Dahlia Tutorial

The Vibe: We’re walking through the botanical gardens and stop at a well-placed bench to sit a while. Listen to the birds and the trickling water of the nearby fountain. Enjoy the beauty of the blooms around us.

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: magenta and earth green/terra verde.

Go outside, listen to the breeze, 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 #6 round brush for washes of color and a #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 too wet - dab it on the paper towel. You can remove the pooled watercolor with a clean, dry brush.   

4. Start Light | 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 magenta to color in the petals and a light wash of green to paint in the stem and leaves.

5. Layer Slowly and Add Details | Let each layer dry before adding more color. 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, use a bolder magenta (less water than you used for the initial wash) to outline each petal and color in the detail creases, then use a bolder green to outline the stem and leaves and color in their detail lines.

6. Embrace Imperfection | Watercolor is fluid and unpredictable—

that’s part of the magic. Don’t get too hung up on copying the samples.

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

piece is totally dry to avoid smudging!