a poinsettia or another white flower to understand its design. 

     An uneven number is best and have some facing forward, depicted with circles and others pointing different directions, indicated with ovals. , On the areas intended to be flowers, brush on very diluted, pastel reds, yellows and blues, or any other colors you wish. Don't stir, apply the colors and move rapidly to the leaf shapes. Paint very diluted blues and greens for leafs. Go to the edges and using the same colors as for the petals, paint abstract shapes around the flowers.

    All of these colors will merge and blend, but that is the idea.

    With the tip of a damp brush blend hard edges. , The colors will dry lighter than when they are wet, but they should barely tint the paper.  Let it dry and do a detailed sketch of the flowers in pencil., Paint them yellow with touches of orange and red.

    To insure they remain bright, either mask them using masking fluid or plan to paint around them. , Follow with a line of water on the inside edge to soften it. Do the center vein as a curved line with a fine brush and some of the tributary veins on some.

    It isn't necessary to put in every tiny vein., There will be many partial leafs between the flower heads and some will overlap., Keep this brown line irregular by holding your brush up onto the handle.

    Let the vine go through and around the flowers.

    Add little curvy lines coming off the branch for interest and to appear life-like.

    Do some pieces of pine if you wish.

    Start with a fine brush line and lightly make wispy pine needles coming off each side. , Go back in and darken the areas under the berries to make the centers pop.

    If you used masking fluid, unmask with your finger.
  2. Step 2: Designate the flower heads with circles

  3. Step 3: drawn lightly in pencil on a piece of #140 pound watercolor paper

  4. Step 4: 11 x 14" size.

  5. Step 5: Wet the paper with a wash brush and leave it alone until the surface shine dulls slightly.

  6. Step 6: Allow to dry.

  7. Step 7: Draw the berries in the middle of the flower.

  8. Step 8: Begin to paint the petals by running a line of any color

  9. Step 9: one that is already in use on your palette

  10. Step 10: around the edge of the petal.

  11. Step 11: Create the leaves exactly as you did the petals

  12. Step 12: except this time

  13. Step 13: make them shades of green.

  14. Step 14: Make some branches with the point of a brush to link the flower blossoms.

  15. Step 15: Finish the piece

  16. Step 16: let it dry and stand back to see how it looks from a distance.

Detailed Guide

 An uneven number is best and have some facing forward, depicted with circles and others pointing different directions, indicated with ovals. , On the areas intended to be flowers, brush on very diluted, pastel reds, yellows and blues, or any other colors you wish. Don't stir, apply the colors and move rapidly to the leaf shapes. Paint very diluted blues and greens for leafs. Go to the edges and using the same colors as for the petals, paint abstract shapes around the flowers.

All of these colors will merge and blend, but that is the idea.

With the tip of a damp brush blend hard edges. , The colors will dry lighter than when they are wet, but they should barely tint the paper.  Let it dry and do a detailed sketch of the flowers in pencil., Paint them yellow with touches of orange and red.

To insure they remain bright, either mask them using masking fluid or plan to paint around them. , Follow with a line of water on the inside edge to soften it. Do the center vein as a curved line with a fine brush and some of the tributary veins on some.

It isn't necessary to put in every tiny vein., There will be many partial leafs between the flower heads and some will overlap., Keep this brown line irregular by holding your brush up onto the handle.

Let the vine go through and around the flowers.

Add little curvy lines coming off the branch for interest and to appear life-like.

Do some pieces of pine if you wish.

Start with a fine brush line and lightly make wispy pine needles coming off each side. , Go back in and darken the areas under the berries to make the centers pop.

If you used masking fluid, unmask with your finger.

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Olivia Allen

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