There is something wonderfully cheerful about a daisy. With its fresh white petals, golden centre and slightly untidy leaves, it feels like one of the friendliest flowers to paint.
Daisies are also a lovely subject for anyone beginning to explore botanical watercolour. You don’t need to paint every petal perfectly or use lots of complicated techniques. In fact, the little differences between the petals are what make the finished flower feel natural.
So, gather your paints, make yourself a cup of tea and enjoy a quiet afternoon of painting.
What you will need
You don’t need an enormous collection of art supplies. A few simple materials will be enough:
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Watercolour paper
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A small round watercolour brush
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A pencil and eraser
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Clean water
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A mixing palette or small plate
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White or very pale blue-grey paint
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Golden yellow and warm ochre
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Light and dark green
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A little brown, if you have it
Remember that the paper itself will provide most of the white in your daisy. The pale paint is simply used to create delicate shadows and show the shape of the petals.
Step 1: Sketch the basic shape
Begin by lightly drawing a small circle for the centre of the flower.
Next, sketch the petals around it. Daisy petals are usually long and narrow, but they don’t all need to be the same size. Let some bend slightly to one side and allow a few to overlap.
Try to keep your pencil marks very light. They only need to act as a guide and should almost disappear beneath the watercolour.
Step 2: Paint the first layer of petals
Mix a very watery wash of pale blue-grey. You can make this by adding the tiniest amount of blue or grey to plenty of clean water.
Paint each petal separately, beginning near the centre and gently pulling the brush out towards the tip. Leave a little untouched white paper between some of the petals.
At this stage, the flower may look extremely pale. That is exactly what you want. Watercolour is much easier to deepen gradually than it is to lighten after too much paint has been added.
Allow this first layer to dry completely.
Step 3: Add a second layer
Once the first petals are dry, add a few more between and behind them.
Use the same pale wash, but make it slightly stronger in places. This second layer will give the flower a fuller and more natural appearance.
Avoid outlining every petal. Instead, use small areas of shadow to suggest their edges. Let the brushmarks remain soft and slightly uneven.
Step 4: Paint the golden centre
Mix a warm golden yellow and paint the circular centre of the daisy.
While it is still slightly damp, add touches of darker yellow, ochre or light brown. Use the tip of your brush to create tiny dots and irregular marks.
Keep some areas light rather than covering the entire centre with one flat colour. These variations will help it look rounded and textured.
Allow the centre to dry before adding the darkest details.
Step 5: Build the shadows
Return to your pale blue-grey mixture and add a few soft shadows where the petals meet the centre.
You can also darken one edge of certain petals or add a fine line through the middle of a few of them. You don’t need to add detail to every petal—just enough to give the flower shape.
If a shadow looks too strong, gently dab it with a clean, slightly damp brush or a piece of tissue.
The most important thing is to let each layer dry before adding another. This keeps the petals delicate rather than muddy.
Step 6: Add the stem and leaves
Using a light green mixture, paint a fine, gently curved stem beneath the flower.
Add the leaves with short, pointed brushstrokes. Daisy leaves have irregular, toothed edges, so they don’t need to look neat or symmetrical.
While the green is still damp, add touches of a darker shade along one side of the stem and near the base of the leaves. This creates depth without making them feel too heavy.
You could also add a small unopened bud or a second daisy facing in another direction.
A few helpful watercolour tips
Work from light to dark and allow each layer to dry before continuing.
Keep two jars of water nearby if possible—one for rinsing your brush and another for mixing clean, pale colours.
Try not to correct every irregular brushstroke. Botanical painting doesn’t need to be perfectly precise to feel beautiful.
Most importantly, don’t compare your daisy with anyone else’s. Your individual marks are what make the painting yours.
Take a little time to create
Painting flowers can be a gentle way to slow down and notice the small details we often miss: the soft shadow on a white petal, the many shades inside a yellow centre or the slightly wild shape of a leaf.
Your finished daisy could be added to a nature journal, turned into a handmade card, used to decorate a scrapbook page or simply kept as a reminder of a peaceful creative afternoon.
Libby & Alice is a monthly floral mail club for creative souls. Each themed envelope is sent from England and filled with beautiful paper treasures, botanical inspiration and something lovely to enjoy away from a screen.
Discover the mail club and find more floral inspiration at libbyandalice.com.
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