Easy Three Color Watercolor Lavender Tutorial for Beginners

If you have ever said “I’m just not artistic,” this one is for you. With only three watercolor paints and two brushes, you can paint a whole field of lavender today.

Watch the Tutorial

Why This Watercolor Lavender Painting Is Perfect for Beginners

Lavender is one of the most forgiving subjects in watercolor. The stalks are simple lines, the petals are simple dots, and every “mistake” just becomes texture and character. This tutorial uses a limited three color watercolor palette, which means you will spend less time worrying about which paint to reach for and more time enjoying the process. It is a wonderful first project for anyone starting a watercolor journey, and a relaxing one for more experienced painters who want a quick, meditative practice.

Watercolor Supplies You Will Need

You do not need a huge collection of expensive supplies to get started. Here is exactly what is used in this tutorial.

Watercolor Paints (Three Colors Only)

• A warm yellow, such as New Gamboge
• A cool red, such as Quinacridone Rose
• A warm blue, such as French Ultramarine

Brand does not matter here. What matters is having one warm and one cool version of each primary so you can mix a wide range of colors, including the green and purple used in this painting.

Watercolor Brushes

• A round brush, size 3
• A round brush, size 10

Again, brand is not important. Look for a brush with a nice pointy tip, since that point gives you more control for detail work like the lavender petals.

Watercolor Paper 100% cotton watercolor paper is highly recommended. It makes a noticeable difference in how your paint moves, blends, and dries. This tutorial uses a watercolor block, which is glued on all four sides. That keeps the paper lying completely flat, so you can paint without taping it down or worrying about buckling.

Supplies (Amazon Links) (Some links are affiliate links: see note below)

• Watercolor Paints: Daniel Smith Professional Watercolors https://amzn.to/4lASfPl
• Paper: Arches Natural White 100% Cotton Cold Pressed https://amzn.to/3Phgqq7
• Brushes: Princeton Aqua Elite https://amzn.to/4cZi4Xn
• Brushes: Princeton Neptune https://amzn.to/4bgEd23 or
• Watercolor Paints: MeiLiang Pretty Excellent Watercolors https://amzn.to/4btAr4a
• Paper: Paul Rubens Natural White 100% Cotton Cold Pressed https://amzn.to/4sWyF2O
• Brushes: Windsor & Newton Cotman Round https://amzn.to/4lFRIvS
• Some of the links above are Amazon affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them (at no extra cost to you).
• Thank you for supporting my work and helping me continue to create free, encouraging art tutorials 🤍

Step by Step: How to Paint Watercolor Lavender

Step 1: Mix Your Green for the Stalks

Load your brush and mix French Ultramarine with New Gamboge. Keep adding a little of each until the color looks like a green you like. There is no exact formula here… if it looks green to you, it is ready to use.

Step 2: Paint the Lavender Stalks

Using your green mixture, paint simple upward lines on your paper. Four lines is a good place to start. These lines are your lavender stalks, and each one will become its own unique flower.

Step 3: Mix Your Purple for the Flowers

Rinse your brush, then mix Quinacridone Rose with French Ultramarine. This creates a soft, purpley color, perfect for lavender blooms.

Step 4: Add the Lavender Petals

Working from the top of each stalk downward, add little dots of purple to build your lavender flowers. Some dots will look like tiny hearts, others will look like little blobby shapes, and that is exactly right. In real lavender, not every petal is the same shade, so let your pigment naturally lighten as you move down the stalk.

For variety, try changing up the value on each stalk:

• One stalk can move from dark at the top to light at the bottom
• Another can move from light at the top to dark at the bottom, simply by adding more pigment as you go
• A fuller stalk can start dark at the top and stay rich with more petals throughout

Letting each stalk be a little different is what makes the whole painting feel natural and alive.

Step 5: Paint the Lavender Leaves

Clean your brush and pick up more of your green mixture. Add small lines going up and down each stalk to create the leaves, this is the part of the real plant that smells so wonderful. Add pigment as needed, and if a line looks uneven or a little messy, let it be. In watercolor, there are no real mistakes… just texture and character.

Step 6: Add Hand Lettering

Using your purple mixture and a fine brush, write the word “lavender” at the bottom of your page for a finished, giftable look.

Tips for Practicing This Watercolor Technique

This is one of the quickest and easiest watercolor paintings you can create, which makes it perfect for repetition. A few ways to practice:

• Paint a whole field of lavender stalks on one page
• Repeat the tutorial several times to build muscle memory
• Slow down and focus on just one or two stalks at a time to really study the technique

However you choose to practice, remember that art does not have to be perfect to be beautiful. Every wobble and every uneven petal simply becomes part of your own handmade charm.

Ready to Paint?

If this simple three color approach felt encouraging, that is exactly the point. You do not need a huge supply list or years of experience to create something lovely… you just need a little courage and a willingness to begin.

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