In this tutorial, we’re painting bold poppies dancing against a dreamy, blended sky – using a mix of loose sketching, wet-on-wet watercolor, and layered texture techniques. This page is all about letting go of perfection and embracing the process. Whether you’re just getting started with art journaling or simply want a relaxing project to unwind with, you’ll love how this one comes together step by step.
Begin by prepping your art journal page: use painter’s tape to mask off the edges and create a clean border. Lightly mist your watercolor palette to activate the paints and get them ready to use.
With a fine-tipped pen, sketch three simple poppy flowers – don’t worry about perfection, just have fun with it! Then, let’s move on to the background. Using a paintbrush, wet the entire page with clean water – we’re using a “wet-on-wet” technique here. Gently drop in your colors: soft blues, purples, and magentas toward the top to create a dreamy sky effect, and various greens along the bottom for grass or foliage. Once you’re happy with the blend, dry the page with a heat tool before moving on.
Now let’s bring the flowers to life – one at a time. Start by wetting a single flower shape with clean water. While it’s still damp, brush in your red watercolor, letting the pigment flow. Then, drop a touch of black at the base of the petal and allow it to blend naturally for added depth. You can gently tilt your page to help the colors flow if needed. Repeat this process for each poppy, then dry everything with a heat tool before moving on.
With a liner brush and black watercolor paint, paint long, flowing lines to form each flower stem. Then go back in to outline the petals and add delicate detail lines to bring out the shape and texture of each bloom.
Now, let’s add depth to the grassy area. I’m using Phthalo Green-Yellow, Prussian Blue Hue, and Cobalt Turquoise Hue acrylics – thinned with water to mimic watercolor. Layer these shades into the bottom of your page, letting the colors blend organically for a lush, textured look. Use a stencil brush to pounce some of that paint in for extra texture, then grab a teal ink stamp pad and dab your stencil brush in it to add more color variation. Finally, brush a bit of Cobalt Turquoise Hue around the edges of your page to frame your piece. Dry thoroughly with a heat tool before moving on.
Next, let’s add a fun splatter effect to the background. To protect your poppies, cover them with small pieces of paper or sticky notes. Dip a fan brush into watered-down Prussian Blue Hue, then gently tap it against another brush to create a soft splatter across the background. Once you’re happy with the effect, dry the page with a heat tool.
To finish it off, grab your liner brush and black watercolor paint to add a few delicate blades of grass, along with extra stems and leaves for added detail and movement. Peel off the painter’s tape for that satisfying clean-edge reveal!
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Supply List:
- Grumbacher 8 X 8 Watercolor Pad
- Watercolors – Classics & Odyssey
- Acrylic Paints – DecoArt Media Phithalo Green-Yellow, Prussian Blue Hue, and Cobalt Turquoise Hue
- Painter’s Tape
- Dynasty Brushes
- Molotow Permanent Markers
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