> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://cecilieo.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Watercolor Pencil Tutorial: A Fresh, Beautiful Flower - URL: https://cecilieo.com/watercolor-pencil-tutorial-a-beautiful-flower/ - Published: 2022-08-04T21:24:24.000Z - Updated: 2024-07-22T07:46:17.000Z - Description: In this watercolor pencil tutorial, you will learn some techniques. Practice and experiment with how colors that are activated with water behave. - Author: Cecilie Okada - Tags: Flowers, #wordpress, #Import 2024-04-18 19:07 Estimated reading time: 5 minutes Mastering watercolor pencil techniques is all about practice. In this watercolor pencil tutorial, you will learn how. It is helpful to experiment with how the colors work with water. The pigments in each pencil differ. Some are dense with pigment, and some are less so. It is not about the pencil brand but rather the attributes of the pigments for each color. ## The “Miner’s Lettuce” flower I discovered this sublime photo of a Virginia Spring Beauty some time ago. The colors look like candy, and the flower displays a serene vitality that attracted me. I was not sure how to paint it. Until I remembered that [stripy flowers](https://cecilieo.com/art-with-watercolor-pencils-orchid-tutorial/) do well with watercolor pencils. ![Reference photo for the watercolor pencil tutorial. "Miner's Lettuce " flower or Virginia Spring Beauty.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/90/28/902889ae-a25f-49d4-9270-dcc363f404b7/content/images/wordpress/2022/06/1_virginia_spring_beauty_watercolor_tutorial_cecilieo.jpg) Photo: [John Munt](https://www.flickr.com/photos/161643692@N05/47743912081/in/gallery-161188202@N02-72157718001233128/?ref=cecilieo.com) via Flickr/Creative Commons I don’t remember ever encountering Virginia Spring Beauty. But if you live in the northeastern US, you may have seen plenty of it in the spring. In the old goldrush days in Virginia, miners ate it to fend off scurvy. The whole plant is rich in vitamin C and other nutrients. Flowers, leaves, stems, and roots are nutritious additions to your diet, both as a salad or cooked. ## Drawing an outline of the Virginia Spring Beauty The main challenge with this photo is that the contrast between the white stamen and petals is unclear. Let’s have a go. Drawing the flower is not hard. Focus on getting the proportions right. Members of the [One Tree Art Club | Creative](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cecilieokada?ref=cecilieo.com) can download a PDF of my outline. [Trace onto your watercolor paper.](https://cecilieo.com/how-to-trace-onto-watercolor-paper/) ![Loose sketch of the flower.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/90/28/902889ae-a25f-49d4-9270-dcc363f404b7/content/images/wordpress/2022/06/2_virginia_spring_beauty_watercolor_tutorial_cecilieo.jpg) The [free One Tree Art Club library ](https://newsletter.cecilieo.com/one-tree-art-club?ref=cecilieo.com)has multiple outlines for my watercolor tutorials. (Members: Check your newsletter for details). I traced my drawing using a low-cost [LED light tracing pad](https://cecilieo.com/guide-to-art-supplies/#led-light-tracing-pad). ![Tracing my loose sketch with a clean outline. Using a LED light tracing pad.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/90/28/902889ae-a25f-49d4-9270-dcc363f404b7/content/images/wordpress/2022/06/3_virginia_spring_beauty_watercolor_tutorial_cecilieo.jpg) ## Watercolor pencils tutorial step by step Before commencing, I selected a few relevant colors. ![Selection of watercolor pencils I am going to use for the flower.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/90/28/902889ae-a25f-49d4-9270-dcc363f404b7/content/images/wordpress/2022/06/4_virginia_spring_beauty_watercolor_tutorial_cecilieo.jpg) Start with the easy part, and draw the pink veins on the petals. ![First, drawing the veiens on the petals.