An easy sunflower watercolor painting. If you want ideas for watercolor painting this is a great choice. Learn here how to do it.
How to Paint Watercolor Sunflowers – Easy Sunflower Painting Tutorial
Learning how to paint a sunflower in watercolor is a very fun and easy task. Watercolor sunflowers are a great painting exercise because of their simple structure. Sunflowers are a beautiful vibrant feature that can be added to various types of landscapes or they can be painted as a single subject on a page. Either way, this flower is a great exercise for practicing your watercolor skills whilst simultaneously learning how to paint a beautiful flower that can be used in a variety of ways for future paintings.
Table of Contents
- 1 An Easy Watercolor Tutorial For Beginners
- 1.1 Necessary Materials
- 1.2 Preparation
- 2.1 Step 1: Making the Pistil of the Flower
- 2.2 Step 2: Painting the First Layer of Petals
- 2.3 Step 3: Painting the Second Layer of Petals
- 2.4 Step 4: Painting the First Layer of the Pistil
- 2.5 Step 5: Painting the Second Layer of the Pistil
- 2.6 Step 6: Painting the Last Layer of the Pistil
- 2.7 Step 7: Painting the Leaves of the Sunflower
- 2.8 Step 8: Painting the Stem of the Sunflower
- 4.1 How to Paint Loose Sunflowers in Watercolor?
- 4.2 How Do You Paint Sunflower Petals?
- 4.3 How Do You Paint Leaves?
An Easy Watercolor Tutorial For Beginners
There are many ways to learn how to paint watercolor sunflowers, however, not all painting processes are easy. In this sunflower painting tutorial, we will be going through a series of steps on how to paint watercolor sunflowers that are easy to follow. The process of learning how to paint watercolor sunflowers is very much a layering process. By this what is meant is that we begin with the lighter parts of the flower and work towards the darkest parts of the flower. Sunflowers are a great flower to paint because there is a variety of mark-making processes to explore that help build your watercolor skills overall.
Necessary Materials
We do not need a lot of materials for this sunflower painting tutorial. However, we do want to make sure that we have the right materials when learning how to paint watercolor sunflowers. Having the right materials is essential to creating an image that looks good. We want to make sure that we have the correct brushes. The right brushes will make the painting process much easier for painting a watercolor sunflower. We want to make sure that we also have the correct paper, preferably we want to use paper that is 300Gsm in thickness. Lastly, we want to make sure we have the right paints, a good suggestion is watercolor pan paints. These paints are easy to use and are easy to control in their containers. Here is a list of items that you can purchase:
Preparation
We want to make sure that we have all our materials ready and in place. We want to make sure that we place ourselves in an environment where we feel relaxed and can focus on the tutorial. It is always a great idea to listen to some music whilst painting so maybe plug in your earphones whilst you go through this tutorial.
Lastly, make sure you have your paper placed on a flat surface with some water in one or two jars for rinsing your brushes.
Step-by-Step Instructions on How to Paint a Sunflower with Watercolor
The process of learning how to paint watercolor sunflowers is quite simple. We start by creating a bud for the center of the flower which we will use to guide our painting process for the petals. We will then paint the petals in their lightest colors which we will then allow to dry completely. We then follow that by painting new petals in the gaps of our first petals which will create a multilayered quality for our petals. We then will paint the darkest part of the flower, which is the bud of the flower and lastly, we then will paint the leaves and stem of the flower. That’s it! With that said, let us begin.
Step 1: Making the Pistil of the Flower
Making the center part of the flower, otherwise known as a pistol, is a simple task. We want to get something round like glass or anything circular to use as a stencil. We will then proceed to use it as a stencil whereby we will draw a circle around with a pencil.
We want to make sure we have a perfect circle because flower pistils are generally perfectly circular. This helps to keep the quality of the flower as realistically proportioned as possible.
