How to Paint a Flower Basket in Watercolour Easy Watercolour Tutorial, by de Winton Paper Co. on YouTube. 27 min 11 s.
- Video length
- 27 min 11 s
- Time to do it
- 1 hour
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Tape your paper to a board and sketch the basket, flowers and figure lightly with a 2B pencil. Keep the lines faint so they disappear under the paint.
Mix a warm mid brown and paint the basket with short, broken strokes, leaving gaps of bare paper for the weave highlights. Vary the wash strength so the basket looks rounded.
While the basket is still damp, drop a darker brown along the shadow side and under the rim. Let it dry before you paint the handle.
Paint the pink flowers with a pale pink wash, then drop a stronger pink into the middle of each petal while the paper is damp. Leave bare paper for the white blooms.
Add leaves and stems with a size 6 brush. Use a light yellow green for leaves in the sun and a darker mix for the ones tucked behind.
Wet the paper around the figure with clean water and float in soft greens and pale blues for the garden. Tilt the board slightly and let the colours blend themselves.
Paint the white dress using only very pale grey blue shadows, following the folds. Leave the lit areas as bare paper.
Let everything dry fully, then add small details such as flower centres, basket weave lines and a few dark accents. Stop before the painting looks tight.
Step back and check the light and dark values. Add one light wash where a shape needs to sit back, then let the painting dry flat.
Tips and common mistakes
Test each colour mix on a scrap of the same paper before you put it on the painting.
Keep the background weaker in tone than the flowers so the basket stays the focus.
If you use masking fluid on the white flowers, apply it to bone dry paper and rub it off only when the paint is completely dry.
Let each layer dry before adding the next one, or the colours turn muddy.
Questions
Do I need the line drawing to follow along?
It helps with proportions, but you can sketch the basket, flowers and figure yourself in pencil first. Keep your sketch light so the pencil does not show through the washes.
Can I use masking fluid for the white flowers?
Yes. Paint masking fluid over the white petals before you start, let it dry, then paint freely around them. Remove it once the paper is fully dry.
How do I stop the painting looking overworked?
Work in thin layers and stop adding marks once the shapes read clearly. Leaving some bare paper and soft edges keeps the scene light and fresh.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
