You do not need to be an expert in watercolour to learn how to paint pansies. In this tutorial, I’ll show you techniques on how to do it.
Summer is best because of the flowers. They make the world so bright and colourful. And if you come from a place where the winter season lasts for at least six months then seeing greens and blooms will surely make you happy.
This year we added pansies in our backyard, because like petunias they bloom from spring to fall. I admit I am captivated with the beauty of pansies which inspired me to paint them.
How to Paint Pansies in Watercolour
The majority of this tutorial is using a lot of wet-on-wet technique. It is a technique in which you will apply paint on top of another layer of wet paint.
For my subject, I like to start looking at photos online, but recently I told myself to get inspiration of flowers around me rather than from Pinterest. So from our garden, I took three different colours of pansies.
Paint it!
Pansy #1:
Paints: Winsor and Newton Transparent Yellow (you can use other yellow watercolour and add more water to get a transparent look), Winsor and Newton Violet, Winsor and Newton Indian Yellow
Paint the bottom or anterior petal using transparent yellow.
Applying the wet-on-wet technique, add the violet paint from the center and also on edge. Let it dry completely.
NOTE: Leave a small space in the center of the flower unpainted.
Paint the two petals (lateral petals) using transparent yellow.
Like the first petal, add violet while the transparent yellow paint is still wet. Add more violet if desired.
Then for the last petals (above or posterior petal), I used the violet paint. Layer more violet paint while it is still wet. Add transparent yellow paint on the center.
Use Indian yellow paint for the stigma or the center of the flower.
Let the painting dry completely before adding details
Now, for the streak of lines on the petals, I used the pointed part of the angle brush and drew lines using the violet paint.
For the next two flowers, the techniques are still the same. The Winsor and Newton paint colours that I used are:
Pansy #2: bismuth yellow and ultramarine violet
Pansy #3: For the yellow petals, it is a mixture of bismuth yellow and Indian yellow to achieve that yellow-orange colour. And for the red-violet part, I mixed alizarin crimson and violet.
NOTE: You can also use your preferred colour.
If you are not into painting but still want to add a fancy pansy art or stationery, check my next post on an art technique that you will surely love.