Step 2: Painting the First Layer of Petals
As we proceed to paint the first layer of petals we want to make sure we have a light wash of yellow paint prepared. Painting the petals of a sunflower generally looks like a surfboard shape. This means the petals are thinner near their tips and slightly wider in their center.
As you paint each of these petals, a good suggestion is to start from the pistil. Start with a light-handed stroke which you then press down harder as you paint the center part of the petal and then lighten your hand again as you come to the tip of the stroke. The motion is light-handed. Then, add some pressure to the brush followed by a light-handed stroke toward the tip of the petal.
Another good suggestion is to use a round brush, which is a brush with a thick body and a pointed tip. This brush works well for making petal-like strokes due to the shape of the brush.
As you paint these petals, try to keep them similar in length for an equal proportion between the petals and the pistils.
Step 3: Painting the Second Layer of Petals
Once you have allowed the first layer of petals to completely dry, you can then proceed to paint the second layer of petals. What we want to do is slightly darken our paint mix with a hint of orange. As these petals dry they will also lighten in color. As we paint the next layer of petals try to paint them in between the first layer of petals.
As you paint the petals around your flower be conscious of your hand smudging your marks. Do not worry about your petals merging as this is a normal part of the medium whereby the water can merge painted marks in some cases. This quality is unique to watercolor and makes interesting and beautiful qualities in the painting.
Make sure that you keep the tips of either end of the petals pointed and the body of the petals thick, similar to a surfboard shape. Another good tip is to paint the second layer of petals in between your first layer of petals.
Again, we want to make sure that the length of our petals is evenly sized so that there is a well-proportioned array of petals around the pistil. However, do not worry too much about making them perfect as some petals can often be slightly longer than others.
Step 4: Painting the First Layer of the Pistil
Once our petals are completely dry we can proceed to paint the pistil. We begin by giving the pistil a thin coating of water with our brush. The aim here is to paint water onto the pistil, following the circular shape of the pistil to guide the application of water.
Whilst your pistil is still wet, begin to apply a few dabs of brown paint with your brush. We want to have a light brown mix of brown, which we will use to add some dots on the wet pistil. While the pistil is still wet we will proceed to add some black paint into the wet pistil as well. We want the brown and the black paint to merge, which will create a nice quality in the pistil once it has dried. This will give the pistil some depth and definition, as opposed to being a singular flat color.
While the paint on the pistil is still wet, we now want to take some toilet paper or paper towels and twist it into a pointed tip. With that pointed tip, we will proceed to make little dabbing actions onto the wet paint in the pistil to create some negative dots. Again, this is to just add some texture to the pistil so that it does not seem flat.
Step 5: Painting the Second Layer of the Pistil
We can now begin to add some more details to the pistil, we do this by creating little lines around the edges of the pistil. Take a small-tipped watercolor brush and begin to paint black strokes around the edges of the pistil. These strokes should look like little black lines that move outwardly from the pistil into the gaps near the base of the petals.
Make these little strokes around the pistil until you have completely gone around the whole pistil. These little strokes allow the pistil to seem as if it is connected to the petals. Once the black paint around the pistil has completely dried we can add on some more details. The center of a sunflower has a combination of tiny blossoms that often provide nutrition for various insects, most specifically bees. This center part, or pistil, can be represented by painting a variety of little lines around the rim of the pistil and dots on the center.
What you want to do is use a smaller and thinner brush, and then use some black paint to make strokes of lines around the rim of the pistil. These lines should be following the shape of the pistil as they circulate around the center.
Keep some space between a grouping of dots in the center of the pistil and these lines around the rim.
Step 6: Painting the Last Layer of the Pistil
Once the little lines and dots have completely dried we can add the last little details onto the pistil. The pistil of a sunflower can have a variety of looks depending on what kind of sunflower you want to paint. However, they often can be depicted by a series of little lines and dots. Here we will add the last details on the pistil with some white paint.
We do this by using a thin brush that allows us to paint fine lines. What we want to do is, again, with our white paint this time begin to add a variety of lines in the pistil that follows the circular shape of the pistil. A good suggestion is to make these marks more prominent or larger in the amount on one side of the pistil. This can help to create a sense of depth, giving the pistil more dimension.
