Do you want to paint something delicate and stylish using just a pencil and a few watercolor paints?
As Natalia Nazarian beautifully demonstrates, minimalistic botanicals can be both simple and stunning.
In this post, Natalia Nazarian will show you exactly how to draw and paint a minimalistic single flower with a stem—step by step.
It’s calm, relaxing, and perfect for anyone who loves clean, elegant botanical artwork. Let’s get started!
Contents
Step 1: Sketching the Flower Structure in
Let’s begin with a pencil sketch. This step lays the foundation for the watercolor flower, so the artist should take time and enjoy the process.
The artist always starts by placing the flower right in the middle of the paper. This gives a clean and balanced look to the composition.
Next, the artist draws a stem. Instead of a straight line, the artist makes it slightly curved — the shape looks a little like the letter “S.”
This adds a natural and gentle movement to the flower.
Once the stem is in place, the artist marks the exact point from which all the petals will grow.
This step is essential because every petal must start from the same spot to make the flower look real. Think of this point as the heart of the flower.
Define the petal growth point
Now, the artist sketches the flower cup. First, the artist decides on the direction it tilts. In this case, it tilts slightly to the left. The artist draws a light tilt axis to guide the placement.
Then, the artist draws the base of the flower cup as an oval. Since the flower is viewed at an angle, the oval isn’t even — the bottom part is smaller than the top.
This simple trick gives the flower a nice perspective. The artist divides this oval into eight equal parts. These marks will help place the petals evenly later on.
Step 2: Sketching the Petals with Perspective
With the base in place, it’s time to bring the petals to life. In this part, the artist looks at shape, size, and how perspective changes everything.
The artist starts drawing each petal with a soft, oval shape. One end of the petal becomes thinner as it moves toward the center point of the flower.
This narrowing shape helps the petals feel like they belong to the same flower.
Because the flower is drawn in perspective, the petals that are closer appear larger. The ones farther away look smaller.
The artist pays attention to this detail to make the flower look more three-dimensional and natural. The artist continues sketching all eight petals, adjusting their sizes based on their position.
After finishing the full pencil sketch, the artist carefully erases any extra construction lines. This cleanup makes the drawing look neat and prepares it for the watercolor part. Now the pencil sketch is ready for painting!
Step 3: Painting the Petals with Watercolor
Now, the real fun begins. Let’s start painting the petals using soft, translucent watercolor layers. The artist uses the same technique shared in previous tutorials.
The artist always paints the farthest petal first. A light pink watercolor solution is used to fill in the whole petal.
While the paint is still wet, the artist takes a thin brush and adds a stronger pink color around the edges. This soft blending technique helps the petal look delicate and natural.
The petal edges do not need to be perfectly smooth. Leaving them a little uneven makes the flower look more realistic.
While the petal is still wet, the artist dips the brush into a light yellow watercolor solution, adding a few yellow dots right in the middle of the petal and along its edges.
This adds more depth and a natural touch of warmth.
Now, the artist repeats the same process with the rest of the petals — always starting with the ones farther away and working toward the front.
But there’s one crucial rule the artist always follows: wait for the petal to dry before painting the next one.
This prevents the colors from bleeding into each other and keeps the shapes clear. If the paper is too damp, excess water is removed with a cotton pad.
Each petal gets the same gentle treatment: a light pink wash, deeper pink at the edges, and a few yellow touches. The combination creates that soft, translucent effect.
Step 4: Painting the Stem
Once the petals are done, the artist moves on to the stem. It’s a simple step, but it completes the look of the flower.
The artist takes a light green watercolor solution and a thin brush, then carefully paints a thin line starting from the bottom of the flower cup and extending down to the end of the stem.
The shape follows the pencil sketch, keeping that soft S-curve drawn earlier.
Finally, the artist checks the whole flower, ensuring every petal is fully dry and the colors look balanced. Some edges may be darkened if needed, but everything is kept simple and clean.
If there is too much space between the petals, the artist adds more petals to make the flower look more natural, always using the wet-on-wet technique.
After that, the artist removes excessive sketch lines with an eraser. And just like that, the beautiful flower is complete — minimalistic yet stylish.
The artist loves how it turned out — and hopes the viewer does, too.
Wrapping Up
Why not give this simple flower a try the next time the artist picks up a brush?
With just a pencil and a few gentle watercolor washes, it’s possible to create something soft, elegant, and full of charm.
This step-by-step process is easy to follow and leaves room for personal style to shine.
Keep practicing; even the most minimal designs can feel beautifully complete.