– what types of brushes are best for acrylic paints and how to use them.
How to Paint a Sunflower
This sunflower is for beginners and is so easy! Tip (look at a real sunflower or photograph). Paint what you see and express your own unique style! Paint the background light blue: white and blue mixed (add yellow to lean toward teal blue or add red for more of a cool baby blue shade use […]
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Check out our newest course offering. “Easy & Fun Acrylics” Let’s dive into painting!
This sunflower is for beginners and is so easy!
Paint the background light blue: white and blue mixed (add yellow to lean toward teal blue or add red for more of a cool baby blue shade use more white to lighten as desired) You can make a flat (1 shade) of blue or play with different ratios of paints to create some depth in the background for this I added lighter colors toward the top use and I added red in the blue to cool and darken around the bottom.
Switch to the medium round brush (#6 round) mix some red and blue and add black until you see a dark color. You can use any dark colors such as dark brown for this part or pure black. Add the dark shadows to the center and paint the stem and leaves.
Clean your brush in between each color to avoid mixing mud! Make sure you dry your brush after each rinsing as well. Next use the medium round brush to paint over your medium green shades using yellow and blue moving from darker to lighter as you move up on your leaves and to the left on your stem. For a lighter shade of green simply add more yellow around the edges.
Clean the brush and add yellow mixed with a little white to your brush to add your petal base color. Petals should be thicker at the base and come to a point at the tip. You can add some personality here and curve them this way or that and make some various sizes (not all petals are exactly the same). You can use a slightly darker shade of yellow by mixing a little bit of red and yellow to make a light orange or dark yellow to add some strokes feathering from the bottom of the petals out and to the tips.
Add darker shading to the center pulling out into the petals for some medium shadow colors using more red added to the yellow and even add a tiny amount of blue to get a burgundy shade and accent your mid tone shadows more.
Next use some pink (red+white) or orange (red+yellow) to stipple the center of the flower. Small tiny dot taps in a circle shape. You can brush this lighter color on to the centers or edges of the petals (make sure to ADD to the other colors while layering not cover completely). You can also use this as a highlight color for the stem and petals.
Lastly, add your highlights! You can use the small round brush and use your white (or very light pink or yellow) Tap and stipple toward the top of the center and the top of your leaves and the far right of the stem. You can also add highlights to the tips of the petals. Add some petals in pinks and light orange or light yellow floating all around for a more stylized look and to create some movement and energy in the finished look. Make any fishing touches and sign your creation!
To learn more about painting and for full step by step videos visit my recorded sessions collection here.
Supplies for painting flowers on a mason jar:
- Pint-size mason jar (remove any labels from recycled jars before starting)
- Craft paint (in two shades of yellow and two shades of brown)
- White spray paint
- Fall flowers
- Paintbrushes (see below for sizes and shapes needed)
How to Paint a Sunflower:
You will need something to paint your flower on. I am using a mason jar. First, I painted the mason jar white and allowed it to dry completely. TIP: Clean glass with rubbing alcohol before painting for maximum success.
To paint sunflowers, you will need to types of brushes. One round sponge brush and one brush that has bristles shaped like a flower petal. You can see the two brushes that I used in the image below.
Start by making a round center for your flower with the round sponge brush and the lighter of the two brown paints.
Then it is time to paint flower petals. Load up your brush with a darker shade of yellow. Practice on paper until you can use the brush shape to make a petal. Just apply paint to the side of the brush and lay it down to get the shape of the brush on your surface.
Then start adding those petal shapes all the way around your flower center on the mason jar. NOTE: It is okay if the flower center is still wet when you are doing this step.
Use a really fine brush to start adding some shading to your flower petals. Do this with a lighter yellow and a light brown.
Just work in both paints to the still wet flower petals.
To finish painting your flower, turn one of the brushes around to the opposite end and dip in the dark brown.
Use that end to make random dots over the top of your flower center.
When you are happy with your sunflower, allow the entire thing to dry completely before displaying around your home.
