Wet-on-Wet Watercolor Flowers

One thing that watercolor paint loves to do is run together. Instead of fighting that tendency, I showed my students how they can make “puddles” their friend by painting lots of irregular spots, some overlapping, which could later be outlined as delicate little flowers.
1. Flower spots of varying sizes and colors are painted on the top half of a watercolor paper. Work quickly and overlap some while the paint is still wet so that colors bleed into each other.
2. While the flowers dry, green paint is mixed and the leaves are added below. Some simple lines are good, along with solid patches of green. Varying shades add variety. Let dry for several hours.
3. With a ultra fine point permanent black marker, draw edges to all the flowers, along with stems and leaves. Try to picture some flowers at angles, with the centers facing towards the sky, as in real life.