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Whimsical Poppy

How to paint whimsical layered watercolour poppy

Level: Improvers

Watercolour Poppy.jpg

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These loose, translucent poppies are built up gradually in three layers. There is no need to draw the complete flower first—the petal shapes are created freely with your brush.
 

Suggested colours

Choose a lively mixture of warm, harmonious colours, such as:

  • Cadmium Yellow

  • Rose Madder or permanent rose

  • Alizarin Crimson

  • Cad Red

  • Violet or deep purple

  • Black Fineliner

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Have a few puddles of diluted colour ready before you begin.

Poppy outline

Very lightly draw only two lines:

  1. A long, gently curving line for the stem.

  2. A shallow curved line crossing the top of the stem. This marks the base of the main flower and shows the direction in which the petals will open.
     

Keep these lines faint. Do not sketch the individual petals or the full outline of the poppy.

Lightly mark the positions of the two smaller buds if helpful, but leave their shapes to be painted freely with your brush.

Layer 1 – Begin the petals

 

Start with two large petals rising from the curved flower guideline.
 

Load your brush with diluted colour and use the side of the brush to sweep out each petal from its base. Allow the brush to create the outer edge naturally rather than trying to make a perfect shape.
 

Vary the colour within each petal. Drop stronger crimson or rose into the damp base and allow it to soften upwards. Add a touch of yellow or orange near some of the outer edges.
 

Keep this first layer light and transparent, with plenty of variation from pale to strong colour.

 

Use a cocktail stick to make curved lines across the petals to help show form and direction
 

Paint the first shapes of the two buds using the same wet-in-wet approach. Keep them small and simple, with warm yellow or orange towards the top and deeper pink or red towards the base.
 

Allow this layer to dry.

Poppy Pass 3.jpg
Layer 2 – Build the flower


Add more petals, allowing them to overlap the first layer.
 

Begin each petal at the centre of the flower and sweep the brush outwards. Change the direction, width and height of each one so that the flower feels open and full of movement.


Some petals can be tall and upright, while others can curve out towards the sides. Leave small areas of the first wash showing through so the petals remain luminous.


Use stronger colour near the base of the flower and softer, more diluted colour towards the tips. Drop in touches of rose, crimson, orange or yellow while the petals are damp and allow the colours to mingle.


Add a second layer to the buds, painting slightly smaller shapes over parts of the first wash.

Keep some of the lighter colour visible.


Allow everything to dry again.

Layer 3 – Add depth and detail

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Strengthen the base of the poppy with a creamy consistency crimson mixed with a little violet or deep purple. Soften this dark colour upwards into the petals so there is no hard horizontal line.

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Deepen the shadow at the base of each bud, leaving the upper sections lighter and warmer.

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Finally, draw the stem and branches with a fineliner

Let the lines wobble, break and vary in thickness. Add a few tiny dark marks or loops along the stem for texture.
 

Remember

  • Paint the petals with your brush rather than drawing them first.

  • Let each layer dry before adding the next.

  • Begin lightly and gradually increase the strength of the colour.

  • Overlap the petals, but keep parts of the earlier washes visible.

  • Vary the petal size, colour and direction.

  • Keep the edges loose and imperfect—this is what gives the poppy its whimsical character.

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"The magic of watercolour is letting the paint move. Don’t try to control everything.”

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If you give this another go, I'd love to see it.  Please tag me on instagram @kerryslackart

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​*****  Apologies for the quality of the examples,  they were painted left handed due to a wrist fracture

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