The Tricky Thing About Painting Loose Florals

I love watercolor because of how it moves and the way water can change how it appears on paper. The play on transparency and natural shift in edges is the true reason why watercolor is such a beautiful medium.

Painting flowers can come in many forms. You can do detailed botanicals or loose and abstract florals. These require different skills and level of attention to detail.

My style of paintings have always leaned into loose and abstract. I enjoy the challenge of omitting as many details as possible to still give the illusion of a particular flower.

The more I paint loose florals the more I have discovered some of the reasons why this form of painting can be tricky.

These points are mostly based on my own experience that I am sharing and my hope is to give you something to think about as you go about your own loose floral painting journey.

Watch my art dialogue about this topic here:

Let's dive into more detail for each of these mistakes to avoid:

1. Our Natural Attention to Detail

Attention to detail is a natural way of ensuring our survival. It is also how we were taught to value accuracy.

On the other hand, painting loose florals requires more spontaneity, with less structure (often not even using a pencil to sketch first) This can be a challenge for someone who is used to having control over every brushstroke and detail in their work.

Loose florals is also about painting simplified forms and shapes. The biggest misconception when painting loose florals is that we are painting the petals - yes and no. Painting loose florals is about allowing the brush to create marks that represent parts/ forms or shapes of the flower.

Painting loose florals requires a different set of skills and techniques than traditional detailed painting, and can be difficult for someone who is used to paying close attention to every detail. I have found that regular practice will give you more confidence in seeing the simplified shapes in flowers. This will also build your tolerance for mess and perfection thereby being able to create beautiful, expressive floral artwork.

2. Our Fears

Painting loose florals is about deliberately missing out detail and this sometimes can feel like making mistakes.

Our fear of failure and need for perfection and control can really hinder the process of being more expressive and spontaneous. There are so many fears around making mistakes with "fear of being judged" just hanging out by the side (judged for not adding in certain detail or missing them out)

Here is a more comprehensive look at the various fears we may have that keep us from painting loosely:

Fear of losing control: One of the biggest fears when painting loose florals is losing control over the painting process. This style of painting often involves a degree of spontaneity and unpredictability that can be unsettling if you are used to having complete control over their work. Painting with no pencil lines! The horror! Plus, allowing the paint to flow and blend in unpredictable ways. This may feel uncomfortable with the lack of structure and worry that the painting will become messy or uncontrolled.

Fear of making mistakes: With loose florals, there is no "right" or "wrong" way to paint them, which can be both liberating and intimidating. This can be intimidating for artists who are used to working in a precise, controlled manner.

Fear of not achieving realism: For artists who are used to painting in a realistic or representational style, the loose style of painting can be a challenge. They may worry that their painting will not be recognizable as a flower or that it will lack the detail and precision that they are used to.

Fear of not knowing where to start: Without a clear plan or structure, some artists may feel overwhelmed and unsure of how to begin painting loose florals.

Fear of not being able to control the outcome: With loose florals, the outcome of the painting is often unpredictable, which can be scary for some artists who are used to having a clear idea of what their finished work will look like.

These fears can impact the outcome of our art and can also feel discouraging.

3. Choice of supplies

The types of supplies we choose can have different results. Choosing a small brush and smaller sized paper can lead to tighter work. As we would require alot more micro movements to get the big stroke we want. This means that the size of brush and paper can influence the way you paint.

Color choice is also another differentiation when it comes to loose floral paintings. You would notice that most loose floral painters use a range of bold and vibrant colors. The choice of colors can influence how we use them.

I want to link this point with the next one as your choice of supplies can influence how your body responds to it.

4. Not paying attention to your body

Earlier we spoke about choosing materials for painting and how it can impact the success of painting loose florals. I want to use some of those material choices as examples for how your body might use them in a way that results in tighter and more detailed paintings.

When we choose a smaller brush, this increases our chance of holding it tighter (for fear of it slipping). Holding your brush tighter unconsciously creates the urge to paint more details and tighter. Similarly if we hold the brush close to the brush hair, this also restricts movement and we would use our fingers more to paint (almost like writing).

A tight grip on the brush can also inhibit your ability to be spontaneous and create loose, natural-looking marks. Instead, the strokes may appear rigid and forced, lacking the organic qualities that make floral paintings so beautiful.

Using a smaller piece of paper points to limited amount of space = tighter and less movement.

To overcome these struggles, it's important to practice holding the brush lightly and allowing yourself to be more spontaneous in making marks in your painting. Try to focus on creating flowing, organic strokes that capture the essence of the flowers you are painting. Experiment with different brush sizes, types, and pressures to find the best approach for you. The more you show up and practice, the better your brain will be in rewiring and unlearning our meticulous, detailed ways.

5. Poor understanding of how watercolor works

Water in watercolor is the key ingredient for loose florals. So many of us are unable to paint loosely because of our "fear" of letting go (point 2). Water being so unpredictable can be hard to ‘control’ as a result - some of us choose to use less water or use too much and leave it to ‘happy accidents’ with no clue how best to achieve the effects that they want.

On top of this - youtube has provided us with a platform filled with “easy” and “simple” projects that “any beginner” can do. This is misleading at times especially when we are watching the videos and not actually painting along. It is easy to be well-watched and not do any actual painting.

To move pass this block - the best way is to take a step back and change the ‘short cut’ mindset to ask yourself - “why do you want to learn watercolor?” and move depending on what your own level of commitment is.

I often recommend starting with playing and getting to know your supplies and tools. The more you buy ‘recommended’ supplies without getting to know how they truly work, this will add more confusion and frustration instead of success.

Start by understanding the options required for watercolor and curate the tools that can work for you and your budget.

I have a free resource to help you with that here.

Difficulty controlling the paint: Watercolor is a unique medium that requires a delicate balance of water, pigment, and paper. If you don't understand how to control the paint, it can be challenging to achieve the loose, flowing strokes that are often used in floral painting.

Uneven color and texture: Watercolor is known for its ability to create beautiful, soft washes of color. However, if you don't understand how to apply and blend the paint properly, you may end up with uneven color and texture that detracts from the beauty of your painting.