Lotus Painting on Fabric for Beginners | Easy Lotus & Leaves Tutorial, by Lily artist - English on YouTube. 8 min 25 s.
- Video length
- 8 min 25 s
- Time to do it
- 1 hour
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Wash and dry the fabric to remove sizing, then iron it flat. Slide a piece of cardboard inside a shirt or bag so the paint cannot soak through to the back.
Draw the lotus lightly with a pencil or chalk: one tall centre petal, two petals each side, and two or three rounded leaves below. Keep the lines faint.
Load the flat brush with pale pink. Start at the petal tip and pull the stroke down to the base, lifting the brush at the end so the tip stays pointed.
While the petal is still damp, add a little deeper pink or red at the base and blend it upward with a clean damp brush for a soft gradient.
Mix your leaf green from blue and yellow, then add a touch of red or extra yellow to vary the shade. Paint each leaf with the flat brush, curving the stroke to the leaf shape.
Switch to the round brush and paint thin, darker green veins from the leaf base out to the edges. Keep the lines light and uneven so they look natural.
Use the round brush to add a fine outline or soft shading at the petal edges, and dot a small yellow centre in the middle of the flower.
Let the paint dry flat for at least 24 hours. Then heat set it by ironing the back of the fabric for the time and temperature on your paint label.
Tips and common mistakes
Test every colour on a scrap of the same fabric first, because paint looks different once it dries.
Keep the paint thin enough to flow but not watery, or it will bleed outside your outline.
Rinse the flat brush well between pink and green so the colours stay clean.
Iron on the reverse side and keep the iron moving so the painted surface does not scorch.
Questions
Can I use normal acrylic paint instead of fabric paint?
Yes, but mix it with a fabric medium so it stays flexible and survives washing. Plain acrylic can dry stiff and crack on cloth.
Do I have to draw the outline first?
It is not essential, but a light pencil or chalk guide keeps the petals even. Keep the lines faint so they stay hidden under the paint.
How do I wash the painted fabric?
Wait at least 24 hours after heat setting, then wash inside out in cool water on a gentle cycle. Avoid bleach and tumble drying.
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.
