https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/watercolor-succulent-tutorial • Posted by Drishti D.
We all love creating representations of various elements of nature that we see in our day to day life. Succulents are my new obsession for the only reason that they are gorgeous. But unfortunately I manage to kill a few of them from time to time. So I decided to create the watercolor version of these pretty succulents which would be the perfect indoor greenery with a handmade touch. And of course who doesn’t love to own a plant you can’t kill?
We all love creating representations of various elements of nature that we see in our day to day life. Succulents are my new obsession for the only reason that they are gorgeous. But unfortunately I manage to kill a few of them from time to time. So I decided to create the watercolor version of these pretty succulents which would be the perfect indoor greenery with a handmade touch. And of course who doesn’t love to own a plant you can’t kill?
To create SPIKEY CACTUS begin by using a pencil to trace out a a large egg shaped oval. Then stack some medium and small size ovals on top of the larger base. Ensure to reduce the size of the ovals as you proceed higher.This will serve as the outline for your cactus.
I first coated the individual oval shape with a light wash of Leaf Green pigment using a round size 6 brush and added more water and less color.
Do not wait for the colors to dry to attain maximum blending and run a second coat of Leaf Green on the ovals highlighting the corners and the outer edges.
Wait for a few minutes for the paint to completely dry, then draw pokey spikes all of your ovals with a dip pen and ink or a regular gel pen. Make sure your spikes are evenly dispersed. Add some tiny red blossoms on the outer edge of the oval leaves using a spotter brush.
Now we move onto our next cactus : ROSETTE SUCCULENT. Begin by using a pencil to trace out a circle like the one above with any circular object. You might use a compass if you wish. This will serve as the base for your rosette succulent.
Next draw a small circle at the center of larger one and start drawing leaves in concentric manner. Make sure you increase the size of the petal progressively until you reach the perimeter of the outer circle.
I first coated the individual leaf of the succulent with a light wash of Leaf Green pigment using a round size 6 brush leaving areas of white at the out edge of the leaf to be later filled in by a different color.
Fill the outer edge with a yellow line o create a crispy touch with a spotter brush.
Lets do a bit more of blending to create the light and shadow effect. I used Hooker’s Green to create the shadows around the corners and the inner edge of the leaves. Each leaf mainly consists of 3 colors: Hooker’s Green ( inner edge) + Leaf Green ( center) + Yellow( outer lining) beautifully blended.And there you go , the finished Green velvet rosette succulent !
Here’s a picture of all my cactus elements put together in a succulent wreath. Don’t they look extremely pretty and far from anything but ordinary?