Now that you know how to paint a sunflower, you can use this same method to make a ton of crafts. I can see a sunflower themed party in your future!
For this flower mason jar, I added in some fall foliage and now I have a fun party centerpiece that I painted myself. Don’t worry. You will not have to tell your party guests just how easy it is to paint a sunflower!
You can also see our technique for painting sunflowers in the story below!
Want more mason jar ideas? Try the links below as well!
Mason Jar Bathroom Organizer Wall Decor
This fun and functional bathroom organizer is a great way to add some mason jar wall decor to your bathroom!
Making Easy Watercolor Mason Jar Vase
Giving mason jars a watercolor effect is actually super simple to do and these will make a big impact in your home.
Mason Jar Centerpiece with Pictures
This photo mason jar is easy to make and will make a great gift as well.
Air Plant Hangers from Mason Jars
Make these air plant hangers from mason jars and hang them around your home!
DIY Mason Jar Soap Dispenser
Seriously folks… wash your hands! Remind guests to wash up with this easy DIY mason jar soap dispenser. This tutorial even includes a free Rae Dunn inspired SVG file to add to your project.
So, whether you use our instructions on how to paint a sunflower or make one of these other crafts, we are sure your party will be amazing! Happy crafting, y’all!
Want to print the instructions on how to paint a sunflower? Use the card below!
Total Time 15 minutes minutes
How to Paint a Sunflower
This tutorial will have you painting a sunflower on any surface in minutes.
Equipment
- Pint-size mason jar
- Craft paint in two shades of yellow and two shades of brown
- White spray paint
- Fall flowers
You will need something to paint your flower on. I am using a mason jar. First, I painted the mason jar white and allowed it to dry completely. TIP: Clean glass with rubbing alcohol before painting for maximum success.
To paint sunflowers, you will need to types of brushes. One round sponge brush and one brush that has bristles shaped like a flower petal. You can see the two brushes that I used in the image below.
Start by making a round center for your flower with the round sponge brush and the lighter of the two brown paints.
Then it is time to paint flower petals. Load up your brush with a darker shade of yellow. Practice on paper until you can use the brush shape to make a petal. Just apply paint to the side of the brush and lay it down to get the shape of the brush on your surface.
Then start adding those petal shapes all the way around your flower center on the mason jar. NOTE: It is okay if the flower center is still wet when you are doing this step.
Use a really fine brush to start adding some shading to your flower petals. Do this with a lighter yellow and a light brown.
Just work in both paints to the still wet flower petals.
To finish painting your flower, turn one of the brushes around to the opposite end and dip in the dark brown.
Use that end to make random dots over the top of your flower center.
When you are happy with your sunflower, allow the entire thing to dry completely before displaying around your home.
Tried this project? tag us to show off your work!
About Angie Holden
For over a decade, I have been sharing Cricut tutorials and craft ideas here as well as on my YouTube channel. My passions include teaching others to be creative and learning as many new things as possible.
Bonnie Lecat
- Deb says October 3, 2018 at 10:00 pm
Can I pay for just the sunflower class? I don’t want to buy a membership. Thanks!
- Bonnie Lecat says October 4, 2018 at 2:44 pm
Hi Deb,
Right now the only place I have this class for sale is on skillshare.com, but I believe you can get two free months when you use this link to join https://skl.sh/2rtoXL8 You have to give them your credit card for access, but you can cancel at any time, even before you are charged anything. That gives you two months to check out all of the classes on skillshare for FREE! Your other option if you just want to watch this one class, would be to join for one month, which is $15. That would give you access to my classes and any others you want to watch for a whole month. I hope that helps! PS I plan on eventually offering classes individually here on my site, so check back or sign up for my email list if you want to be alerted when they are available. Thanks!!
Can’t wait to try this with my granddaughter!❣️
- Bonnie Lecat says August 21, 2020 at 7:58 pm
That’s great, Connie! I hope you enjoy the class!! Please be sure to post your completed paintings in the class. I can’t wait to see what you do:)
