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The Kid Should See This

How to paint ‘perfectly imperfect’ watercolor flowers

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With any kind of watercolor paint and paper, you can create a handful of mini watercolor flowers. This 9-minute demonstration by artist and art tutorial YouTuber Shayda Campbell shows how a few brush strokes can create roses, black-eyed Susans, berries, eucalyptus leaves, and more.

“These mini flowers are the perfect practice subject to build your confidence and get you painting something you’re proud of… Whatever shape emerges when that brush hits the page, just leave it. It’s perfectly imperfect.”

small watercolor roses
watercolor flowers
The video below is a slightly more detailed demonstration with tips on creating 12 different watercolor flowers, including peonies, berries, rosebuds, lavender, and daisies. As with all of Campbell’s tutorials, painting is about fun, play, creativity, and connecting with the natural world…

“I think the key with flowers is keeping it a little strange and a little bit it’s messy because they’re not supposed to look perfect.”

As always, keep practicing until you’re happy with them.



Watch these related flower and painting videos next:
• How to paint layered petals with watercolors
• Kasey Golden’s seven watercolor tips for beginners
• Story of Flowers, a breathtaking botanical animation
• How to see more and care less: The art of Georgia O’Keeffe
• How did Cedric Morris become an artist?
Tigers in the Jungle, a watercolor demonstration
• Flying a drone over the Netherlands’ patchwork quilt of flowers

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