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Hi everyone,

Here is the Daffodil tutorial for beginners.

I tried to paint this daffodil as simply as I could. I stopped myself from trying to add more detail. It's a fairly quick tutorial and won't take you long to paint. Painters who are more advanced might like to try this for a quick and fun painting that doesn't require too much energy.

Beginners, take your time with it and paint more than one of them so you can practise your technique. There's some mixing of paint colours in this tutorial which is something I don't do a lot of but it's good to practice.

All of the files you need are attached below my message here. I've included a photo of my finished painting as well as a scan of it because I think the colours are more accurate in the photo.

I hope you enjoy it.

Louise

💛

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Tutorial Indexes

Index with images: http://www.louisedemasi.com/new-index

Word Index: https://www.patreon.com/posts/34865676

Copyright Information:

My tutorials are designed to help you on your creative journey. Any painting you create from a tutorial where I use my own reference photo is for personal use only. They can't be sold or entered into an art competition. I write on the Supplies Lists where the photos come from. Permission is not given to paint any of my earlier paintings that are not tutorials because some of them are licensed. Also, a few of my earlier paintings were painted from photographs where I sought the permission of the photographer. The photographer gave me permission to use it, not others.

If I do a tutorial where I use another photographer's photo (eg from Pixabay or Unsplash) that is available for anyone throughout the world to download (copyright free) and use I’m happy for you to sell the paintings you create from the tutorial.

If I do a tutorial and I use a photo that I have paid for and downloaded from the website Wildlife Reference Photos in order for you to sell the painting you create from the tutorial you need to purchase and download the photograph yourself. This is in accordance with the Terms and Services of the Wildlife Reference Photo website.

If you share a finished painting on social media I would really appreciate it if you could link back to my account (be it on Facebook, YouTube or Instagram) and mention that you painted it in one of my tutorials. @louisedemasi

Thank you!

Files

Beginner Daffodil for Patreon

Louise De Masi©

Comments

Nancy Kennedy

ARGH. New Patreon member here. I've done this daffodil 4 times and finally feel it is semi-acceptable. Somehow the color of the shadow-inside-the-petals was really tough and how to differentiate the petals from one another. My contrast was stronger than the photo - darker darks. Not a glorious day for me and my new pastime.

Karen Corriea

I had the same trouble with the darkness of the shadings. Finally lightened then inside the center of the daffodil. Comes out very brown and too dark.

Toni South

Hi Louise, I am loving this daffodil. I am on my 4th painting of it. It takes a while to get my colors just right. Can Daniel Smith Hansa Yellow be substituted for Lemon yellow.? When I print out the daffodil it looks more like a golden yellow. I mixed a little New Gamboge in it but don't want to mess it up. Havent completed one yet. Wanted to see what you thought about the yellows. Thanks. You're a great teacher!!

Louise De Masi

Yes substitute with Hansa Yellow that should work out ok. Thanks so much Toni.

Cheryle Virtue-Richards

I have done 3 daffodils and they are all for the bin... (will use the other side) Very muddy/dirty colours, I wonder if it is due to cool lemon being transparent and the Carbazola Violet being part opaque or a "warmer" colour?? Anyway, the shadows were way too dark!! But... I did notice where I mixed the two colours some of the violet shone through it looked really pretty. I can't get that clean, light luminous look... (yet) ... Today is the first time I have truly thought I won't be able to do this it's way too hard for me... However, I quickly closed the door on that negative thought, with a sign hanging on the door knob that reads "self pity parties are banned" 😜😂 I promised myself I would commit to practising for one year... I accept "it" will happen but it is not going to happen over night... (More like 2 years!!!) Especially, not in 2 weeks 😅 ... I am quite envious of Dom having a private tutor to say to him, "you need more water, you need more pigment" ... I am onto my 4th daffodil now and the very good news is the lemon wash went on beautifully with no hard edges!! Oh well onwards... Plus I have made an extra lemon swatch to test the shadow mixture on before putting it on my daffodil✨ And thank you so very much Louise I deeply appreciate your wonderful tutorials... In spite of the occasional gnashing of my teeth 😁I absolutely love all that you are teaching me, and every single new go at the tutorials is a great learn for me 😉💗✨