Another good tip is to not do too many marks, we do not want to overwhelm the pistil with these marks so that all the layers painted can be present.
Step 7: Painting the Leaves of the Sunflower
Painting the stem and leaves of a sunflower is quite simple. We begin by making a mix of green and brown paint. We want our green leaves to have an earthy quality that the brow paint enables. Once we have our mix of paint, let us begin to paint outwardly from the tips of our petals. The shape of the leaves can vary as this is the case most often with sunflower leaves. Let us create a lease that seems to be folding over by painting a triangular shape that is curved downward. This gives the quality of movement in the leaves.
Once we have the shape of the leaf we can act fast whilst the leaf is still wet, by making little strokes with a thin brush along the edges of the leaf. What we want to do is pull the wet green paint with the brush, creating little sharp points around the edges of the leaf. This gives the leaf a more realistic quality.
Not all leaves are seen from the same angle which is why for the next leaf we can change the shape a bit. All of these leaves should be painted as sitting behind the flower. We can begin to paint a more spearheaded shape leaf behind the flower. Be careful when painting near the petals so that you don’t mess up the yellow paint. As you paint this flower with your green paint, you can also give it some definition and texture by making a stroke onto the leaf with a dry brush. This will lift the paint and give the leaf a unique texture.
We can proceed to paint another leaf; having three leaves just gives the flower a more complete feel. Try to spread your leaves around the flower so that they are not too close together. Perhaps, let us make this one a more curved spearheaded shape.
Remember to add some sharp tips along the edges of the leaf with a thin small brush.
Step 8: Painting the Stem of the Sunflower
This is the last step whereby we will begin to paint a stem. This process is very simple, we start by making a single stroke vertically down the page directly under the flower. The stem can be painted in the same green color as the leaves, often the stem of a sunflower is green. Perhaps, add a little deviating branch to indicate a stem being connected to the leaves.
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You don’t need a huge watercolor painting set for this painting. You’ll need some watercolor paper and I usually use Fabriano Artistico but any 100% paper will work well. The paper for watercolor painting is crucial so, if you can, don’t skimp on this part. Brushes are also important and the best are made of Kolinsky sable but there are some good synthetics on the market these days. These include the Princeton Aqua Elites and the Escoda Verstil brushes. Also, recently I’ve been using the Silver Black Velvet brushes which have a good feel to them.
We’ll need some paint of course. I like tube paints and any artists quality brand is fine. The colors we’ll need are :
- Lemon yellow
- Burnt sienna
- Ultramarine Blue
- An orangey red like vermillion/pyrrole red/naphthol red
- Black.
Other things we’ll need are a mechanical pencil for the drawing, a palette with good areas for mixing, a water pot and some paper towels. Other things that come in useful in my watercolor painting kit are a kneaded eraser, a spray bottle to keep the paint wet and for occasional texture, and some masking tape to tape down the paper to stop it curling.
How to Start a Watercolor Painting
The best way to begin a watercolor painting is to hold off painting for a while and make a plan! Seriously, all the thinking you can do ahead to time will pay off in spades. There is so much to think about when you’re in the middle of some watercolor technique that if we can do some thinking beforehand we should. A little planning should make our sunflower painting easy (or at least easier!).
So our main plan is:
- Make an outline drawing of the petals and the leaves
- Make some color swatches for the light and shadow side of the petals and leaves. Also make some color swatches for the central darker parts.
- Put a first wash over all the petals in the light petal color
- Put a first wash over the central parts
- Paint all the seeds in the central part
- Paint the leaves
- Paint the shadows on the petals
- Finishing touches.
This layering technique is pretty common in but there are other techniques for watercolor painting. If you want to learn watercolor painting painting in layers is a good place to start. As we only work on one layer at a time we can break things down into sections and concenrate on that. Time is always precious in watercolor as we only have so long before the paint dries and we can’t work with it.
