This is a simple yet dramatically beautiful sunflower painting in acrylics. Beginner friendly and great for a paint party at home. Paint an easy sunflower on canvas, rustic wood, or anything you can think of. I made this sunflower painting easy, even for very-beginning painters.

Simple sunflower paintings are so fun because you can complete them in a short amount of time with just a few colors!

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Paint Supplies

The majority of the colors used in the painting lesson are in this set, I wrote a post all about the best paint for beginner painters that I recommend and why.

Plaid Folk Art Paint and Donna Dewberry Brushes

Draw a Sunflower to Paint

Use anything you have to trace a circle. I used a flower pot. You can use a plate, can, or a pot as I did.

If you prefer, you can print the PDF pattern available below at the end of this post.

Don’t want to join the Exclusive Content Club? That is fine, here is the PDF printable workbook and pattern here for $5.

Next sketch in some petal shapes with a watercolor pencil or you can transfer the design from the traceable pattern available.

Not sure how to transfer patterns effectively? I show you here, Transfer Painting Patterns.

Paint the Petals

Using the 3/4″ brush and Daffodil Yellow paint on the front petals.

Just fill in and enjoy the process.

Add a Touch of Cinnamon

Every now and then add a touch of Cinnamon paint to the very corner of the brush and pull it along the outside edge of a petal to add definition.

Blend a touch of Pure Orange at the base of the petals around the center. (this is optional, you will notice I did not do this all the way around but you could)

Paint Back Petals

Paint in the back petals with Daffodil Yellow and use the size brush that suits you. I used the 3/4″ brush.

With the Cinnamon on the corner add some shadow where the back petal emerges from behind the front petal.

Highlight Sunflower Petal Edges

Clean your brush and load with Daffodil Yellow. Run the chisel edge along different petal edges to create a spark of brightness.

Do this in a hit-and-miss fashion. (the video below will help you see exactly how it was done)

Paint Sunflower Center

Use the 3/4″ flat brush and Coffee Bean to paint the center circle. Paint the strokes to follow the circle

Paint Black Background

While letting the center dry load your clean brush with Licorice black and paint in the background.

Paint carefully and take your time getting around the petal shapes.

Don’t forget to paint the edges of your canvas.

Finishing the Center

Using a 3/4″ scruffy brush, load it with Coffee Bean and a touch of Licorice Black. Paint the very center circle. If you don’t have a scruffy brush then you can do this with the corner of a flat brush, it will just take longer.

Wipe the brush clean, it won’t be perfectly clean but get as much paint out as you can without wetting the brush.

Load the Burnt Umber and pounce on the paint color outside of the inner circle.

Don’t make it opaque, leave some of the Coffee Bean color showing through. Let the edge bristles overlap on the petals to create the textured effect.

Add a touch of Daffodil to one edge and pounce the bit of highlight as you see in the photo.

If you prefer, you could use fly specking to create the scruffy outer edge of the circle.

Once your painting is completely dry add a couple of coats of varnish to make the colors really pop and protect it.

Wasn’t this Sunflower painting easy?

Do you love painting flowers? Here are lots more for you!

Ready for the video? Here you go…

Don’t want to join the Exclusive Content Club? That is fine, here is the PDF printable workbook and pattern here for $5.

For the free traceable pattern to download and print, sign in or sign up for a free account. This also gives you access to other exclusive downloads available on this site!

Please enjoy and share!