Painting Tutorial: Citrus Illustration

Another 1-min video tutorial today! I absolutely love painting fruit—especially citrus and I think you’ll find these oranges a lot of fun to paint. I hope you give it a try!

SUPPLIES

• Orange and Green Watercolor Paint

• 140 lb Bee Paper, Cold Pressed

• Simply Simmons Round Brush, Size 8

• Cup of water

• Paper towel

STEP-BY-STEP

• Fill your brush with paint and water (but make sure it’s not dripping wet)

• Place the tip of the brush on the paper and apply pressure as you make the shape of a “c” (often called a comma stroke)

• Add another comma stroke opposite the first and don’t quite join them at the top

• Fill in the area with paint

• Add a stem using just the tip of your brush

• Add a leaf by joining two slight comma curves together and filling them in

Painting Tutorial: Watercolor Leaves

I learned to paint with watercolor thanks to the internet and lots of practice. I’m grateful for the artists who shared their talent and knowledge online because it allowed me to discover this creative outlet that’s made my life more fun.

If you want to get started with watercolor, here’s a quick 1-min video that will hopefully encourage you to give it a try. Step-by-step instructions are listed below. Let’s paint leaves!

SUPPLIES

• Green Watercolor Paint
  - Winsor & Newton Cotman Sap Green
  - Winsor & Newton Cotman Hookers Green
  - Van Gogh Permanent Yellow Green

• 140 lb Bee Paper, Cold Pressed

• Simply Simmons Round Brush, Size 8

• Cup of water

• Paper towel

STEP-BY-STEP

• Fill your brush with paint and water (but make sure it’s not dripping wet)

• Start by placing the tip of the brush on the paper and apply pressure (press down) as you move the brush upward into a slight c-curve (often called a comma stroke), and lift the brush to finish

• Do the same thing on the opposite side to make the other side of the leaf

• Add a stem using the tip of your brush

• Practice, practice, practice

• And have fun!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

June Tech Wallpaper Download

The June wallpaper download is here!

This spring-into-summer watercolor floral pattern is my choice for June's tech wallpaper. I painted each of these elements individually and laid them out in Illustrator to make this pattern which is always lots of fun and rewarding. It never ceases to amaze me how much you can do with Photoshop and Illustrator. This pattern is an example of that and it makes me happy. I hope it brings a smile to you this month! Download below.

Free Download: Watercolor Floral Place Cards

Here's a set of floral place cards...just in time for your Easter brunch!

These cards can be used for lots of things: assigning seats at a table, labeling food, labeling gifts, or providing direction to guests. They'll add a pop of color and fun wherever you use them. Happy celebrating!

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Free Download: Watercolor Florals Tech Download

A sweet springy floral tech calendar is available for download! Options for your desktop, iPad and iPhone are available HERE. Enjoy!

Free Download: 2017 Printable Calendar

This year's printable calendar style is a little different than in the past because it's created from my floral painting sketches and lettering. I had fun putting it together for you and I hope it makes you smile throughout the year. Download below and enjoy!