Sunflowers are always a beautiful subject to paint. If it's spring, you might be inspired by the local wild sunflowers that you see around you, and if it's coming into the colder months, you might beat the Winter blues by painting a flower that's reminiscent of sunnier days.
Painting with watercolours is a wonderful way to unwind from a hectic day at work or as a mindful activity when you need to relax and take a moment for yourself.
In this guide, we show you how to paint a bright and lively sunflower with the Zieler watercolour paints and brushes:
Start by lightly sketching out your sunflower with a pencil, then gradually add in the colours following the instructions below.
Step 1
The first step is to dilute some of the Zieler burnt umber watercolour paint with water to create the middle of the flower. You should work outwards and add water as you go which will allow for a lighter colour on the outside edge. Next, you paint a rough circle with the darkest colour in the middle.
Tip: Start with a round brush and the Zieler gamboge yellow for the sunflower petals.
Step 2
Dilute some olive green to a very light shade with water to create the first lighter layer of the stem and leaves. Make sure you let this layer dry before adding a second layer of olive green (diluted) to create the darker area of the leaves.
Next, mix some Zieler Indian yellow and gamboge yellow together to create the colour for the second layer of sunflower petals.
Once you've added this second layer, you can move on to the darker outer edge of the sunflower. Use burnt sienna to add this darker ring of colour to the outer edge of the middle of the sunflower.
We can then add a touch of phthalo green to where the leaves fold over and where there are darker shadows. Once this dries, add olive green to the darker areas. This created some depth and will give the leaves a 3D nature.
Step 3
Next, with cadmium orange and a Zieler size 0 round watercolour brush, focus on adding intricate details to the petals by creating fine lines that show the direction they fall in.
Bringing your focus back to the centre of the sunflower, nix raw sienna and burnt sienna to add more tone to this centre circle. You can then use more of the burnt sienna to add some darker shading to the flower petals.
Finally, use a touch more olive green to add another layer of paint to the stem and leaves. This will help define the darkest areas of the stem but will also add some veins on the leaves.
Step 4
To create your background, mix two watercolour paints - phthalo green and white - to create a turquoise colour. Make sure to dilute the paint with water and to keep the darker areas at edges and lighter tones near flower and leaves.
Step 5
Hang up your new watercolour masterpiece where everyone can see it!
