How do you paint flowers

There are 4 types of petals in this painting. You can either draw them with a brush or a brush pen.

How to Paint Flowers with Arteza Real Brush Pens

You’re going to love creating these easy to draw flowers with Arteza Real Brush Pens. You get the convenience that comes with using a pen, but also the freedom and flow of working with a brush. If you’ve ever worked with watercolor paint, you’ll appreciate these pens ability to blend subtle gradients of color like watercolor paint does, plus have the line control you would normally expect from a pen or marker. With Real Brush Pens, you really do get the best of both worlds! We’ve divided this tutorial on how to draw flowers into four sections with four videos (one for each flower). We suggest you read the step-by-step instructions and watch the videos before you start.

Here are some helpful tips you should know before you begin.

• Create flowers of various sizes for the most interesting composition. This also keeps the viewer’s eyes moving around the painting
• Use these procedures when painting the flowers:

1. Before adding any color to the paper, dampen it with clean water in the areas that are intended to be dark and those areas where there will be shadows.
2. Start with the lightest shades of color when you begin to paint each flower.
3. When filling in the center of the flower (its darkest part), keep in mind that, depending on the angle, the center may appear in different areas (e.g, if it is hanging upside down, the center would be near the lower edge).
4. Use a darker color to emphasize the transition from the flower to its stem.
5. Always work from light to dark to add depth and dimension.
6. After you finish painting all the flowers, add dark, cool shades to the empty spaces within and around the flowers to make it look like one single bouquet.

List of Supplies

• Arteza Real Brush Pens
• 140lb Watercolor paper
• Detail Paint Brush
• Waterbrush Pens
• Palette

The roses will be drawn using a palette in light shades of pinks and violets.

With a clean damp brush, draw a circle and make a few strokes inside it. If you want the flowers to look light and airy, make sure you use plenty of water. When you start adding colors, the damp paper will cause the colors to spread, making them soft with subtle gradients.

Start filling in the roses with the lightest shades. Add darker colors in the middle area of the rose. Watch as the colors spread for an eye-catching effect while emphasizing the flower’s center.

You will begin to create volume by adding additional darker shades, especially on the edges of the petals. For a subtle transition between the edges, use the tip of the wet brush to smooth them. Use the Real Brush Pens for sharper lines that will then define them.

Drawing the rosebuds is similar to painting the open roses; but, you begin with a small oval instead of the larger circle. First, use the Real Brush Pen in the lightest shade of pink. While the area is wet, switch to a paintbrush with a darker color and pull the color up to define the overlapping petals of the rosebud. The spreading ink will help you achieve a soft transition of color. As on a real rosebud, the color on the bottom should be a darker, richer shade, while the top is more pale where the light hits it.

How to Paint Peonies

For the peonies, you’ll be working in light, medium, and dark shades of blue and violet.

Although you’ll use the same techniques you used for drawing the roses, for creating the peonies you’ll be using shades of blues and violets as well as adding the stamens to the centers.

In this bouquet, the peonies are half-open, so the bottom of the flower will be darker than the top. This contrast is also important because it helps define the position of the flower. Since the peony sits behind the rose, it’s in the rose’s shadow and so those lower portions of the peony will be darker.

After all areas have been filled in, use the darkest Real Brush Pen to add lines to represent each stamen in the center. Use a wet brush to blur them a little, which will make them more natural looking.

Learn how to paint watercolor flowers by following along in our step-by-step tutorial!

Photo: Sara Barnes / My Modern Met

A watercolor paint set — Look for a set of hues that have a range of colors. Need some advice on what to buy? We have a guide featuring 13 of the best watercolor paint sets that both beginners and professional artists love.

For this tutorial, we’re using a My Modern Met favorite: Viviva Colorsheets. Although this paint palette is about the size of your cell phone, it features 16 vibrant hues and is great for art on the go.

Watercolor paper — When you work with any wet media, you will want to paint on a paper that can handle water. To accommodate this, the paper needs to be thick so that it can withstand the liquid without curling. To learn more about the type of paper you’ll want to use for watercolor—along with other types of media—check out our extensive guide on the subject.

We are using a pad of Legion Aqua Hotpress paper. The pages come in a block format and are partially glued down so they won’t curl as you paint.

Wet media brushes — Grab a couple of different sizes of watercolor brushes. You’ll want at least a medium-sized utensil as well as a fine-line brush so you can depict a flower’s tiny details.

Paint palette (optional) — You might need a place to mix your paint—especially if you’re using the Viviva Colorsheets. Some sets, however, include a built-in palette that works just fine for mixing.

Step 1: Select your source photo.

Before you begin, you’ll want to select a source photo from which you’ll base your painting. While it’s always best to paint from life (still lifes can drastically improve your drawing skills), sometimes this just isn’t possible—especially if you plan to paint over the course of a few days. Your flowers might wilt by then! Opt for a photo instead. Select an image that has clarity and great color—one that will allow you to see all of the flower’s exquisite details.

Step 2: Draw what you’ll paint.

Photo & artwork: Sara Barnes / My Modern Met

Drawing is the foundation of painting. So before you put paint to paper, you’ll want to complete a drawing of your flowers. Working from your source photo, lightly record the overall shape and center of the flowers. Make marks where there are any folds in the petals or special attributes, but don’t worry too much over the fine details—you’ll depict all of these things with your paint. As you draw, make sure that you don’t press too hard on your paper. The watercolor pigment isn’t opaque, so if your lines are too dark, there’s a chance they’ll show through your painting.

Take your time with this step. It’s important that you have the drawing exactly as you want it because you can’t erase watercolor paint! Learn more about flower drawing in our step by step tutorial.