Trying a different painting style
Loose watercolor painting is my usual style. A lot of simplification and lost edges and general sploshiness. It’s not an easy watercolor style (are there any?) and even though it looks free and easy it involves a lot of decisions and good brushwork. But today we’re going to be doing something different. This watercolor sunflower painting is going to be crisp and precise and hopefully result in a sharp focused but still interesting image. If you’re interested in how to paint loose sunflowers in watercolor take a look at another of my sunflower paintings.
I do have a few more sunflower watercolor paintings in the archives if you want to compare this to previous work. This sunflower painting is from a few years ago and I’ve done a couple more in class demo tutorials. Somewhat different in style but they have a certain charm I think. Not as loose in style as one of my favorite painters Charles Reid but one day maybe…
Step-by-Step Instructions on How to Paint Watercolor Sunflowers
Grasping how to paint a sunflower is a relatively easy exercise. We begin by making a bud for the flower’s core, which will be used to assist our creative process for the petals. We will then color the sunflower petals in the lightest hues and let them fully dry. We then create new petals in the spaces between our first petals, creating a multilayered effect for our petals. We will then color the darkest portion of the sunflower, which is the bud of the bloom, followed by the stems and leaves of the easy sunflower painting tutorial.
That’s all! That being said, let us get started.
Step 1: Creating the Sunflower Pistil
Creating the flower’s center, also known as a pistil, is a simple undertaking. We’re looking for anything round, like a glass, or something spherical to be used as a stencil. We will then use this as a stencil, drawing a ring around it with a pencil. Due to sunflower pistils usually being perfectly round, we want to ensure we have created a perfect circular shape. This serves to maintain the flower’s proportions as authentically structured as possible.
Step 2: Creating Layer One of the Petals
Before we begin painting the first layer of petals, we should start preparing a gentle wash of yellow. The sunflower’s petals are usually painted in the form of a surfboard. This means that the petals are narrower near the point and wider in the middle.
A good place to start painting each of these petals is the pistil. Begin with a light-handed stroke, then push down a little bit harder as you paint the middle of the petal, and then soften your touch again as you reach the point of the petal. The motion should not be heavy-handed. Then, apply some force to the brush before making a light-handed stroke towards the petal’s tip.
W can also suggest using a round paintbrush, which will have a thicker body as well as a pointed tip. Because of its shape, this brush is ideal for creating petal-like strokes.
When painting these petals, try and keep them all the same length to maintain an even ratio between the pistils and the petals.
Step 3: Creating Layer Two of the Sunflower Petals
After the first layer of petals has completely dried, you can begin painting the next layer of petals. Now we want to darken our color combination slightly with a smidgen of orange. These petals will soften in color as they dry. Try and create the sunflower petals’ second layer in the spaces of the first layer that we created. Be mindful of your hands smudging your color as you create the petals around your circle. Do not be concerned if your petals combine; this is a normal aspect of the medium in which the water can combine colored marks in some situations.
This characteristic is distinct from watercolor and contributes to the artwork’s beautiful and interesting attributes. Ensure the points of both ends of the petals come to a tip and the middle of the petals are thick, like a surfboard. Another useful suggestion is to create this layer of petals between the first layer that was created. Once more, we want to ensure that our petals are evenly distributed so that there is a well-balanced array of petals all around the circle.
Nevertheless, don’t be too concerned about making them flawless, as some petals would naturally be a little bit longer than the rest.
Step 4: Creating the Pistil’s First Layer
When our petals have dried completely, we can begin painting the pistil. We start by applying a thin layer of water to the pistil with our paintbrush. The goal here is to paint water onto the pistil, using the pistil’s rounded form to assist the distribution of water.
Start applying a few beads of brown with your paintbrush while your pistil is still slightly damp. We would like a light brown combination of brown that we can use to add points to the wet pistil. While the pistil is still slightly damp, we will go ahead and add some black to it. We want the black and brown paints to blend together, creating a nice texture in the pistil once it has fully dried.
