One of the most difficult things for me to learn how to paint is flowers. There are so many different types of flowers, and each has different details, highlighting, shading, etc.
You might be surprised to learn just how much goes into painting flowers, especially if you are using acrylics or oils. For instance, when painting sunflowers, I often paint at least five or six different coats to make them look as realistic as possible.
There are several techniques you can use for painting flowers. I won’t be writing about every technique used, because that would require an entire book rather than a single post. For this post, I will be talking about four fast and easy flower-painting techniques.
So, if you are interested in learning how to paint flowers, keep on reading.
#1. Try the One Stroke Technique
One of the easiest ways to paint realistic-looking flowers is to use the one-stroke technique. This involves using a flat brush and putting two shades of paint on the brush.
Let’s say you are painting a pink flower. I would suggest putting dark pink paint on one half of the brush, and white or pale pink on the other half.
First, get the brush wet. This will ensure that the paint is more fluid and the brush will spread the colors properly and at the same time.
Hold the brush against the canvas so that it is pointing up and down. You will likely want to play around with the colors to decide which should be on top and which should be on the bottom.
With this technique, you are going to be moving the brush in curved lines or loops. You will begin by drawing the center or the heart of the flower with a pencil.
Now, you can start painting. If you want thinner petals, move the brush upwards until the petal is the desired length. Then, press the brush against the palette so the bristles bend a bit, and make a curve at the top of the line. Finally, bring the brush back to the starting point. You have just created a petal.
Another way to create petals is to draw hearts. This will allow you to paint a couple of petals at once. Start just as you did with the single petal, but move the brush around to create a heart shape. Now you have two petals.
Continue working in this manner all around the heart of the flower. Once all of the petals are painted, you can fill in the center area.
#2. Paint Flower Petals with Q-Tips
You don’t necessarily need to use a paintbrush to paint flowers. There are all kinds of items around your home that you can use, including Q-Tips. This is a trick that works for artists of all skill levels.
Some flowers are better than others when it comes to this painting technique. For instance, if you are looking to create cherry blossoms or lavender, it is ideal.
I suggest beginning by studying the shape of the flower you wish to paint. Once you have a better understanding of the shape, you can begin drawing a rough sketch on your canvas.
Next, you will need to create a bundle of Q-Tips. I usually put five or six together with an elastic band. Make sure they spread out a bit at each end so they are not all just in a straight line.
Dip one end of the bundle into your paint, ensuring that each Q-Tip is coated with paint. Firmly press the painted tips onto the canvas. This is going to create petals. Repeat as many times as you wish, until you have a garden or a bouquet.
You can also use this technique to create trees and other parts of a landscape painting. I love how this technique allows me to create flowers quickly and easily.
#3. Use a Soda Bottle to Create Cherry Blossoms
Before you take your plastic soda bottles in to recycle, grab a couple to use for painting flowers. Yes, you can use a soda bottle to create flower petals!
This technique is great if you want to paint cherry blossoms or similar-looking flowers. It is also fast and easy.
Let’s take a look at how to paint a cherry tree. First, paint a background color onto the canvas. I suggest using a pale shade of pink or use blue to mimic the sky.
Using a brush and some black paint, create a tree trunk with branches. This will give you something to put the flowers on so they aren’t simply floating on the canvas.
Put some pink paint onto your palette. Make sure there is enough to allow you to dip the entire bottom part of the bottle into the paint and get all of the nubs on the bottom covered with the paint.
Once you have the paint on the nubs at the bottom of the bottle, press it against the canvas on one of the branches of the tree and pull it away. You will be left with four flower petals. Continue doing this until you have as many flowers on the tree as you wish.
Once you have painted all of the flowers, you can go in with a liner brush or a small round brush and add some details, including smaller branches. Be sure to use other shades of pink, as well as white to create highlights and shadows on your cherry blossoms.
#4. Create Flower Clusters with a Stipple Brush
If you find that you have trouble painting flowers with details, you may want to try using a stipple brush to create clusters of flowers. This is a thick brush that is flat at the bottom of the bristles.
This technique is great for painting flower clusters as well as clusters of leaves. I often use it when painting trees and bushes. I even use this technique for painting grass on occasion.
I suggest using at least three different shades for flower clusters. Dip the brush into the darkest shade first, and press it in random spots all over the canvas (or the area of the canvas where you want flowers).
Once you have all of the flower clusters you want, go over each cluster with a lighter shade of the same color. You can achieve this shade by adding white to the first color.
Finally, go over each flower cluster one more time, using white. Or, you can also add more white to the second shade to make it even lighter.
When you are finished, you will find that not only do your flowers have some depth, but they also have some texture.
Conclusion
These are just a few of the many methods you can use to paint beautiful flowers. As you can see, you don’t necessarily need to use paintbrushes to create beautiful flowers.
I suggest trying various objects to use as stamps. You can even use vegetables as stamps to create beautiful flowers. For instance, you can paint roses using bok choy!
Painting is all about being creative. So, start experimenting with Q-Tips, soda bottles, vegetables, and other things you can use to create flowers quickly and easily.
Keep practicing those brushstrokes as well. The one-stroke technique may require a lot of practice, but it is worth it in the long run to get flowers that are natural-looking.
Sari Green is a semi-professional artist and professional writer. She has been hosting paint & sip parties for the past couple of years, and truly enjoys helping other people to create their very own masterpieces. She loves to create, and you never know what she’s going to come up with next!