5 tips to paint a flower as a total beginner

Everyone is a beginner to start with and there’s no shame in having no idea how to get started, here’s your first nudge to give painting a try and put paint to paper.

1) Go for it, don't worry about having the right equipment just try with what you've got if you want to dip your toe in. Fancy paper and brushes are lovely and some have benefits but they’re not necessary at the very very beginning. I used my kids paints and printer paper for my first trials and then got online and found some watercolour paper and brushes when I realised I loved it.

2) Choose colours that you love because it'll make you happy to paint with them. I love rich colours, jewel tones, transparent dark blues and bright yellows. I feel like the colours and brush strokes sooth my brain and make me calmer and happier. Enjoy finding out which colours have this affect on you and use them lots!

3) Try using the brush in different ways to create different types of flowers. For example you can make petal shapes in big sweeping motions to create each half of the petal or just one sweep for a thin daisy petal or just using the side profile of the brush like a stamp to create a print effect. Different shaped brushes will give you different effects and youll discover your favourites the more you play.

4) If you have gone more abstract or don't feel your flower looks like a flower yet then when you paint is dry you can use a waterproof pen to outline or draw loosely over. Try copying a picture or tracing something from a magazine and colouring in with paint if you prefer that.

5) Enjoy, keep going, try different colours, don't stop at one fill the page and create a field or a huge bunch of flowers! There are endless combinations of shapes and colours and the more different ones you try on that first page the more likely you are to find a few you want to do again on your second page!

You really can get started with any cheap paint and paper but it will be easier and you’ll get nicer results once you upgrade a bit. There’s so much advice out there on what you can buy and I’m always happy to be messaged on social media or via this webpage to give a few suggestions. Follow the steps above, and add yourself to my mailing list to see when the next blog posts come out with how to paint lots of different flowers in a really relaxed and colourful way.

I’d love if you wanted to share this blog with anyone who is considering starting out, and if you like relaxed and colourful art maybe take a look in the Badibidu shop to look for inspiration!