Watercolor Botanicals: Learn to Paint Your Favorite Plants and Florals

33 East 17th Street

New York, NY 10003

LARK CRAFTS and the distinctive Lark logo are registered trademarks of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

Text and illustrations © 2020 Eunice Sun

Cover and photographs © 2020 Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

Photographs on pages 14 and 34 were created by and supplied by author.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission from the publisher.

ISBN 978-1-4547-1105-6

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Cover and interior design by Gina Bonanno

Photography by Christopher Bain

Interior Background Elements: Lyubov Tolstova/Shutterstock, And Akvaartist/Shutterstock, Callie Hegstrom/DesignCuts

CONTENTS

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Tools & Materials

Preparing to Paint

Watercolor Basics

Day 1: Color Theory

Day 2: Painting Techniques

Day 3: Layers & Details

Leaves

Day 4: Lemon Leaf

Day 5: Olive Leaf

Day 6: Silver Dollar Eucalyptus Leaf

Day 7: Ginkgo Biloba Leaf

Day 8: Fern

Day 9: Leaf Pattern

Flowers

Day 10: Rose

Day 11: Anemone

Day 12: Hypericum Berries

Day 13: Floral Arrangement

Day 14: Peony

Day 15: Ranunculus

Day 16: Craspedia Globosa (Billy Button)

Day 17: Full-Page Floral Piece

Day 18: Tulip

Day 19: Icelandic Poppy

Day 20: Gerbera Daisy

Day 21: Floral Flat Lay

Tropical Plants

Day 22: Monstera

Day 23: Bird-of-Paradise

Day 24: Fan Palm

Day 25: Caladium

Day 26: Tropical Leaf Arrangement

Desert Plants

Day 27: Prickly Pear

Day 28: Saguaro Cactus

Day 29: Echeveria

Day 30: Aloe Vera

You Did It!

Resources

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Whether you’ve never touched a paintbrush in your life or you’ve been dabbling in watercolors for a while, I’m elated to take you on a journey with my favorite medium! I hope this time you spend with me will be as transformative for you as my watercolor journey has been for me. Transformative? you might be wondering. That might not be the first word that you thought when you picked up this book that you bought from a store, found on the handy-dandy Internet, or received as a gift. But I use the word transformative because this book will help you see yourself as an artist and allow you to embrace the vulnerability that comes with trying something that takes time and practice.

I fell in love with watercolors in 2015, after taking a modern calligraphy pointed-pen workshop. I signed up for that workshop because, after eight years working full-time in marketing and sales, I felt a creative itch, a space in my brain that I wasn’t accessing. I had a desire to explore my creativity. If that sounds like you, let me offer an I feel you hug! After I took the class, I started with some terrible pointed-pen lettering and decided that I would commit myself to practicing and actually making whatever this was into something. At the time, I had zero premonitions of where this practice would lead me, but I had committed to a journey. And honestly, that’s all it takes to get started.

Eventually, I longed for more color and began playing with brush lettering and watercolors. The moment when I realized that I could blend colors with lettering changed my path forever. I then began painting things that I simply liked and was inspired by daily. Those things included flowers, plants, fashion, food, and more plants. I began developing my unique style, which falls somewhere between realistic and abstract. Those around me and my community on social media began to notice. With my passion for watercolors, I eventually began teaching watercolor workshops, designing for others, and finding more ways to share the art. The colors, the way the fibers of the paper absorb paint, and the infinite blending possibilities of watercolor lit a fire in my heart, and I’m here to light one in yours.

ONE RULE

I don’t like to follow many rules, but there is one that is nonnegotiable for ensuring that your experience with watercolor will be positive, fluid, and restorative.

Therefore, you will begin with this:

I, ________________, will not receive self-deprecating thoughts about my artistic ability. When that little annoying voice comes out, I will take a step back, take a break, and watch my favorite TV show with my preferred snack or beverage, or hug a human or animal. I will then return to my watercolors with the mind-set that learning takes time and creation takes practice. I will remind myself that I am creative, I am able, and I am on my own journey to becoming a watercolor master, pro, or wizard.

HOW THIS BOOK WORKS

In this book, I cover 30 topics that range from basic watercolor techniques to tutorials for painting many types of botanicals. I have curated a collection of 22 different flowers, leaves, and plants for you to paint, and many of these tutorials have a Botanical Bonus, which includes a lesson that teaches you how to paint a featured plant or flower from a different point of view. Some tutorials also include a project that helps you get more practice on what you learned in the tutorial, and you’ll have several combination projects that will allow you to paint different botanicals in one piece. In total, you’ll paint 44 different pieces and get to spend so much time with me! (YAY, RIGHT?)

