How To Draw Watercolor Flowers in Procreate

So, here’s a little confession: I used to get utterly overwhelmed every time I opened Procreate to paint flowers. I mean, where do you even begin with all those colors and shapes, right? 

But, after countless cups of coffee and a few happy accidents, I’ve mastered the art of digital watercolor florals. 

Now, I’m super excited to share my tips with you! Together, we’re going to transform our iPads into a blooming field of watercolor flowers. Ready to make your canvas blossom? Let’s get started!

Step-by-Step Guide to Drawing Watercolor Flowers in Procreate:

Without further ado let’s jump to the process of watercolor flower drawing.

Draw a Sketch

Begin by lightly sketching the basic shapes of your flowers. Keep it loose and organic; no need for perfection here.

Use a pencil brush from the ‘Sketching’ category for a natural feel.

Sketching

Choose Your Color Palette

Select a range of colors for your flowers. Think about the mood you want to create – soft pastels for a gentle look or bold hues for a statement piece.

Use Procreate’s palette tool to keep your colors organized. For creating this palette, understanding how to create watercolor paper in Procreate can add an authentic touch to your artwork.

Colour Palette

Lay Down the Base Colors

Choose a watercolor brush from the ‘Airbrushing’ category to lay down the base colors of your flowers.

Remember, watercolor is all about layers. Start with lighter tones and build up to the darker ones.

Choosing a watercolour brush

Adding Details and Depth

Switch to a smaller brush to add details like petal veins and texture. Here, knowing how to make a realistic watercolor brush in Procreate can elevate your floral designs.

Use a slightly darker shade than your base color to give depth and dimension to your flowers.

How To Draw Watercolor Flowers in Procreate

Blend for a Realistic Effect

With a watercolor brush selected in the Smudge tool, gently blend your colors to achieve the soft, fluid look of watercolor. Blending techniques can be perfected with guidance on how to paint watercolor in Procreate on iPad.

Don’t overdo it; the beauty of watercolor lies in its subtlety and variations.

Smudge tool

Incorporate Background and Shadows

Add a light wash of color as the background to make your flowers pop.

Use a darker tone to add shadows beneath the flowers, grounding them in the composition.

Adding light colour

Final Touches and Adjustments

Add final highlights and refine any details that need a bit more attention.

Play with the layer opacity to get the perfect balance between your colors and textures.

Adding final highlights

Final Words:

“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.” – Henry Ward Beecher. Let your flowers be a reflection of your artistic spirit, painted with the colors of your imagination. Happy painting!

Author Image
Jana is an illustrator. She studied at ISIA U, the Institute for Graphic Design in Urbino, Italy. She works in both traditional and digital techniques, and she loves illustration as a way of expression. She also has frame-by-frame animation skills, and I am familiar with programs such as Procreate, Photoshop, Adobe Indesign, After Effects, and DaVinci Resolve.

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