How to create your Watercolour Paper Flowers

Watch a tutorial

Step 1. Gather your pieces

Either choose pre-cut petals or cut your own from watercolour paper. Collect the pieces and lay out each petal/piece on your paper towel.

Step 2. Add your base wash

Paint your first base colour all over both sides with a quick watercolour wash, dip your brush into clean water and mix with the chosen water colour and get a base cover of colour on your pieces/petal. This layer is quite translucent.

Step 3. Experiment, blend & bloom

Now you can add some variations of colour to add texture and depth.

Wet on Wet blending

Apply clean water to parts of your flower first then add colour, this is a more transparent and organic texture.

Wet on Dry

Wet paint on Dry paper or layer. Let layers dry and then add a new colour on top.

Bloom

Another interesting method is to drop clean water droplets onto a painted section and this will create a bloom affect.

Step 4. Sculpt

Once all your pieces are dry, use the brush handle to curl and sculpt each petal.

Use it vertically along the petal and push the petal to cuddle the brush or use the handle as a roller and roll the end of the petals inwards to curl.

Step 5. Layer your petals

Play with how you’d like to assemble your flowers, layering to see what shapes and colours make you happy, you can have up to 10 petals together on one pin.

Step 6. Assemble your flower

Pop a centre hole in your petal centres if not already done then thread the stem up through the very bottom layer and bend over on the top side of the petal so it’s secure.

Get a split pin and thread your layers (and any extra middle pieces) onto the pin from top to bottom as the pin top is the centre of the flower. when you get to the bottom layer the pin goes in the same hole as the stem has been secured then the split pins split apart to sandwhich your flower all together.

Gather a few together to arrange a bouquet or leave it on it’s own and pop on a gift or give to someone to brighten their day.