In each tutorial, you’ll find the following:

Color swatches of the paint colors you will need, including paint combinations for when you need to mix colors

A list of the supplies you’ll need

A list of the techniques that you’ll be using

Line drawings that will allow you to visualize the shapes and forms of the object that you will paint

Step-by-step instructions and illustrations to guide you through each tutorial

THE Watercolor Botanicals 30-DAY CHALLENGE

I chose to participate in a 100-day challenge on Instagram back in 2015 when I began practicing pointed-pen calligraphy and lettering. I created a lettered quote every day for 3 months and 10 days, and posted it on my Instagram account. Even though it seemed like I only created one piece a day, the challenge encouraged me to consistently look for inspiration, sit down for at least an hour to draft, and create several versions of a piece until I created the one piece I was proud enough to share on social media. By the end of the 100 days, I developed the habit of setting time aside to give myself space to create and—in many instances—create something I had never thought I could make before. It opened my eyes to see daily inspiration everywhere I went. It also allowed me to visually document my progress. It is so valuable for you to see how much you’ve improved and how much your style changes over time. (You’ll see!)

My goal here is to provide you with a structure in which you will set aside time to learn and create for 30 days. That is why I’ve designed the tutorials so that you can complete each one in one sitting (with additional Botanical Bonus tutorials and projects if you want to go the extra mile). Simply follow along with this book and complete at least one tutorial per day for the next 30 days. Keep all of your work and look back often to see your progress. This, I hope, will lead you to always look for inspiration in your everyday life, establish creative time and space for yourself, and come out at the end with a set of new skills, confidence, and pride in what you just accomplished!

In addition to all my hopes and dreams for you, this book is your opportunity to take a step out of your comfort zone, learn something new, and commit to creating every day for 30 days. This is my personal invitation for you to join me for the 30-Day Watercolor Botanicals Challenge! Day 1 begins in the Watercolor Basics chapter (page 21)!

Make It a Social Challenge!

I’d love to invite you to join in on the 30-day #WatercolorBotanicalsChallenge on the social media platform of your choice! You can start anytime: simply complete the tutorials in this book and post a watercolor painting each day with the hashtag #WatercolorBotanicalsChallenge. Do you need to do the challenge consecutively for 30 days? I vote yes, but you can take your time to work through this book—whatever is best for you. Remember, completing a tutorial every day encourages you to develop a creative practice and build your skills. Bringing your challenge to social media will hold you accountable, showcase your work, inspire your friends, and most importantly, plug yourself into the online art community!

Make sure to look through the hashtag to connect with others on their journey, root for each other, and have fun! I guarantee that once you’re done with the 30 days, you’re going to be surprised, exhilarated, and proud to see how far you’ve come. You can also follow me on my social media accounts to check for updates and additional challenges that we can complete together.

You’re going to need some things before you start tackling the tutorials in this book. I’m giving you permission to get your shopping on, or, for some of us, a nudge to get out your storage bin(s) of hoarded art materials. There are lots of types and brands to choose from when it comes to paints, brushes, and paper, but I assure you that you won’t need much to get started. This section will cover all the tools you’ll need to paint through this book, some optional ones that might be helpful to have on hand, and some items that you can invest in later during your watercolor endeavors.

If you’ve ever done a quick online search of watercolor tools or glanced at what is available at your neighborhood craft or art supply store, you’ve noticed that generally paints, brushes, and papers are labeled as artist grade or professional grade and student grade. My advice is to start with the higher quality student-grade tools and materials, then work your way up to artist-grade supplies when you want to invest more time into watercolor painting.

PAINTS

Watercolor paints consist of powdered pigments mixed with a vehicle, which is the oily liquid contained in the paint. The vehicle is made of several ingredients, including a binder such as gum arabic; additives such as humectants and plasticizers, which keep the paint from hardening; preservatives to prevent mold; and, of course, water. The pigment is suspended in the vehicle so that you can then use a brush to apply the mixture to paper where it will dry and become your final piece. Watercolor paints come in three different forms: tube, pan, and liquid. Their forms define how they are activated or how they are mixed with water to make them ready for use. Depending on the form that you pick, you’ll need a different amount of time, effort, and water to prepare your paints for use. Each form has different features and benefits. When shopping, feel free to choose materials that work for you and your budget. I personally utilize all forms of watercolors listed below, but I use tube watercolors the most. No matter what type of watercolors you select, I recommend purchasing a set with at least 12 colors, or even better, 24 colors.

Tube watercolors (A) typically come in metal or plastic tubes and have a paste-like consistency. Tube watercolors are vibrant and only need a little water for activation after you squeeze them out of the tube—about one brush full. Once dry, you can easily reactivate these paints with water; when you’re done painting, you can simply let your paints