Easy watercolor flowers are fun and easy to paint. That’s a common subject for beginners like you who just recently started learning watercolor painting.
Flowers may be simple, but they have remarkable appeal to everyone. They’re delicate and gentle but have such powerful beauty that can make anything stunning, emotive, and alive.
So, in this blog, you will learn how to paint easy watercolor flowers through step-by-step guides starting with simple roses, then an anemone wreath, and ending with some simple watercolor leaves.
All the step-by-step tutorials in this blog are in my Watercolor Florals and Leaves for Beginners playlist on YouTube.
Check it out in the end because I have more flower tutorials for you there!
Before we start, here’s an exclusive 4-part email course for Watercolor Beginners.
easy watercolor flowers: simple rose
Let’s start this tutorial with loose watercolor roses.
Materials:
- Arches HalfPanPh Journal 300 gsm
- Silver Brush Black Velvet Round Size 6
- M. Graham Paints, colors Quinacridone Red, Phthalocyanine Green, Burnt Sienna, and Hansa Yellow Deep
*Disclaimer: Photo for illustration purposes only*
Instructions:
- Load up your clean size 6 brush with Quinacridone Red, and start by painting tiny “C” curves facing each other, forming a circle. Leave negative spaces along the way to act as highlights.
- Then, reduce the paint’s pigment with more water and apply thicker “C” curves on the edges by pressing on the brush with slightly more pressure.
- Continue expanding the rose by applying the same thick “C” curves on the edges but with different amounts of pigmentation of the Quinacridone Red.
- Then, make two more roses in this manner, one on the right, and then another in the middle of the two.
- Afterwards, add more depth and definition to the painting by layering well-pigmented Quinacridone Red on the outer edges of some petals.
- Next, clean up your brush, grab Phthalocyanine Green, and dot this color on the space between the two large roses.
- Once that’s done, clean your brush, load it up with Burnt Sienna, and start connecting the dots with thin branches. Make sure you apply the slightest pressure to avoid creating thick branches.
- Beside the rose on the right (make sure it’s already a bit dry), paint on a cluster of tiny oval petals using Hansa Yellow Deep by slanting your brush at an angle and pressing its tip on the watercolor paper with enough pressure to spread the bristles out a little.
- Then, connect the petals with thin branches using Burnt Sienna. Add these green and yellow flowers around the roses as you please.
- Next, add some leaves around the flowers using Sap Green.
- To paint the leaves, start with light pressure then press to expand the brush a bit and create the middle part of the leaf, and then release the pressure to create a tapered end.
- Finally, apply well-pigmented colors on areas that need more depth and dimension, and you’re done!
- Watch the watercolor tutorial video right here! Watercolor flowers are pretty easy, right?
Easy Watercolor Flowers: Loose Anemone Wreath
Another easy watercolor flowers fave, wreaths are on the “less simple” spectrum because of all the colors involved, however, it’s absolutely paintable with this video tutorial!
Materials:
- Arches HalfPanPh Journal 300 gsm
- Silver Brush Black Velvet Round Size 8
- M. Graham Paints, colors Violet, Blue, and Sap Green
Instructions:
- Begin your masterpiece by painting the top profile of an open anemone in full bloom using Violet. Draw each petal by slanting your brush with the tip pointing to the center of the flower, working your way outward.
- Make sure to leave negative space in the center for the core.
- Clean your brush and pick up a Blue color. Using the wet-on-wet watercolor technique, dot this color on the still-wet violet petals, and watch the colors blend together.
- From here, use the Violet color again and paint two closed anemones, one beneath the open anemone pointing downward at an angle to the right and the other above it pointing upward at an angle to the left.
- This formation will give you an idea of where to place the rest of the flowers.
- Then, grab a Green color and paint some stems and leaves for the closed anemone.
- Draw another cluster of open and closed anemones a few inches below the first cluster using the same painting techniques and connect them with long stems using Sap Green.
- Next, using Sap Green again, cover the stems with long, thin leaves that point downward at an angle to the left or the right depending on their position relative to the stems.
- Lastly, use the Violet color to paint on the core of the open anemones.
- The core should cover the base of each petal.
- Around the core, stipple on some tiny dots and paint short lines outward from the center.
You nailed it! Congratulations on finishing this tutorial!
Easy Watercolor Flowers: Tropical Leaves
Our easy watercolor flowers tutorial is not complete without learning how to paint leaves.
Since I have plenty of tutorials on how to paint watercolor flowers, knowing how to paint a variety of leaves is very important for you to catch up.
Look and learn how I painted these five tropical leaves.
Materials:
- Paper: Strathmore 100% cotton
- Watercolor brushes: round, sizes 6 to 10
- Paints: M. Grahams, colors Hansa Yellow Deep, Sap Green, and Cobalt Blue + Sap Green Mixture
For the instructions, let’s focus on the monstera leaf, and you can watch the video I linked above for the rest.
Instructions:
- Start by sketching out the leaves.
- Next, alternate between Hans Yellow Deep and Sap Green to fill in the leaf, letting the colors combine and create gradients of yellow, yellow-green, and green as you go along. Poke some colors into the painting to create the definitions you want.
- Add some more defined layers of Sap Green using the wet-on-dry watercolor technique by waiting for the first layers to dry first. Proceed with painting the other leaves while you wait for the monstera to dry.
- Use these methods and techniques you used for the monstera in painting the rest of the leaves.
That wasn’t so hard now, was it? Continue practicing and honing your skills by tuning in to the rest of my easy watercolor flowers tutorial videos in the playlist.
more learning materials for you
I hope you enjoyed the easy watercolor flowers tutorials in this post.
Good job on trying to paint those beautiful flowers! Every practice you do is a step forward towards achieving your desired skill level.
For the sake of full disclosures, I have so much more learning materials for you aside from my blog and YouTube channel:
I have a FREE guide to watercolor basics for beginners that you can access by subscribing to my email list. Sign in if you need more guidance in refining your watercolor painting skills.
Finally, I conduct workshops that are perfect for you if love having a mentor along with a community of learners who are as eager to upskill as you.
Good luck on your creative journey!
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more easy watercolor flowers
Learn more easy watercolor flowers with my book; The Beginner’s Guide to Watercolor
This book is designed for beginners with no drawing skills. I will teach you how to paint pretty flowers and leaves as we train your muscles with different brush strokes.
This part of the book will teach you different floral and foliage elements like watercolor wreath, roses, peony, dahlia, sunflower and more!
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