If you’re craving a calming, creative reset, this loose watercolor floral project is the perfect way to ease back into artmaking. Using just a few Daniel Smith watercolors and a fine-liner pen, we’ll create a dreamy background and add bold scribbly floral linework to bring it to life. It’s expressive, simple, and proof that creativity doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful.
Prep your page by taping off the edges with painter’s tape. Begin by wetting down your watercolor palette and the surface of your watercolor paper using clean water. This project uses the wet-on-wet technique, which allows the pigments to naturally blend and bloom across the page.
Start adding your paint to the wet page. For this piece, a cool palette of blue, green, and yellow was used to create a soft, luminous base. Use your brush or even a baby wipe or paper towel to gently blot away excess pigment and create subtle textures. Once you’re happy with your dreamy wash, let it dry completely. You can speed this up with a heat tool or hair dryer. Be sure the page is fully dry before moving on to your penwork.
Grab your ultra-fine black pen and begin sketching flowers directly over the watercolor base. Don’t aim for perfect petals – keep your hand relaxed and let the shapes be abstract, organic, and overlapping. Use a combination of fine lines, scribbles, and loose outlines to add energy and movement.
If you want to add more definition or contrast, you can switch to a thicker pen (like 0.7 or 0.9) and layer your linework. This helps the flowers pop against the background without needing more paint. You can also add small details like petal lines, scribbly shading, or dot clusters around the centers.
Next, go back in with your watercolor brush and deepen the negative space with dark green to make your flowers pop. Dry with a heat tool.
Use a Stabilo Aquarellable pencil or a fine black pen to outline the edge of your composition, creating a defined border. You can smudge the pencil with a damp finger or brush to soften it.
Remove the painter’s tape, sign your name, and enjoy your art!
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Supply List:
- Grumbacher 7 X 10 Watercolor Pad
- Sennilier Watercolors
- Painter’s Tape
- Dynasty Brushes
- Molotow Blackliner Pens
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