As compared to becoming a single flat color, this will start giving the pistil detail and depth. While the coat on the pistil is still slightly damp, we will now twist some paper towels into a sharp point. We will use that tip to blot onto the damp coating in the pistil to make some negative markings.
Once more, this is simply to add some more texture to the sunflower pistil to help it not appear too flat.
Step 5: Creating the Pistil’s Second Layer
Now we can start to add some more details to the pistil by drawing small lines all around the pistil’s edge. Start painting black marks around the sides of the pistil with a small-tipped paintbrush. These strokes should resemble small black lines extending from the pistil in the middle into the empty spaces located at the base of the petals.
Make these small motions all around the pistil until you’ve gone entirely around it. These small strokes make the pistil appear to be linked to the petals themselves. We can also add even more details after the black color surrounding the pistil has dried completely. The middle of a sunflower contains a variety of small blossoms that very often supply food for assorted insects, most notably bees.
This middle portion, or pistil, can be depicted by drawing a multitude of small dots and lines around the pistil’s rim. You should use a thinner and smaller paintbrush to start making motions of lines all around the edge of the pistil, followed by some black paint. These lines should distribute around the core, having followed the contour of the pistil.
Retain some space between a cluster of particles in the pistil’s middle and these line segments around the edge.
Step 6: Creating the Pistil’s Final Layer
Once the tiny dots and lines have fully dried, we can then start to add the final features to the pistil. Depending on what type of sunflower you want to portray, the pistil can have a variation of appearances. They can, nevertheless, be represented by a sequence of small lines and splodges. We will use white paint to add the final details to the pistil here.
We accomplish this by painting fine lines with a thin brush. What we want to do this time is start to add a wide range of rows in the pistil that abides the rounded form of the pistil with our white color. It is a good idea to make these spots more visible or bigger on one edge of the pistil. This could serve to develop an illusion of complexity and dimension in the pistil.
Another good tip is to avoid making too many points; we don’t want to overburden the pistil with points so that all of the layered paint can be seen.
Step 7: Creating the Sunflower’s Leaves
It is easy to portray the leaves and stems of a sunflower. To start, we make a brown and green paint mixture. We would like our green leaves to have an earthy feeling, which the brown paint allows us to achieve. Let us start by painting outwards from the points of our petals once we have our color mix. The form of the leaves can differ, as is very often the situation with sunflower leaves. Let us create a triangle shape that is contoured downward to make a leaf that appears to be folding over. This creates the illusion of motion in the leaves.
Once we’ve determined the form of the leaf, we can work quickly by making small brushstrokes with a thin paintbrush along the sides of the leaf while it is still slightly damp. We want to use the paintbrush to draw the wet green paint around the corners of the leaf, constructing little jagged edges. This enhances the realistic appearance of the leaf.
Because not all leaves can be seen from the very same viewpoint, we can alter the structure of the next leaf slightly. All of these leaves must be painted as if they are resting behind the bloom. Behind the blossoms, we can start to create a more spear-shaped leaf. When going to paint near the petals, take care not to smear the yellow color. You can add more texture and definition to this sunflower by adding a dry paintbrush stroke onto the leaf as you color it with green paint. This will raise the paint and create a distinct texture on the leaf.
We can now create yet another leaf; having three leaves just makes the sunflower look more finished. Spread your leaves out around the flower so they aren’t too near each other. Let us just try a more contoured spearheaded shape for this one.
Keep in mind to use a thin paintbrush to add some pointed tips along the sides of the leaf.
Step 8: Creating the Sunflower’s Stem
This is the final step in which we will start to depict a stem. This is a really easy part; we begin by creating a single brushstroke down the canvas directly under the sunflower. The stem of a sunflower can be colored in the very same green color as the foliage; in fact, the stalks of a sunflower are frequently green. Now add a small straying branch to portray a stem attached to the leaves.
