How to: Paint a Floral Wreath
Floral wreaths are everywhere these days. They make great wedding invitations, cards, and logos. Wreaths might look complicated, but they're actually quite simple to paint. Instead of paying an illustrator to create one for you, try painting one yourself.
For this tutorial you will need:
- Archer and Olive Sketchbook
- Pencil
- Eraser
- Paint (I use Windsor and Newton gouache)
- Thin, round paintbrush (I use "Royal Majestic 2")
- You may want a round object, to create a circle
Step 1.
With a pencil, draw a circle in your sketchbook. This absolutely does not have to be perfect. I'm using a roll of tape to get the shape I want.
Step 2.
Draw lines of varying lengths and angles extending outward from the circle. The angle of these lines should follow the path of the circle and flow same direction. Mine are all going clockwise.
Step 3.
Begin to draw your flowers. Choose three types of flowers you want to paint. One should be large, one should be medium, and one should be small. Variety adds interest to your piece. In my example, I've chosen buds as the "medium" floral element. You do not need to (and probably shouldn't) put a flower at the end of each line. Leave some blank for greenery.
Step 4.
Fill in the greenery. Again - choose one large, one medium, and one small leaf. As you begin to draw the leaves notice they will (or should) overlap the original circle. Feel free to draw extra branches or flowers in areas where your wreath looks thin. Berries make a great filler if you need an additional element.
Step 5.
Begin to paint the leaves. When choosing a color palette it's best to have one light, one medium, and one dark shade. Start by painting with your lightest color.
Step 6.
Continue filling in the wreath. As you add color, notice areas that are lacking. Fill those areas in with more leaves, flowers, or berries.
Step 7.
Erase your pencil lines, and add in details (such as lines on the leaf, or pollen in the flower).
If your wreath isn't as perfect as you'd like, practice, practice and practice again.
What do you think? Share your thoughts and progress with us in the comments.
1 comment
This is absolutely beautiful, I haven’t completely finished mine yet however, your steps sure make it easier, especially since I’m really bad with art