Paint a Terra Cotta Pot in Acrylics

How to paint a terra cotta pot in acrylics is a quick and simple painting lesson easy enough for everyone.

Refine it how you like but having a good base for many flower paintings comes in handy.

Learning to paint a terra cotta pot in acrylics is a wonderful start to a flower painting.  Fill it with painted lavender, poppies or daisies.  You can even put all three!

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This demo is done on a black painted surface but you can paint it on what you choose.

Transfer Pattern

Using some white graphite paper and the pattern transfer it to your surface.

You can clearly see the outline of my pot (if this was a lighter-colored surface I would use a darker transfer paper).

Base Paint in White

Because it is a dark surface and I want the vibrancy of the colors to show I first paint on an undercoat in Wicker White. (black backgrounds can dull your colors)

Using your 3/4″ flat brush just fill in your pot with white. (, I primarily use this brush throughout this painting, in the video I show you how to get crisper lines if you want them)

I am not concerned with it being perfectly opaque, just filled in well.  You can see in my example below that in some places you can still see some black.  That is fine, especially for areas that will be in shadow.

Let the white dry.

Paint Pot in Main Color

Cover the white with the Pueblo color.  It may take you a couple coats with letting the paint dry between to get the color as even as possible.

After your last coat of Pueblo (a terra cotta color) is dry it is time to add some shadows.

Adding Shadows

Load your brush with Blending Gel or Floating Medium and a touch of Burnt Umber on one corner, blend in the brush gently so the Burnt Umber fades towards the center of the brush.

With the dark corner along the bottom of the lip of the pot drag your brush from one side to the other, leaving a shadow under the lip.  Also, shadow the top rim just a smidgen below the very top.

Reload your brush with medium and BU. Next pull short strokes horizontally from the sides of your pot lifting as you stroke.

Use a light touch, you can add more if it needs to be deepened. (in the video I show you how I erase mistakes)

Highlights

Highlight the center of the pot with a mix of Pueblo and a touch of White, use some medium to thin it down.  Brush this color as a highlight in the center of the lower part of the pot and some touches in the tip lip of the pot.

Add a touch more white to the Pueblo white mix and with the chisel edge of your brush pull a lighter highlight line just above the shadow.

or view video HERE

Supply list:

Brushes
Folk Art Multi Surface Paint
Pueblo
Wicker White
Burnt Umber
Thicket (for the fly specking if you choose to do it)
Licorice Black (background color)

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For the next lesson in this series see Paint Hydrangeas in a Terra Cotta Pot

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How to Paint Lavender
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Happy Painting!

Please enjoy and share!