Cheryle Virtue-Richards

My 4th daffodil is soooo much better I am taking it slower and I feel as though I am gently coaxing this daffodil into being this time around... I am feeling very privileged to be able to indulge in such a beautiful hobby especially after my little dummy spit yesterday... Onwards 💖✨

Cheryle Virtue-Richards

Having another go at the daffodil and trying to "see" it now as I paint and follow the tutorial... It is like learning another language... I think I will start writing these notes in a journal to read a year from now!

LeeAnna Blette

LeeAnna Blette Hi Louise, I'm a newbie watercolorist and a new Patreon :-) Sorry to hear about your broken arm; casts can be a challenge. My current challenge is the daffodil painting. The first rendition is a hot mess. I'm struggling with keeping the paper wet enough. By the time I had the paper at the correct wetness, my prepared paint puddle had dried up; a frustrating cycle! I also experienced dry paper in the middle of painting wet on wet areas. Per your suggestion, I let the area dry completely, then rewetted. To my surprise and horror, the paint lifted and flowed to the edges, creating unbecoming hard lines. I need to figure this out before I embark on Daffodil 2.0. Suggestions?

Louise De Masi

Hi LeeAnna, welcome to Patreon and thank you! 😊 Your frustration is totally understandable. It sounds like the paper wasn’t fully dry before rewetting, which can cause lifting. Try using a hairdryer to make sure it's completely dry before rewetting. Wait until it’s almost dry to touch and then use the hair dryer which will help to lock the paint in place. Also, use a soft touch when rewetting to avoid disturbing the pigment. It takes lots of practice. Hope that helps!

Elaine

Thank you Louise, it’s beautiful 😊

Carolyn Palmer

Hi Louise - I can’t hear any audio on either the beginning or the more advanced daffodil lessons. I have no problems with audio on any of your other lessons, including the soft edges lesson you just posted. It is on my iPad that I’m having an issue. I looked on the Patreon site hoping to find help with no success. Suggestions?

Louise De Masi

Hi Carolyn, Try watching the videos though your internet browser. I find Google Chrome works best for videos. The Patreon app can be glitchy. Let me know how you go.

Carolyn Palmer

Hi Louise. Thanks so much. Going through my browser works perfectly. Part of the problem might be that I updated my iPad a couple of days ago. Who knows? Thanks again.

Rhea Smith

My favorite flower :)

Vee

Thank you very much Louise - I LOVE daffodils and can't wait to try this!!!

Michelle Wainer

Thank you for this, Louise. I have done my first that is not great, but will try again. Always learning. I still have trouble with ratio of paint to water on palette, and wetness of paint to wet paper. I will do this again, to try to understand. I also have issues rewetting a painted area and not disturbing the paint there too much.

Louise De Masi

My pleasure Michelle. Paint it many times if you need to. Watercolour will always lift slightly when you rewet it. Darker colours lift more readily than lighter colours. Make sure the paint is completely dry before you re-wet it. I always blast mine with the hair dryer on high for a minute or two before I layer my paint. Also soft brushes and a very light touch are needed.

Michelle Wainer

Thank you. I have been drying beforehand, but not on high, so good to know that is okay. When you rewet, do you apply water the same as on the unpainted paper, to get that sheen? I wonder if I apply too much water, because the paint there, which was dry, tends to collect “along the shores” of the petal or whatever. I think part is pressure, but the other might be not knowing how much water is needed to rewet.

