How to paint a 3D flower centre in watercolour

The centre of a flower is often the most detailed part, and can be a real focal point, drawing the eye towards it. The flower centre can also be the element that makes a floral subject look super 3D in a painting.

So, if you’re aiming for realism in a flower painting, it’s really important to get the flower centre right.

But the prospect of painting all that detail can feel overwhelming. A flower centre can be composed of a number of individual components, which can be off-putting or even intimidating to paint. 

In this mini-class, I show you the process I followed to paint the anther and filaments from an anemone flower. 

We’re going to work on just a small, close-up section, which is an ideal way to break down a bigger challenge into manageable parts. 

That’s why I’ve recently introduced this format of tutorial to my online School, and I’m happy to be sharing the full version of this Short tutorial with you here.

And because we’re just painting a small section, you can pick up your brushes and paint along with me in real-time if you’d like:

I hope this mini-class has inspired you to tackle a complex flower centre. 

As well as helping to prepare for a bigger challenge, working in small sections like this is perfect for developing your skills when you’re short of time.

I’d love to hear how you get on if you give this painting a go, so let me know in the comments below. And if you enjoyed the video, do leave me a message. I love reading them!