The purpose of this tutorial is to create a simple yet beautiful design that will be easy for
the complete beginner to follow along and create with satisfactory results.
I created this for fabric design, to be tiled and a repeating pattern.
Please note – this is the painting aspect only – I have not gone into detail with regards to
creating the initial design concept or line work.
If at all you need a help with following this or clarification etc please feel free to send me
a message through my etsy store.
Let's get started than shall we?
(Clicking images will take you to my Flickr stream where you can view them a little larger.)
Supplies
● Watercolour paper – I have used a light weight paper, 280gsm is a good weight as you will able
to paint onto it without the need for stretching it beforehand.
● Paint brushes – I have 2x size 2 filbert brushes and a size 3/0 round brush. A nice synthetic
bristle will be fine, as long as it easily holds paint/water, keeps its shape and springs back after
use. I will explain later why I have 2 of the same size.
● Water colour paints – I prefer to use watercolour pans, pans or tubes is really personal
preference and neither is really better than the other, I simply find they are quick to set up and
pack away.
● Palette – small round plastic palettes can be found at any discount craft/art store.
● Water
● Tissue/Paper towel etc.
● Scrap watercolour paper.
Got your supplies?
Alrighty then, get comfy...if you have yourself a cup of coffee – place it on the other side of your
workspace and no where near your paint water to avoid rinsing your brushes in your beverage :)
believe me, it DOES happen!
Step 1
Here you can see that I have created a
design, after scanning it I darkened the
lines so they are easily seen. No need to
create them as dark as you see here.
Any design that is reasonably simple will do, so experiment on some copy
paper and play with shapes and lines.
Step 2
Before thinking about beginning to paint you need to first work out your colour palette.
Blindly charging on ahead without the slightest idea of colours instead
of working them out beforehand could be the difference between a
wonderful painting you can be proud of and one that is a
complete disaster.
Nice bright and cool Spring colours was my choice.
Step 3
Load your size 2 brush up with pink, this is to be the background colour – it is always best to start
with the background when you begin any artwork, helps you to create a cohesive and dynamic
painting. Paint in small areas at a time. With your other size 2 brush, dip in your water and wipe
excess water off and blend the paint into the rest of the paper. Do this while the paint is still wet.
By blending the edges you get a nice soft gradient-style edge and not a harsh, sharp line. That way
when you add more pink it will look like is was all painted together and you will not see lines
between the layers.
Keep your second brush damp, not dripping wet or you will flood it.
Step 4
Here we see that the background is finished, I have created dark and light areas as I want to really
illustrate the fact that this is to be a relatively loose watercolour painting.
One thing to take note at this stage is that watercolours dry lighter, different to acrylics or oils which
dry darker.
Step 5
For extra interest we will add a second colour over the main pink background.
You can see that I have tested the colour mix beforehand. If I had just gone right ahead and
added the green before testing it I would have been disappointed with the result.
So armed with a lemon yellow I begin to paint around the edges of one of the flowers, dabbing
the paint as I go and blending any harsh lines with my damp brush.
Step 6
Here you can see that I have gone and finished the entire background going around each element in
the lemon yellow, the result is a very pretty orange or apricot colour with more yellow in certain
areas. By having the pink underneath it in patches allows the yellow to also be in patches that
adds a lovely textural feel to it.
Always keep in mind that because watercolours do dry lighter, you may not be able to see what the
final result will be until it is dry. Always take a good look at what has been done between
colours/layers as you may feel that you might need to add more to it to deepen areas.
It is much easier to darken the colour than it is to lighten it.
Step 7
Next we start adding to the elements. I have chosen to add to an element that has been repeated over
the design in uniform, enabling me to see instantly the balance between the green and the rest of the
design.
I have used a medium green, similar to grass.
Always take the time to step back and look at what you are doing, turn it upside down and sideways
to check that you are paying attention to how it looks and interacts with everything else on you paper.
Step 8
Once again we choose a design detail that is repeated through out the illustration. A medium lilac.
Most of this painting is done using no.2 brush.
Always make sure that you are using the right size brush for what you are working on.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this – it is to be a loose painting, so paint may go over lines in
some areas, I am not overly concerned with that. If I were creating one of my figurative faeries etc
then I would certainly be taking more care.
Step 9
You will possibly have noted that I am not just picking an element and painting it until it is finished,
rather I am choosing a colour and adding it to the whole of the painting.
Good in two ways, I am not cleaning my brush as often, switching between colours and most
importantly I am adding to it at one whole and not as small pieces within a painting, this helps it to
look cohesive and well balanced. Even when I paint my faeries etc I very rarely work on one section
until it is completed – always working on one section to a point and then move on to another section
and so on until I am pretty much up to the same point in detail for the entire piece and not just one
section.
Step 10
Next we have added another green, slightly darker and with a little more blue into the mix.
I always find it is important not to have too many colours. Otherwise it ends up looking far too busy
and leaves less of an impact.
Now might be a good time to step back and check out your creation to see its progress.
Looking Good?
My word it is!
Step 11
Now with the original pink that was used for the background I have started on petals of some of the
flower designs, it is not as diluted as the mix used for the background giving it a more even coverage
I didn't want to add too much pink considering the background but I did want to make sure that it
did tie into the main design.
Step 12
Typing up this tutorial I realize that I have missed a step and forgotten to scan. So you can see that I
have added a dark blue as well as the mid lilac colour. I had not planned the blue that was added but
because I have been adding colour to the entire piece in steps I was able to easily decide how well the
blue would interact with the other colours already put down.
I think it works well, especially seeing as the colour was added into the smaller areas – used with the
size 0/3 brush.
Step 13
Now the addition of a lighter, sky blue colour has been added, still keeping with the original colour
idea of a spring colour palette.
A balance between small and slightly larger detailed area has been noted.
You will noticed that I have missed parts of the painting that I should have done in the last steps or so,
these will be fixed as we move along.
Step 14
Now with the paint work done with the final colour of a lovely teal added to the spots and other
smaller details.
All that is left to do is to add black ink to the original line work to help bring the design out.
I have gone over other parts that I had previously missed.
Step 15
So here we have it, the final design is finished. I chose to use a black ballpoint pen instead
of the usual felt tip pen that I would normally use.
Ball points tend to have a habit of producing an uneven colour which is what I was after for this.
I have added the line work plus a few other extra details and there we have it.
Final Thoughts:
With breaking this design down in small bite sized steps it is easy for the beginner
to follow along with confidence and produce a wonderful result.
Once again:
If at all you need a help with following this or clarification etc please feel free to send me a message
through my etsy store.
