How to Paint: Watercolor Roses

After leaves, watercolor roses are probably my favorite thing to paint. When I started my watercolor journey in 2016, all I wanted to do was be able to paint roses. And now here I am teaching you how to do it!

If you want to learn more on how to paint loose florals, check out The Watercolor Garden that has dozens of courses to help get you started!

Here are my best tips on how to paint watercolor roses. Let’s do it!

Supplies:

Paint: LUKAS Aquarell 1862 Watercolor
Brush(es): Creative Mark’s Mimik Synthetic, round size 6
Paper: Canson cold pressed Watercolor Paper
Jars of water
Paper towel or cotton rag
All of my favorite supplies here

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Watercolor Roses – step by step

(click on photos for a closer look)

Start with a damp brush and saturate your brush with your main color. Paint a few small strokes as the center of the rose.

Practice Warm-Ups

When I teach roses, I actually start with warm-ups. So try these tapered lines to practice. Notice how thin the lines are at the tapered ends. Once you do several that are straight, then try curved ones. And make them even smaller for the inner petals.

A top-down view of warm-up drills to help paint watercolor roses.

Watercolor Roses – Next Level

If you want to try taking your roses to the next level, try mixing in different colors! I love double charging my brush this way. Prep 2-3 colors (analogous colors might be best!) and have them in different parts of your palette.

Start with one color and then randomly pick up another one without washing out your brush. Look at all the fun roses you can paint with just three colors!