Color the Emotion

Pick a few colors and create without stiffness.

Dreamy Watercolor Flowers

I’ve been down with bad flu and haven’t been able to blog for the past week. But now I have recovered and continue the spring blog post series, where I go through techniques and themes that have been important in my artistic development. This week the topic is watercolors, flowers, and expressing dreaminess.

Watercolor roses, a digital watercolor painting in Procreate, by Paivi Eerola.
Watercolor Roses – A digital painting in Procreate.

Flower is a popular subject in art and I also like painting flowers very much. I don’t use models, I paint abstract shapes that look like flowers.

What Makes a Flower Dreamy?

In 2019, I painted a lot of flower-themed watercolors and then I thought about what flowers are all about for me.

Painting dreamy watercolor flowers. "Long Hot Summer", a watercolor painting, Paivi Eerola, 2019.
Long Hot Summer, watercolor, 2019.

The species of flower is not important to me. I often paint flowers that have no real equivalent. For me, the interesting thing about flowers is their relationship with light.

After Winter, a floral watercolor painting, Paivi Eerola, 2019.
After Winter, watercolor, 2019.

Without light, there are no flowers. The light continues the flower and makes it bigger and more beautiful.

Spring crocuses
Look at the light and shadows in these spring crocuses! The variation of darkness and lightness can be seen as loose and random. There’s no need to overanalyze it to create a dreamy flower picture.

When you paint light, dreamy watercolor flowers grow into the picture as if by themselves.

Using ProCreate and Apple Pencil to paint dreamy watercolor flowers.

In ProCreate, it’s easy to zoom in and out, pick colors, and change brushes. Apple Pencil is also surprisingly pleasant to work with.

In real watercolors, splashing water more fun, but maintaining lightness is more challenging, especially when you only use the whiteness of the paper.

Adjusting details of a large floral watercolor painting.

Then you start with light layers and gradually add color. It’s surprising how much you can fix and fine-tune the details when working this way.

Dreamy Flowers by the Water

A digital flower painting in ProCreate using the default brushes.
Watercolor Poppies – A digital painting in ProCreate.

Another important element is water. That’s why flowers and watercolors go well together. Light, water, and flowers are a refreshing combination. I try to bring the element of water into the picture in one way or another.

Life Gives Me Plenty, dreamy watercolor flowers, Päivi Eerola, 2019.
Life Gives Me Plenty, watercolor, 2019.

I used to paint a lot of vases, but nowadays flowers grow more freely near water.

The Spring of Dreams, oil on canvas, Paivi Eerola, 2022.
“The Spring of Dreams”, oil on canvas, 2022. Oil paints have more substance and the overall impression is heavier than in watercolor.

I think that when a plant blooms, it dreams – just like we do when we make art!

Floral Fantasies – Paint Dreamy Watercolor Flowers!

For all flower lovers, I have a flower painting course Floral Fantasies, from which the watercolor part can also be purchased separately.

Floral Fantasies, an online course about painting dreamy watercolor flowers.
One of the projects of Floral Fantasies – dreamy florals in a vase

Floral Fantasies – Intuitive and loose approach to flowers – Buy here!

2 thoughts on “Dreamy Watercolor Flowers

  1. your paintings are so beautiful.
    i feel as though i am looking at not only flowers but the spirit of flowers.
    lively and heart altering.

    1. Thanks so much, Tammie! Bringing up the spirit is what I want to achieve so I am glad if that’s the impression that you got!

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