Learn how to Paint Violets 3 Ways

Learn how to Paint Violets is a step-by-step tutorial on painting wild violets.  This motif is great for painting greeting cards, wrapping paper, or painting them on a canvas to frame.

How to paint violets one stroke at a time. Easy enough for beginning painters.  A free video is included at the end of this post.

Today, I am going to share 3 slightly different ways to paint violets.

These are painted on my Canson Mixed Media Artist Pad that I have turned into my art journal.  I have used this next one before, Canson Mixed Media Pad, it just has lighter-weight paper, but is thick enough for an art journal and it has twice as many pages in it as the first one I listed. Just so you know the difference.

Start with your two colors for the violets.  In this case, I used Plaid Folk Art Multi Surface in Lavender and Light Lavender.

If you don’t have these exact colors mix or use what you have!

Load Your Brush

Double load your #8 flat brush from this set (One Stroke Brushes)  with the two colors.

(for a full tutorial on loading and basic strokes please click over to this post Basic Painting Strokes)

Paint Petals

The first 4 petals are a scoop teardrop stroke.  If you want to see how that is done watch the video, it is hard to describe in words and photos. 

For this flower I had the lighter corner of the brush in the center, I press slightly as I make a tight C stroke keeping the light color in the center and creating the outer edge of the petal with the darker color.

The center bottom petal is a small scallop stroke, same #8 brush, again keeping the lighter color in the center.

Second Method of How to Paint Violets

For the next flower I do with the same #8 flat brush but I single load it with the lavender, and I make small slider leaf teardrop strokes for each petal. 

The bottom petal is 3 teardrop strokes aligned next to each other and blended to make one petal.

Third Method of How to Paint Violets

With the darker flower to the far right, I painted with a #8 filbert brush to show how you can use different brushes. 

The difference is subtle but it does give a more rounded effect to the edges of the petals.

Details

For the details, I used a 10/0 Loew Cornell liner brush and the Perfect Purple color to create the whiskers that fan out from the center.

I used the tip of the liner and Sunflower to create the little dot in the center.

You can still see the graphite lines under the lighter lavender flower, normally I don’t make my lines so dark but I did on this demo so you could see them. 

If this were something other than a demo and I accidentally go my lines too dark I would have to go over that flower again with the lavender until you could not see the lines.

The lines outside of the paint can be easily erased with this eraser (not any eraser works as well at removing graphite)

Next, add a small upside-down V over the Sunflower dot with your liner brush.  Paint on the stems and leaves.

I know my second two flowers were rather messy but I was in a hurry to photograph them and slapped on the paint. 

When you take your time they will be much tidier, though I like messy so I am good with them as is.

The video shows how to paint the buds as well.

Trouble viewing the video? Try watching it here

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Supply List:
One Stroke Brush set
Plaid Folk Art Multi Surface Paints:
Lavender
Light Lavender (or add white to Lavender)
Perfect Purple
Wicker White
Sunflower
Thicket
Citrus Green

Happy Painting!

Please enjoy and share!