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/90/28/902889ae-a25f-49d4-9270-dcc363f404b7/content/images/wordpress/2022/06/5_virginia_spring_beauty_watercolor_tutorial_cecilieo.jpg) Reinforce where the lines are thick and leave the thinner parts faint. ![Enhancing the pink vein lines.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/90/28/902889ae-a25f-49d4-9270-dcc363f404b7/content/images/wordpress/2022/06/6_virginia_spring_beauty_watercolor_tutorial_cecilieo.jpg) Draw the yellow and green sections of the flower and the pink stamen heads. ![Adding the other colors before activating the watercolor pencils with water.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/90/28/902889ae-a25f-49d4-9270-dcc363f404b7/content/images/wordpress/2022/06/7_virginia_spring_beauty_watercolor_tutorial_cecilieo.jpg) Add light shading to the top part of the petals. ![Adding some light shading.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/90/28/902889ae-a25f-49d4-9270-dcc363f404b7/content/images/wordpress/2022/06/8_virginia_spring_beauty_watercolor_tutorial_cecilieo.jpg) Before activating the colors with water, test them out on some scrap paper. Experiment with the amount of water on your brush. As a rule, very little water is necessary. ![Activating the colored pencils with water, but testing out first on scrap paper.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/90/28/902889ae-a25f-49d4-9270-dcc363f404b7/content/images/wordpress/2022/06/9_virginia_spring_beauty_watercolor_tutorial_cecilieo.jpg) All the colors have been activated. Next, paint the white stems with [white gouache](https://cecilieo.com/guide-to-art-supplies/#white-gouache-paint). Also, the white parts of the petals. But be careful to leave the pink gradients intact. Paint with very gentle brush strokes. ![Painting the white stamens with gouache, and enhancing the white parts of the petals.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/90/28/902889ae-a25f-49d4-9270-dcc363f404b7/content/images/wordpress/2022/06/10_virginia_spring_beauty_watercolor_tutorial_cecilieo.jpg) The center of the flower is a deep indent. When your picture is dry, draw with a darker green for depth. At this stage, do not activate with water. Draw outlines with a sharp, dark brown pencil first. I used some regular colored pencils too for details. [![Download free line art & more](https://storage.ghost.io/c/90/28/902889ae-a25f-49d4-9270-dcc363f404b7/content/images/wordpress/2020/08/free-download-graphic.png)](https://newsletter.cecilieo.com/one-tree-art-club?ref=cecilieo.com) ![Drawing the center of the flower and adding details with regular colored pencils.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/90/28/902889ae-a25f-49d4-9270-dcc363f404b7/content/images/wordpress/2022/06/11_virginia_spring_beauty_watercolor_tutorial_cecilieo.jpg) Activate the dark green at the center and add your finishing touches. The [watercolor pencil](https://cecilieo.com/guide-to-art-supplies/#watercolor-pencils) tutorial is complete. Except I forgot to include the brown stem, but that is easy. ![The Virginia Spring Beauty watercolor pencil tutorial is complete.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/90/28/902889ae-a25f-49d4-9270-dcc363f404b7/content/images/wordpress/2022/06/12b_virginia_spring_beauty_watercolor_tutorial_cecilieo.jpg) Happy drawing and painting to you! - [Create Art With Watercolor Pencils: Orchid Tutorial](https://cecilieo.com/art-with-watercolor-pencils-orchid-tutorial/) - [Hands-on: How to Use Watercolor Pencils](https://cecilieo.com/how-to-use-watercolor-pencils/) - [How to Watercolor an Iconic Spring Flower](https://cecilieo.com/how-to-watercolor-an-iconic-spring-flower/) - [What is Mindfulness Through Art?](https://cecilieo.com/what-is-mindfulness-through-art/) - [Watercolor Spring Flower Tutorial: Snow Drop](https://cecilieo.com/watercolor-spring-flower-tutorial-snow-drop/) For the art materials needed for this tutorial, visit my [Guide to Art Supplies](https://cecilieo.com/guide-to-art-supplies/).