Watercolour Wreath Tutorial | Blog Post by Connie

Who thinks June box was a bomb? I was so excited to see one of the favourite thing was in this box.  As many of you know, watercolours dominate a big part of my life, I paint with them, I study them, I make them, I can’t go anywhere without them! So, I was totally over the moon when I saw some new sumi- based colours in the box ☺ And I know I must share some painting tips with you in this post.

I am going to share with you a tutorial on how to create what seeming a complicated elaborate wreath using watercolour in a few simple steps. You can view the video below to guide you through the process. The tools and materials I used in creating my wreath are from the June box but here is a list: 

What you will need:

• A roll of washi tape ( or any circular shape to trace the shape)
• A mechanical pencil
• A water brush
• Watercolours  pallete
• Watercolour paper or journal (or any paper you like to paint on!)

Yes, that’s all you will need to start this project. Here we go

1. Place the tape on the paper in the position you want the wreath to be.  Trace around it with the pencil.  I used the coloured mechanical pencil came in the June box which is handy as the marks (it’s blue!) it makes blend into the wreath perfectly!
2. Now it’s time to start the wreath. Gently stroke the pallet with the water brush until the brush is fully filled with colour.
3. Start on one side of the circle. Use the tip of the brush to draw line of the stem (about ½ to 1cm) .        
4. Then you press down on your brush to have it fully in contact with the paper surface to create the body of the leave, then gently lift the brush back to its tip to finish off the tip of the leave.  Here you go! You now have your first leave! 
5. Now paint another stem off the existing stem, keep doing it until it’s full or when you are happy with it.               
6. Repeat step 3 to 5 following around the circle until the ends meet.  I like to change the colour slightly as I go as I think it helps to create layers and add more variation and depth to the wreath. 

More Tips:

• Don’t paint directly onto the wreath first off. Make sure you test the colour on a scrap paper each time you add or change colours.

• Have a cloth or slightly damp tissue near you to clean the brush or soak up excess water on the brush. It took me a while to get use to using a water brush. It is crucial to have good control of the amount of water on the brush in order to create a neat painting. 

• Practice drawing the leaves a few times before you start. Don’t over think or control the brush, relax let the brush do its job!

• Don’t overfill your wreath! You can always go back to add more later on. It is often nice to have a slightly empty side to give the wreath a sense of airiness.

• Don’t freak out if you make a mistake! Dab the spot with a dry tissue. Brush water onto the spot with clean water, dab it with tissue again. Let the area dry out. Once it’s dry, cover the spot up with a new leave ☺

• Explore different colour combo and materials to create more variation!!!!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and will have lots of fun painting wreaths for your friends, family, penpals or yourselves X 

We would love to see some of your creation,  show us by #thestationeryselection ☺

See you next time x

Connie @pepperconarts

Etsy shop: Peppercon