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Beginner's

How to paint an olive branch

Green and black watercolour olive illustration.jpg

 

 

Materials:
 

  • Watercolour paper (cold press is ideal), 300gsm

  • Round brush (size 8–10 works well)

  • Cocktail stick

  • Pencil & eraser

  • Watercolours:
    Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Red, Yellow, Sap Green, Purple

  • Water jar & kitchen roll
     

🖌 Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Light Pencil Sketch

Start with a very light sketch – just enough to guide you.

  • Draw a gently curved stem

  • Add simple leaf centre lines

  • Sketch in the olives as small ovals or circles clustered near the stem
     

Keep everything loose and minimal – the pencil should barely be visible.

2. Mix your leaf greens

Before painting, mix a few soft, natural greens:

  • Sap Green + Yellow → warm olive green

  • Sap Green + Ultramarine Blue → cooler, muted green

  • Add a tiny touch of Cad Red to any mix if it feels too bright – this helps desaturate it
     

These early leaves should sit quietly in the background.

3. Paint the background leaves, desaturated

Using plenty of water, paint the first layer of leaves.
 

One / Two Stroke Leaf Method

  1. Load your brush with watery paint

  2. Place the brush at the base of the leaf

  3. Press, then pull up and lift to form one side

  4. Repeat for the other side – meeting at the tip

  5. While the leaves are just damp (not wet), gently scratch a line down the centre of each leaf using a cocktail stick

This lifts paint and creates a delicate vein

Use sparingly – a few well-placed veins look more convincing than lots.

Don’t overwork them. Let edges be soft and uneven – this keeps them fresh and natural.

Paint only some of the leaves at this stage, leaving others white for later.

Let this layer dry.
 

 

 

4. Paint the Olives

  • Now bring the focus to the olives.

Green Olives

  • Mix Yellow + Sap Green

  • Drop in a touch of Ultramarine on one side for shadow

  • Leave a small white highlight to suggest shine
     

Dark Purple Olives

  • Use Purple with a hint of Ultramarine

  • If they feel too strong, soften with a touch of water or a tiny bit of yellow to neutralise

Let the olives dry fully before moving on.
 

5.  Paint the darker foreground leaves

  • Now mix deeper greens for contrast:

  • Sap Green + Ultramarine Blue

  • Add a touch of Purple for richness if needed

  • Using the same one / two stroke method, paint a few leaves over the top of the earlier ones.

    These darker leaves create depth and help the olives stand out.
     

6. Final Touches

  • Strengthen shadows where leaves overlap olives

  • Add a slightly darker line to parts of the stem

  • Step back and stop early – freshness is the goal

 

🧠 Top Tips for Enjoying the Process:

  • Fewer leaves often look better than lots

  • Uneven colour = character

  • If something goes wrong, leave it – watercolour loves confidence
     

💬 Final Thoughts

This exercise is as much about how it feels as how it looks. It’s a gentle, mindful way to explore colour, loosen up, and play. There’s no right or wrong — just colourful experimentation.

Watercolour Brush Practice Strokes for l
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