How to Paint a Soft Pink Rose in Watercolour

Tevfik Özan
2 days ago
2 min read

Want to Watch the Colours Come Together?

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/4a4507_e2650e5b11a642cca05a884cd47d080d/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Preview video for a soft pink rose watercolour painting tutorial by Tevfik Özan

Roses are some of the most rewarding subjects to paint in watercolour, and also some of the most challenging. Their layered petals fold into each other in ways that are never quite symmetrical, which is exactly what makes them worth painting.

In this piece, I focused on a soft pink rose, working entirely with gentle colour transitions, glazing and subtle detail. It took me two days to complete.

Why I Chose This Rose

I chose this rose for the width of its petals and because it is genuinely easier to paint than it looks. I wanted to show that a rose which looks complicated can actually be a piece that beginners, intermediate and advanced watercolour painters can all follow.

Materials I Used

Paper: Arches, 100 percent cotton, 300gsm (140lb).

Brushes: natural hair brushes. This is purely a personal preference, I did not use synthetic brushes for this piece.

Reference photo: found on Pinterest.

Pigments: Qor Dioxazine Purple; Schmincke Solferino, Brilliant Opera, Aureolin Hue and Neutral Tint; Daniel Smith Quinacridone Coral, Quinacridone Red and Pyrrol Orange.

You do not need to use these exact pigments to paint this rose. If you do not have one of them, feel free to ask me in the comments and I can suggest something close from what you already own.

Painting Petal by Petal, With No Fixed Order

I do not follow a fixed order when I paint a rose. Wherever a petal draws my attention in the moment, that is where I go next. It might look a little chaotic from the outside, but it actually suits the way a rose grows. Never quite symmetrical, never quite predictable.

Layering and Glazing

Rather than reaching for strong pigment straight away, I build the petals up slowly, layer by layer, letting each wash dry before adding the next. This kind of patience is what gives roses their sense of depth and light. The pale centre glows while the outer petals fall into shadow.

I always find roses challenging and rewarding in equal measure. Their layered petals offer endless opportunities to explore softness, light and transparency, and every rose I paint teaches me something new about controlling water and pigment together.