I sometimes like to revisit a subject I already painted and work on it with a different medium. This time I did a different version of a flower painting I had done a few years ago with acrylics and pastels, I wanted a softer version of the flowers and perhaps adding some designs in the background. So I though about drawing some zentangle patterns on top of the watercolor painting.

Green Mums,
Acrylic and mixed media- previous version

You might also be interested in :Green Mums, acrylic and mixed media flower painting tutorial

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Here is a step by step tutorial showing the steps I took to paint this Watercolor and Zentangles flower painting.
Material list:

• Hot press Arches paper 140 lb, stretched on a foam board
• Watercolor paints: Cadmium Lemon Yellow, Permanent Red, Burnt Sienna, Purple, Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Blue, Payne’s grey.
• Brushes
• Alcohol
• Bright blue colored pencil

I started by a rough outline of the flowers and did prepare a mix for the background with Lemon yellow and Ultramarine blue and Permanent Red in a tiny bit of water. I then added alcohol instead of water to dilute this wash.

Painting with alcohol instead of water will make the wash dry faster and form interesting textures.

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Painting the watercolor flowers

I also want to experiment with granulating medium and am adding it to the paint I will use for the stems. It also adds a nice textural effect.

Here I painted all the stems.

Then I start working on the background flowers, painting them wet into wet so the edges are not too defined. I want only the two front flowers to have more defined edges.

I am a Blick Art Materials affiliate and I receive a small compensation for sales. That does not effect in any way the cost of the purchaser’s order but it helps me keeping the content of this blog free.

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I am also painting the flower on the upper left side, using techniques of wet into wet painting and glazing.

Here the background flowers are painted and I did lay a very light green wash on the three flowers left.

When painting the two main flowers, I am trying to describe more detailed shapes, by layering watercolor washes dry on wet. That way I can paint more precisely as painting dry on wet with watercolor will allow you to have more control on your wash edges.

Working on the watercolor background:

I am painting the flowers, using techniques of painting wet into wet, wet on dry and glazing.

Then I want to tone down a bit the yellow of the background and have it a bit more greyish. So I am going to paint another wash diluted in alcohol, using the same mix of yellow, ultramarine blue and permanent red, but this time I am using more blue and red.

Adding another layer to the background.

I want to add a few specks of Cobalt blue.

So I am splashing a mix of Cobalt blue in water, using a dropper.

Then I am spraying a bit of water in some areas, using a spray bottle.

I find it fun to move the paint with my fingers sometimes 🙂

Adding zentangles to the watercolor flower painting:

I am then drawing a few pencil lines to outline an area where I want to add a few zentangles.

Then I am starting to draw zentangle flowers using a bright blue colored pencil.

I am drawing simple Flower designs., directly with the blue colored pencil on the watercolor paper.

I am staying more or less in between the lines I previously drawn with graphite.

The finished painting: Green Mums, watercolor flowers with zentangles on paper