In this blog post, we will draw and paint a gorgeous buttercup picture using watercolour. For more help, see the video at the bottom.
Drawing the Buttercup
- Starting the middle circle.
- Drawing the petals and stalk.
- Drawing the oval shape for the petals and the stalk.
- Drawing the stem of the leaf.
To start our buttercup picture, we’ll begin with the middle circle of the buttercup. Instead of laying it flat, we want it to be high enough to fit in a bud and some leaves. I will draw a circle around the middle and start with the bottom petal, bring it down, and then bring out the next petal and join it to the first one.
Don’t worry about getting it right the first time; sometimes, it takes a few tries.
After putting in each petal, I’ll draw a line all the way down to create the stalk with a slight curve, giving the impression of the flower blowing in the wind.
Now, I’ll rub out the initial circle and draw an oval shape with curves coming upwards to create the petals. Then, I’ll draw the stalk where the leaves and bud are going to be attached, and connect it to the petals.
For the third step, I’ll draw the leaf stem behind the middle and bud stems, then create the leaf sections using lines going up. Paying attention to the negative shapes on the guide sheet will make drawing this leaf much easier.
I’ll continue by adding sections to create the final leaf and explain the drawing processes.
Finally, I will use watercolour pencils and show you what colours to use, but if you don’t have them, keep watching so you can see where they need to go.
Colouring the Buttercup
- Outlining and marking the petals.
- Using watercolour pencils for petals and buds.
- Adding details to the leaves.
- Using a paintbrush to blend the colours.
I’m going to start with my orange watercolour pencils.
I will outline and mark the petals that are already there. Buttercups are yellow, so I will use cadmium yellow to fill them in, ensuring they have a clear orange outline. Then, I will colour them in with lots of pigment, but not right to the edge.
When I add the paintbrush, the pencil marks will disappear. I’ll start with each petal, adding a prominent yellow colour with bits of orange to make it more interesting.
Then, I’ll do the same with my little buds, outlining my lines and filling them in with yellow. After that, I’ll use two shades of green to outline and colour the leaves, including the lines we put in earlier.
I will use one green here and the other shade of green on the stem. I’m trying not to touch the bud too much because it is still a little bit wet. Then, I will take my big brush, make sure it’s not too wet, and colour it.
When we add the water, we don’t want to lose all those nice marks we made at the start, so keep looking at where your marks were so that you’ve still got those little curves and bumps coming out of the leaf.
I’m going to colour in the middle parts and then go into the curves to make sure I still have them, and finally, the little bud. I will try it carefully to ensure the paint between those two bits does not run because it is not entirely dry.
Then, I will move on to the middle part of the flower, using orange and a lighter green, which is this green here.
Now that it is dry, I’m using the orange to put a few little bits in the middle of each petal. Just like that!
Then, I will go around each of those curves we made like that. I’m not going to colour them in, but I will put a bit of green in the middle and some green lines coming out on the petals just like that. Then I will turn these little orange bits into paint and then put a tiny bit of paint on the green.
And that is our finished buttercup picture.
I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! Remember to send us your pictures on social media. We love to see them!
We hope you enjoyed our ‘Draw and Paint a Buttercup’ blog post and video.
Our Online Art Course
If you’d like to learn to draw and paint following a structured and progressive art course, look at our Drawing and Painting Course at the Little Art School. Our online art course allows you to work independently and at your own pace.
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