I’m so happy that you popped by to watch my How to Paint Abstract Textured Flowers video tutorials. This technique has always been a hit with my students simply because you see the results almost immediately. We’ll begin on paper but once you feel confident you can switch to the fabric. It’s more cost-effective that way.
As in all of my tutorials, I will place product links throughout the page should you want supplies. However, if you want a more comprehensive list, click on the ebook below to get your copy from Amazon.com. I hope you enjoy these videos as much as I do!
You may be asking why the book if you have the free videos?
Well, while I’ve put links through many of the video pages, the book actually has a list of suppliers in several countries. Those in the USA are generally well-stocked, unlike some of the Amazon sellers who occasionally have a limited supply and not as many colors. Since I’m in The Bahamas, that’s my closest source. It also has a few more details for avid artisans. If you just want the videos, then the book won’t be of any benefit to you.
The Basic Stroke
You’ll see in a moment why I call it the Basic Stroke. Just as a heads up, it’s easy peasy, but it’s also a foundation for painting your leaves and flowers with texture. The beauty about this stroke is it can also be used as a stand-alone stroke to create awesome backgrounds for your purse fabrics.
The designs are raised. I use dimensional paints to create that textured effect. It really gives a yummy look. The brushes are also important. I’ve found Taklon to be the best so far for my technique especially with the heaviness of the paint. The brush sizes will depend on the size stroke you want. You can use the pointed, flat or rounded brushes. I like to buy assortment packs and experiment with the sizes to create new textures. You won’t need a brush with a long handle for this technique but if it’s all you can find it will work as well. The longer handles are more often used for distance painting on an easel.
Other materials include:
- Wax or parchment paper
- Plastic cup or container for water & brushes
- Paint cups for excess paint storage
- Artist apron
- Hand towels
- Cardstock paper (white)
- White or light cotton duck fabric (7 oz is what I can find in the islands, but slightly lighter or heavier is fine once it is a tightly woven fabric.)
how to paint a textured leaf
We’ll be putting the basic stroke to good use here using more than one color. This can be used on a flower or you can create a full design with just leaves. Watch and have fun!
How to Paint a Rosette Flower
This is perhaps my signature flower, I love it for designing, but even more than that, my clients loved it on the garments and handbags. After 2 hours of her first painting class ever, one of my students was commissioned to paint one of these for a client’s home. Yes, it’s that easy. Be sure to check out my videos on how to paint fabulous backgrounds for your flowers.
How to Paint a Daisy Flower
Yep, this is another class favorite. Just keep it simple. Use large or small center circles. If you want a bold design on a fairly large surface, you can’t use a tiny brush. So, experiment for the right size. If you’re making hand-painted notecards you may want to use a #0 or #2 brush.
How to Paint a Rounded Petal Hibiscus Flower
This abstract design is simply a series of rounded petals, similar to your leaf design. Try this with two or more colors for pizazz.
Pointed Petal Hibiscus
I’ve never seen one of these in real life but that’s the beauty of art, isn’t it? You get to create fun things and name them what you want. I’ve probably painted and sold hundreds of tee shirts with a single petal hibiscus on them. Like painting on fabric for purses, dimensional paints are more vibrant on white garments. If you are going to venture into dark colors, you could use opaque fabric paint.
How to paint a frilly hibiscus flower
When creating painted designs you always want to add a variation to your designs. Especially if you’re painting for clients. So it helps to have a few basic designs under your belt. So why not have fun drilling the edges of the basic hibiscus. You’ll paint it the same way but the effect is really cute!
Painting Flowers on Fabric
I bet you’re ready to put a few of the flowers together on one piece of fabric. Well, grab a piece of white or natural cotton duck, and join me in this video. I’m using tropical colors but you can use pastels if that is your preference. There’s no need to prewash your fabric, but if you want it to shrink before you paint it you can spray it with a little water and allow it to dry overnight. If you are going to paint on a tee-shirt, then use a pre-shrunk tee or a 50/50 blend. If it’s 100% cotton and it’s not prepared your design won’t look too good after the first wash. If you’re painting shoes like sneakers that you may throw in the wash, wet them first and allow them to dry before painting.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed the videos if you did share this page with a friend.
Happy painting!