Louise De Masi

Yes I do. Have you had a look at the paper wetness video I made? Also have a look at the pansy tutorial for beginners. There's some paper wetness information in that one as well. If you've got a darker tide mark along the edges you might have too much water on your paper. That will make the pigment collect around the edge. It happens to me sometimes too and you can correct that by washing over it with some clean water and a soft flat brush when it's completely dry. I do that in the Goat tutorial which is coming to Patreon before the end of the month. Also have a look at my two edges tutorials - if you haven't seen them yet. When you wet something like a petal you can keep the water away from the edge of the petal. Just wet the interior part of the petal and keep the water a brush width away from the edge. That will keep your edges cleaner.

Michelle Wainer

Thank you, again. I have done the pansy and watched the edges video, and do well with first application, but not so much with glazing. I will persevere and keep practicing! Just have to get that ‘a-ha’ moment.

Michelle Wainer

How do we share our tutorial paintings with you through Patreon?

Louise De Masi

Unfortunately there's nowhere here on Patreon to do that. Before I started on Patreon they used to have a community page for each creator where patrons could share photos but they've taken it away. That's why I started the private Facebook group. Patrons and students from Skillshare can share their paintings there. Members of the group have created albums on there for each tutorial where paintings can be stored and you can see them all together.

Hanna

Hi Louise! Could you plz explain why you chose the blue and violet? Thx

Louise De Masi

Hi Hanna, I used the violet to mix a semi neutral yellow for the shadow areas on the daffodil petals. Violet is the complementary colour of yellow and I thought it was mix a pleasing semi neutral colour. The cup is orange and I needed a darker colour for the shadow areas on the cup. Blue is the complementary colour of orange so again, I thought blue mixed with orange would make a pleasing shadow colour. I could also use the blue to mix with a yellow to make a green for the stem.

Hanna

Great, thx! I’m trying to understand how colors work. Thx so much for responding so promptly! You’re the best!

Hanna

Why do you cover the whole flower with paint but leave a border around flower with no water?

Louise De Masi

It helps to leave the edges dry especially when you are first washing a colour in on wet paper. If you have water all the way to the edge sometimes the pigment will accumulate around the edges leaving darker ugly lines. Leaving the edges dry minimises that. When layering paint and adding details you may need to wet right to the edges because you might want the paint to bleed in from the edge. So it depends what you are doing.

Pargol

Hi Louise, I just bought the patreon last night so I can learn and enjoy painting with you. I tried to open the scan of the daffodil, but it is not opening in my computer!! May you please help me to be able to get that? thank you

Louise De Masi

Hi Pargol, try logging into Patreon through your internet browser (Safari, Google Chrome etc) and click on it to download it. If you are using the Patreon app on an iPad that could be what the problem is.

Louise De Masi

Hi Juhi, I'm impressed with your daffodils! Nice work. I'm seeing some confidence in that brushwork. If you are looking for clean edges a lot of that is brush control and as you mentioned, good brushes are a must as is good quality paper. When you paint the first wash on wet on wet - to avoid a dark line around the edge of something, don't paint the water all the way to the edge. Leave about a brush width line of dry paper. The water on the paper pushes the pigment out to the edge and sometimes leaves a dark line that you don't want after it has dried. Also, as you become more aware of water control, keep an eye on your edges as they are drying and clean up anything you don't like the look of with a damp brush. Be careful doing that though. You need to make sure your brush matches the wetness of the paper. Don't add any more water with your brush. You're doing well though- keep at it.

Melissa Jayne

Hi there, I’d like to try this painting but I don’t have two Of the colours. I’m wondering if there are any alternatives I can use for Windsor red and winsor blue red shade? I already have Permanent alizarin Crimson PR206, Cadmium free red deep 895, Scarlet Lake PR188 and Indanthrene blue PB60, French ultramarine PB29, Windsor blue GS PB15. Thanks 🙏

Louise De Masi

Hi Melissa, try using Scarlet Lake instead of Winsor Red - they are both warm reds and replace Winsor Blue red shade with French Ultramarine.