Bluebells Tutorial

The Vibe: The big map at the visitor's center tells us we’re in the middle of nowhere in particular. Far from anywhere, it seems. Our little stroll leads us under shade trees with a blanket of deep violet bluebells along the path.  

The Playlist: 

The Materials:

• Water cup

• Paper towels or cloth

• Watercolor paints of your choice (see color palette below)

• Mixing palette/plate (I recommend ceramic or porcelain for easy mixing)

• Brushes (I recommend a no. 6 and no. 2 round)

  
  

The Color Palette:

For this piece, I primarily used two colors: ultramarine or cobalt blue and earth green/terra verde.

Go through that old shoe box of family photos, turn on some oldies, and let’s paint. 

VIDEO TUTORIAL COMING FALL 2025

Step-By-Step Instruction:

1.iSet the Scene | On a flat surface, set out water, paper towels, paints, 

a mixing palette/plate, and desired paintbrushes. I recommend a no. 6 round brush for washes of color and a no. 2 round for details. 

2. Prep Your Paints | Put a water drop on each color to “wake up” your watercolor. Before painting directly on the page, mix colors & water on your mixing plate to get your desired shade. 

3. Use Water Wisely | More water = lighter color. Less water = bolder color. 

Play with both! You can use the back of the title cards for practice.  If you experience pooling, your brush is oversaturated - dab it on the paper towel. You can remove pooled water with a clean, dry brush. 

If you are getting rough lines, try a little more water and/or more pressure. 

4. Start Light | Begin with the lightest areas first—watercolor is transparent, so it's easier to add darks than take them away. Less is more. Put down a light wash of color over each distinct area with your larger brush first - avoiding any areas that you want to keep white/general highlights. For example, use a light wash of blue to color in the petals and a light wash of green to paint in the stem. Make sure to let the blue dry before going in with the green. Because the petals overlap the stem, the green and blue may bleed together if you don't wait for each color to dry.

5. Layer Slowly and Add Details | Let each layer dry before adding more color. This helps avoid unwanted blending and keeps colors vibrant.

Using less water than your initial wash for a slighter bolder hue, use your no. 6 brush to add shadows and use your no. 2 detail brush to follow the outlines in each distinct area. For example, add a little more blue paint to your palette to outline each petal and color in the detail creases. Then, use a more concentrated green than your initial wash to outline the stem and add in any shadow where the petals overlap the stem. Reminder that we are still just using the same two paint colors, but we are simply using less water for a more concentrated hue.

6. Embrace Imperfection | Watercolor is fluid and unpredictable—

that’s part of the magic. Don’t get too hung up on copying the samples. Every flower is unique!

7. Let It Dry Completely | Before mailing or displaying, make sure your 

piece is totally dry to avoid smudging!