How to Paint Easy Modern Florals Using Gouache
Have you ever wanted to add easy gouache florals to your journal spreads, but weren’t sure where to start? Painting decorative florals doesn’t have to be complicated. It is all about breaking down complex designs into simple shapes you can combine in virtually endless ways.
Painting Modern Gouache Florals the Easy Way
Hey friends! D. Michele Perry here from The Wonder Habit™ Substack & Instagram.
Painting florals can be so much simpler than you might expect. Complex floral patterns can seem intimidating, especially when you are just starting out.
But the trick is to learn to break those florals down into a few core elements. If you can write your name, you can learn to paint these flowers.
Together, we will cover 9 basic shapes that will let you create a garden of flowers in your journal or sketchbook. You can use these shapes with markers, pencils, watercolors, gouache, or acrylics.
For our purposes, I’m going to be creating in designer’s gouache. Designer's gouache is basically opaque watercolor. This allows you to layer and create some truly beautiful effects.
Gouache works like magic in Archer and Olive’s notebooks. The heavy, smooth paper is perfect for creating with this medium.
I can’t wait to show you how to use a few strokes to make a floral oasis appear on your pages.
The Supplies
Here are the supplies we will be using today. (You can use my code DMP to get a discount on any of the supplies you pick up from Archer and Olive.)
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Archer and Olive Dot Grid Notebooks: I’m using an 8x8 square notebook in this project.
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Pencil
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Gouache paint
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Small round paintbrush, synthetic bristle sized 1 or smaller
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Water
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Paper towel or rag
In our companion video, I walk you through each shape step by step.
Oh My Gouache, Let’s Talk Basics
In case you are unfamiliar with gouache, allow me to introduce you.
There are two kinds of gouache. The first is traditional gouache. It is water-soluble, which means when the gouache dries on your palette, it can be re-wet like watercolor. It can also be thinned out and made more transparent by adding water.
The second kind of gouache is Acrylic Gouache. This gouache is also delightful, but it is not water-soluble. It is basically a smooth, very matte version of acrylic paint. When this kind of gouache dries, it cannot be reactivated by water. It is permanent.
In this tutorial, I am using an artist’s grade traditional gouache, but there are many more budget friendly gouache choices you can find online marketplaces. One of the most popular beginner brands is Himi Jelly Gouache, so named for its consistency and because it comes in what looks like jelly cups.
In addition to the companion video, I’ve made you a free downloadable printable reference of the 9 shapes we are going to cover along with some reference floral examples.
Let’s Learn Our 9 Floral Shapes
I like to think of these as a flower building blocks.
SHAPE 1: The S-Curve
This shape is perfect for creating stems and ferns. I use it often for the base of floral patterns.
SHAPE 2: Quotes
This shape is great for accents in patterns.
SHAPE 3: The Compound Stroke
The compound stroke is the base of most leaves. It is formed by one two strokes almost touching but with space in between as pictured in the image below. 
SHAPES 4-5: Circles and Dots
Circles are great for abstract simple flowers. Dots are perfect for the centers of flowers and creating florals like lavender or Russian sage that have tiny petals in clusters. Dots are also great accents for pattern making.
SHAPE 6: Small Lines
Small lines can be used to depict pine boughs. They can also be used for certain kinds of fern. If you use small lines around a center, they can be used for aster-like petals.
SHAPE 7: Tear Drops
Tear drops are great for certain petals, water drops, and decorative elements.
SHAPE 8: The Simple Petal
This is the basic petal we associate with flowers like daisies, forget-me-nots, and a myriad of flowers in the aster family. Some petals are skinny and thin, others more round and wide, but the basic shape is very similar.
SHAPE 9: The C-Curve
Different sizes of C shaped strokes can be arranged together to form the petals of flowers like roses and ranunculus. 
In addition to creating real-to-life flowers, these shapes can be used to create abstract and semi-abstract floral patterns and arrangements.
Repeating simple shapes and watching the pattern build can be a wonderful way to wind down with a practice that is as meditative as it is creative.
I’d love to see what you create! If you follow this tutorial and share your paintings or sketches on Instagram, please tag me #dmicheleperry.