How to paint a Mexican Ivy flower in watercolor

I couldn’t resist painting this Mexican Ivy (Cobaea scandens). I’m not sure you’ll be able to either.

Because this flower really has it all.

Its bell shaped form is ideal for creating a 3D effect, because we can take our tones in the centre super dark to achieve lots of depth.

The rich, purple hues draw our eye towards the perfectly formed petals.

It’s crowned by sepals with a mosaic-like pattern, every bit as attractive as the petals.

Extending downwards from the flower’s centre are elegant filaments which end with the patterned anther.

It seems this flower holds just as much appeal to the local wildlife.

I was lucky enough to capture the visiting honey bee and tiny ant when I photographed it.

In this mini class, I’ll take you through the process I followed to bring all of these elements together into the finished painting:

I hope that seeing the process I followed has given you the confidence to give this fun Mexican Ivy painting a go.

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

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10 Comments

  1. Irene on September 21, 2021 at 4:03 pm

    Beautiful illustration from light to darker values. Glazing is a challenge for me.

  2. Maria Donnelly on September 21, 2021 at 4:30 pm

    Your paintings are beautiful. Thank you for sharing your lovely work with me.

  3. Andrea Roberts on September 21, 2021 at 5:19 pm

    Thanks Anna.

  4. Penny Robichaux-Koontz on September 21, 2021 at 5:26 pm

    I enjoyed watching you bring this beautiful flower to life in the mini class. Your demonstrations always challenge me to paint. Thank you, Anna.

  5. Kerry Heller on September 21, 2021 at 8:37 pm

    I just love your work. I’ve been a member for a few years and have learned a lot through your classes. Thank You Anna

  6. Pat Yagmin on September 22, 2021 at 1:03 am

    how beautifu!! you have such awsome techniques!! I have learned so much from you and I pass on your name to fellow artists!!

  7. Annie J. Mathew on September 22, 2021 at 6:26 am

    Simply beautiful..Anna your flowers seems real .. Inspiration to many.God bless your talents.

  8. Stephenie Mason on September 22, 2021 at 7:20 am

    AWESOME Painting Anna ….I’m very envious of your beautiful talent . ❤️🇳🇿🎨🖌️

  9. Minakshi Watts on September 23, 2021 at 7:33 am

    Beautiful painting, Anna. Loved how you described each detail of the process.

  10. Small watercolor bee - Anna Mason Art on August 23, 2022 at 1:01 pm

    […] inspired you to paint a small watercolor bee and add them to some of your other compositions. In another mini class I show you how I painted the rest of the painting shown in this […]

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