How to Paint Watercolor Lilacs Tutorial

Lilac season is just about to burst upon us here in the upper Midwest and I am READY.

My husband is the real lilac lover around here and while I admire them and am always excited to see them, he DWELLS. He throughly enjoys them to an extent that I can only assume is similar to my adoration of roses. Sadly, my zeal has not pushed me so far as to make a place in our gardens for the lilac bush yet so we simply enjoy our neighbor’s beautiful lilacs. Maybe this year, bud!

ANYWAY, let’s get into what you came for: The WATERCOLOR lilacs!

In this video I’m going to share with you some of my thought process for preparing for a painting—especially when it’s a subject that is very different than what I have painted before. There’s actually a lot that goes on before I put brush to “final” paper and I’m excited to give you a little glimpse.

We’ll also talk a little bit about color theory and why I choose some colors over others and what I look for when I’m choosing color palettes (limited color palettes, of course).

After our supplies and paints are all selected, we’ll dive in deep into the painting process, exploring how different techniques can be used to get a pleasing and realistic effect without spending hours getting every tiny detail.

I’m so excited to share these watercolor techniques with you and I hope you enjoy the process as much as I did! I found it oddly satisfying and it has been so fun to delight in sitting down at my desk again!

Watercolor Lilac Tutorial:

FREE Drawing Mini Course: https://KatrinaCrouch.com/flower-drawing

Botanical Drawing Course: https://katrinacrouch.com/art-classes/flower-drawing-class

Supplies:*

Reference Image: Nothing specific this time! Just looked at a group of lilac photos for inspiration
Paper: Strathmore 300
Large Palette: https://amzn.to/2NMsJZD
Watercolor brushes: (round, size 10) https://amzn.to/2vU9gzF (round, size 3) https://amzn.to/3gPDkAj

Paints:

Winsor Red (Deep): https://amzn.to/3wbNNgZ
Imperial Purple: https://amzn.to/3P2RqhC
Terre Verte (Yellow Shade): https://amzn.to/33pcQT9
Sap Green: https://amzn.to/39rMVHA

*As an Amazon associate, I receive a small commission on some of the links above if you make a purchase—at no extra cost to you! Read my full disclosure here