Tips and Tricks to Keep in Mind
Because there is no need for a reference image, this is an incredibly easy sunflower painting tutorial. This simple sunflower watercolor painting is a practice in mark-making designs that will help you improve your abilities. It is always ideal to use a simple process when starting to learn how to paint watercolor sunflowers as a novice. When painted sparsely, sunflower watercolor paintings are a lot of fun. It is enjoyable, and it gives the image a painterly look that appears more natural for a sunflower watercolor painting. In any case, this sunflower painting tutorial offers many unique tricks and tips that can make you better your cumulative sunflower watercolor painting abilities.
- A layering technique is used in a sunflower painting guide. Always start with the lightest parts of the artwork and make your way to the darkest sections of the artwork.
- Washing your brushes is necessary when creating a sunflower watercolor painting. Always remember to keep a couple of jars of water close by; one jar for a preliminary rinse and the second jar for another rinse to ensure that no color remains on your paintbrush.
- You should not need a reference image to gain knowledge on how to paint watercolor sunflowers. You can, nevertheless, use one for assistance if you believe it will be beneficial.
- While doing this easy sunflower painting tutorial, take time to carefully wash your paintbrushes before applying new paint.
- You do not really need to tape your page down when creating a flower because it aids to keep moving your page around for more precise mark-making in your own sunflower watercolor painting.
So, there you have it! An easy-to-follow sunflower painting guide. Having to learn how to paint a sunflower is rather simple when broken down into eight steps. This particular sunflower painting tutorial is one of many different manners to portray a sunflower, but it is a simple and enjoyable method. Sunflower watercolor painting does require some exercise, so don’t be concerned if you don’t get it correctly the very first time. Sunflowers are not hard to portray; they simply require the proper stages to help you understand every step.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Create Loose Watercolor Sunflowers?
It is simple to paint loose sunflowers in watercolor. To start, draw a ring on the page that will serve as the flower’s bud. Then, having started from the bud and moving your way outwards in a surfboard-like shape, we start creating brush strokes. We create a series of these motions around the bud to characterize the flower’s petals. We will let that dry completely before adding new spots in the empty spaces of those petals, creating the second layer of the flower’s petals. You can add as many as you want because no two flowers are ever the same. We then paint the bud with darker colors, which we can then fine-tune after it has dried completely.
How Can I Create Sunflower Petals?
When painting petals, we must use the appropriate brush. The best brush for this is a round-shaped one. A round brush is one with a slightly pointed tip and a thicker body. This enables you to create a surfboard shape that reflects the quality of a petal. Start near the bud with a thin brushstroke from the point of the paintbrush, pressing down as you color the petal progressing outwards from the flower’s bud. As you press down, gradually soften your touch as you make your way toward the petal’s tips by coloring with the thin point of the paintbrush. So, you gently push your paintbrush, then push down for a thicker stroke, and finally, slowly lift your paintbrush to make the head of the petal thin. This is the general concept behind painting a petal.
How Do I Create Sunflower Leaves?
A few of the more common methods of drawing leaves that are commonly found on flowers include drawing the spear-headed shape with your color choice and then adding small details in a variety of ways. One of these methods is to lift the paint, which results in these light moments in the leaves. Another method is to paint directly on the leaf while it is wet, resulting in a seamless mix of colors on the leaves. The spearhead shape, on the other hand, is achieved by painting a circle and then adding a pointed tip to indicate the top of the leaf.
Matthew Matthysen ( Drawing and Painting Artist )
Matthew Matthysen is a multidisciplinary artist. He completed his fine art degree, majoring in History of Art and Contemporary Drawing Practice at the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa. Before joining acrylgiessen In 2020, Matthew worked part-time as an art teacher at Reddford Blue Hills High school. Matthew creates drawing and painting tutorials for acrylgiessen and captures them not only photographically and in written form. He also records the creation of his works in his own creative studio as in video format, from which later with a voiceover and a video editor also drawing tutorials for the Youtube channel of acrylgiessen are created.
