easy How to Paint Christmas Cactus
Easy step by step of how to paint Christmas cactus plant. This is not a cactus painted for Christmas, this is the houseplant step by step painting tutorial with free video. Both the leaves and flowers. Come paint this winter blooming beauty with me.
How to paint Christmas cactus plant one easy stroke at a time. I sent out a question to my subscribers of what they would like me to show them next and this lesson was what they chose.
So lets get painting.
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There are so many steps in this one that the photos will be more limited but they video shows you it all.
The first video is a quick overview. A real time video you can follow along with is at the end of this post.
A free pattern is available in the Subscribers Resource Library. A form is available to fill out below if you are not yet a subscriber.
Painting Christmas Cactus Stems & Leaves
A full list of supplies is available below.
1. Double load your #12 flat brush with Fresh Cut Grass and Thicket
Starting on the chisel edge of your brush, draw the lines as a guide for your bracts of leaves.
Reload the brush and start at the top of a bract line.
Start on the chisel edge, press slightly as you slide your brush upward with a slight wave.
The top is not pointed but flat so bring your brush slightly over to the right when you reach the top. Just slightly, you don’t want to make it too wide.
Then pull down the other side making the same slight wave to complete the leaf bract.
2. Paint your leaves overlapping each other at the base, (this is why you start at the top).
Note how the top of the leaves is on the flatter side.
3. When you come to an intersection of stems then overlap two leaves with one leaf as seen here.
4. Continue until you have painted all the stems and you should have something resembling this…
Painting Flowers & Buds
5. Double load a clean #12 flat brush with Fuchsia and Bright Pink, starting on the chisel edge drag daisy like petals towards your center point.
(for more on this visit here: Paint a Simple Daisy)
The video also has the step by step of this, take note of how the lower petals are shorter and slightly curved.
6. Using Berry Wine and the very corner of you #12 flat brush stroke in some dark streaks in the center to add depth.
7. Using a liner brush and some Daffodil yellow add some stamens to the center.
Paint the Draping Flower
8. Double load the #12 flat brush. Using the chisel edge pull a long stroke with a point at the end.
9. Using the script liner and inky Daffodil yellow and Wicker white pull some tiny stamens from the pointed end of the long stroke you just pulled in the pinks.
10. Using the #12 flat brush pull petal strokes with a slight curve to the long pink stroke with stamens. (the video explains this better)
Here in this photo you see what you are aiming for, it is the flower to the far left.
The rest of the flowers are modifications of these two main flowers and they are shown in the video.
Supply List:
Brushes: Donna Dewberry Brush set
Plaid Folk Art Paints:
Wicker White
Daffodil Yellow
Thicket
Fresh Cut Grass
Bright Pink
Berry Wine
DecoArt Americana Paint
Fuchsia
You can use what colors you have, Christmas Cactus come in many colors, Click here for a post on growing Christmas Cactus.
Did you want the traceable pattern for this?
It is in the Subscribers Resource Library, if you receive my emails the password is in every note you receive from me.
More painting lessons for You
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How to Paint a Chickadee
Learn to Paint a Large Red Poppy
Happy Painting!