Painting a Loose Watercolor Iris: My Journey from "Trash Bin" to Prismatic Beauty 🌸

Starting Without Fear (Or Sketches!)

Hi friends! I'm so excited to share this watercolor iris journey with you - and trust me, it's quite the emotional rollercoaster. When I first put brush to paper on this piece, I had no idea I'd nearly toss it in the bin halfway through, only to fall in love with it by the end.

I work completely without sketches for these loose florals, which I know can feel terrifying at first. Instead, I use a little trick that might surprise you: water drops as measuring guides. I literally place clean water droplets on my paper where I want the petals to go. It's genius because if I mess up the placement, I just dry those drops and try again. Plus, when I hit them with paint, the color floods in beautifully - it's like having invisible guidelines that actually enhance the painting process!

The Magic of Imperial Purple

For this iris, I reached for one of my absolute favorites: Daniel Smith Imperial Purple. This color is what I call a "splitter" - it contains PV 19 and PB 29 pigments that naturally separate when there's lots of water involved. The result? Gorgeous pink and blue variations that create incredible texture without me having to work for it. Sometimes watercolor really does paint itself!

I started with those top petals using my trusty size 8 round Silver Black Velvet brush, dropping in some Manganese Blue Hue to cool down the shadow areas. Here's a crucial technique: while the paint was still damp (not sopping wet), I used a thirsty brush to lift pigment and create those gentle, dreamy folds that irises are known for.

The Art of Lost and Found Edges

One thing I'm passionate about is creating that perfect balance of hard and soft edges. I don't want everything to look like it was traced - that dreamy, atmospheric quality comes from knowing when to soften and when to leave things crisp. While those upper petals were still workable, I softened edges and even painted the back petal using just clean water, letting it diffuse the surrounding colors into an almost imperceptible suggestion of form.

Color Theory in Action: Yellow Meets Purple

Here's where things get interesting! I knew I wanted to add Cadmium Yellow to create that bearded center, but timing is everything when you're working with complementary colors. Yellow and purple are opposites on the color wheel, and if you're not careful, they'll create muddy grays instead of vibrant contrasts.

My solution? Add the yellow first, then work with the purple. Cadmium Yellow is what I call a "bully" pigment - it's heavy and will push other colors around, so I gave it space to do its thing. I dry-brushed and flicked my brush to create that wonderful bearded texture that makes an iris instantly recognizable.

The "Trash Bin" Moment (And Why You Should Push Through)

I have to be honest with you - when that first wash dried, I was ready to give up on this painting. It looked too light, too loose, nothing like what I had envisioned. I actually took it off my block because I needed the space for another painting, convinced this one was heading for the trash.

But here's the thing about watercolor - and art in general - we're building in layers, both literally and emotionally. That first wash isn't meant to be the finished piece; it's setting up a map, creating the foundation for everything that comes next. If you're at this stage thinking "it's too light, too loose," of course it is! You can't get where you're going yet because you're still at the beginning.

Finding Freedom in "Failure"

Something magical happened when I decided to continue working on this "failed" painting. There's incredible creative freedom in working on something you think you're going to throw away - suddenly you're not afraid to make mistakes because what's the worst that could happen? You were going to trash it anyway!

This mindset shift allowed me to work bolder. I used stronger colors, made more confident brush strokes, and stopped second-guessing every mark. That bold blue shadow on the left center petal? That happened because I thought, "No one can stop me, so why not have some fun?"

Building Depth with Quinacridone Gold

As I built up the layers, I realized Cadmium Yellow alone was too flat. This is where Quinacridone Gold becomes a game-changer - it's honestly one of my colors I cannot live without. It adds that texture and depth that makes the difference between a flat, amateur-looking yellow and something that has real dimension and warmth.

The Importance of Atmospheric Perspective

Working on that bulb area under the flower taught me something important about mixing hard and soft edges effectively. I started with really wet, diffused edges to create atmosphere, then came back with confident hard lines in darker values. The key is balance - too many hard lines and it becomes distracting, too many soft edges and it looks uncertain.

Remember: you want your greatest range of values at your focal point. For this iris, that's the center petal of the lower section. But like music, while the soloist is important, the whole band working together creates magic.

Knowing When to Put the Reference Away

There comes a point in every painting where you need to stop looking at your reference photo and start paying attention to what the painting itself needs. This happened when I was adding those final iris veins with my liner brush. I have a confession - I usually don't love painting these little details, but they're what make an iris recognizable.

My solution? Paint them in, then immediately soften some with a damp brush. This way they're present enough to tell the story that this is an iris, but diffused enough that they don't compete with my focal point for attention.

The Beautiful Transformation

By the time I reached the end, this painting had completely won me over. What started as a piece I was ready to abandon became something I genuinely love - I call it my "prism iris" because it reminds me of light passing through a crystal.

Your Turn to Create Magic

Here's what I want you to take away from this: work past the ugly stage. Every painting goes through moments where it doesn't look like much, where you question every choice you've made. That's not a sign you should quit - it's a sign you're exactly where you need to be in the process.

Get that brush wet, make a beautiful mess, and remember that watercolor is meant to be layered, both in technique and in patience with yourself. Take the techniques I've shared here and make them your own - you don't want to paint exactly like me anyway!

What's Next?

This iris study was actually practice for one of the lessons in my Watercolor Fearless Florals course, where we explore a variety of flowers through studies and larger compositions. If you're interested in diving deeper into loose floral techniques, keep an eye out for the next enrollment period!

Remember, every expert was once a beginner who refused to give up. Keep painting, keep experimenting, and most importantly, keep having fun with it!

Happy painting! 🎨