Easy Flower Painting Technique for Beginners Using Cotton Swabs
Step 8: Painting Tapered Leaves
Now for the final element: the leaves!
Switch to a no. 12 round brush and add more Emerald Green Hue to strengthen the green tint.
Paint the big leaf in front by using a brushstroke that tapers off at the edges. To do this, start the stroke with your brush tip, apply pressure to make the stroke wider in the middle, then ease off the pressure at the end. Add the other half of the leaf in the same manner, and remember to leave a line of white space in the middle to indicate the center of the leaf.
For smaller leaves, you only need to use the tapered edges brushstroke once. Don’t forget to join the leaves to the stems via the wet-on-dry technique.
And there you have it, an easy watercolor flower painting created with a simple, makeshift tool!
If you want to see Jay demonstrate this beginner technique, here’s his tutorial video: