Digital art tutorial - How to paint a flower step by step

Did you know my name (Floortje) stems from the name Flora, the goddess of flowers? So it was about time to make a tutorial on how to draw flowers! In this digital art tutorial I'll be showing you how to paint a flower using digital painting software and (preferably) a drawing tablet.

STEP 1 - Make a sketch

The first step is of course to make a sketch! Keep it nice and loose. I first made a rough sketch and then lowered the opacity of that layer, next I made a new layer on top to make a more tidy sketch.

STEP 2 -Base colors

The next step is to lay down the base colors of the flower. You can do this on a layer beneath the sketch layer. You can keep this a bit messy.

STEP 3 - Blending colors and add shading

It's time to define the shape a bit more by adding shadows and highlights, make the surface smoother by blending with a soft round brush. Try to 'sculpt' the shape of the flower. Start refining the edges a bit.

STEP 4 - Adding details and waterdrops!

This is the part where the flower really 'comes to life'. You can keep adding details until you're satisfied. I made the waterdrops by first drawing the outline of the drops with a dark tone, then I added the drop shadow. Using a real bright color I added the shiny highlights and with a bright yellow I painted the light on the petal itself. If you study the waterdrops you can see there is light hitting the surface of the drop and light going through the drop and hitting the orange/yellow petals.
Drawing and painting is all about watching and studying your subject!

Wanna paint a flower too?! Be sure to show me your final result and tag me in your post.
Here is a little recap of the steps taken

Or watch the timelapse video of the painting process!

Have fun practicing and be sure to share your work once you're done!

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