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How to paint a watercolour cactus

Add a splash of colour to your home by learning how to paint a watercolour cactus to hang on your wall!

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Esther Curtis

Published: May 2, 2024 at 2:54 pm

This watercolour cactus project makes way for plenty of creative freedom with a pot that positively zings! With their quirky shapes and vivid greens, cacti are an excellent plant to paint in watercolour – a medium that allows you to build up colour and really bring things to life, layer by layer.

This is a great way to learn basic watercolour skills and make a beautiful work of art in the process.

Before you get started, take a look at our best watercolour paints guide to see our pick of the top paint sets out there.

Acrylic painting

Pro paints!

If you're new to painting, you might also enjoy our acrylic painting guide and beginner's guide to gouache

Watercolour cactus step-by-step tutorial

Top tips: Coax paint to areas by using more water, or stop it running by drying the area with a piece of kitchen towel. Leave a few patches of white in your painting for added depth. We've used a white Posca pen to add highlights to the watercolour cactus, but you could also use white gouache paint to get the same look.

Step 1

Using a pencil, sketch out the rough shape of your cactus on the watercolour paper, then outline lightly with green pencil crayon.

How to paint a watercolour cactus step one

Step 2

Using a large brush and starting with one section of the cactus, wet the paper inside the shape. (Make sure you have some kitchen towel at the ready to mop up any excess water!)

How to paint a watercolour cactus step two

Step 3

Mix a light green and load your brush, then allow it to flood into the wet area. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until your cactus is completely green.

How to paint a watercolour cactus step three

Step 4

Mix a deeper green, and with a wet brush add it to the relevant areas, allowing the colour to bloom and bleed as it wants.

How to paint a watercolour cactus step four

Step 5

Using the technique in the previous steps, paint in your pot.

How to paint a watercolour cactus step five

Step 6

Once the cactus is dry, use a thicker mix of watercolour (or a Posca pen) to add yellow dots to your cactus. Once these are done, add a little green to the mix to paint dots around the outside of your cactus for a bobbly look.

How to paint a watercolour cactus step six

Step 7

Mix a strong black and, with a fine brush, paint triangles on the pot. Add a few corners to the edges of the pot to give the sense of a continuous pattern.

How to paint a watercolour cactus step seven

Step 8

Add in the flowers with paler pink paint first, then paint in rough petal shapes with a darker pink or red over the top.

How to paint a watercolour cactus step eight

Step 9

Use a watered down wash of pale grey to add a shadow. Add a thin line of darker grey directly beneath one side of the pot’s base, for a more intense shadow.

How to paint a watercolour cactus step nine

You’ve finished your cactus! Find a space on a wall and display it with pride.

How to paint a watercolour cactus

Monochrome painting for beginners

Marvellous monochrome

Looking for more watercolour projects? Check out our article on monochrome painting for beginners.

Find your way with watercolours

This watercolour cactus is a great project for beginners, as you don't have to create a realistic copy to end up with a great painting. Experimenting with water flooding and colour layering will help you to understand the mechanics of watercolour painting, which you can then use intentionally on your future paintings.

More painting inspiration

If you're not sure what to do for your next painting, you'll find lots of easy watercolour painting ideas to inspire you right here on Gathered.

Freelance Illustrator

Bristol-based Esther is a full-time freelance illustrator, who works for many different clients, including several magazines. Because of the nature of her work, she often works on the computer, scanning in her art to create collages on the screen. However, what she enjoys most is creating by hand. Visit Esther’s website at www.esthercurtisdesign.com or follow her on Instagram @esthercurtisdesign