DIY Rainbow Watercolor Painting Monstera Leaves

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links. See our full disclosure here.

Hi everyone! This is Zakkiya of Inkstruck Studio, and I’m here at Sam’s lovely blog to teach you how to paint gorgeous DIY rainbow watercolor painting monstera leaves. Monstera leaves are beautiful plants and this illustration coupled with a rainbow background is perfect wall art. Are you ready to learn? Let’s get started!

MATERIALS FOR DIY WATERCOLOR PAINTING MONSTERA LEAVES:

Please note that you may use any brand of the materials listed below. I’ll be linking the ones I’ve used for this illustration. Affiliate links provided for convenience.

STEPS FOR DIY WATERCOLOR PAINTING MONSTERA LEAVES:

STEP 1

First, stick painter’s tape on all four sides of your paper so that you get a crisp border.

Start with a rough drawing of monstera leaves. I wanted the rainbow background to shine as well, so I drew the leaves on the bottom right color on top of each other. You can decide on the composition as you like.

Next, start painting the background using your watercolors. Since the leaves are mostly green with a hint of blue, the background can be kept relatively warm by choosing colors like oranges, pinks, yellows and a dash of purple. This helps balance out the painting without taking away to much focus.

STEP 2

Continue painting the background using the wet on wet or blending technique. In this technique, colors are dropped next to each while they are still wet essentially creating seamless graduation from one color to the next. You can read more about the blending technique HERE.

In images two and three below, you’ll see how the colors orange is transitioned to pink and then orange again with no hard edges showing. Complete the background making sure you don’t go over the leaves. For a tight edge around the leaves, the round petite brush comes quite handy.

STEP 3

Complete the background of the DIY rainbow watercolor monstera and allow it to dry completely. Can you see the beautiful blends that formed with the blending technique? It’s one of the simplest things to do but has gorgeous results.

STEP 4

Now, start with the watercolor monstera leaves. Fill it in with green and a touch a blue and ever slightly yellow to create interest. This is also done using the blending technique. Also, paint the middle vein of the monstera leaf while the paints are still damp.

STEP 5

Allow the leaf to dry completely. Draw the other veins radiating from the center. One thing to keep in mind is that it shouldn’t overpower the leaf but instead look like it’s a part of it.

STEP 6

Next add texture to the leaf by painting strokes of lower value(more water, less pigment) using the round petite brush. This gives a lovely dimension to the leaf.

STEP 7

Repeat the same for the second leaf underneath. Add a shadow falling on the lower leaf from the first leaf. This area will be darker than the rest. Add the veins as explained previously.

STEP 8

Lastly, add more texture using the white gel pen and rough strokes complimenting the texture. And that’s it! You’ve created a gorgeous watercolor monstera wall art for your home!

If you like this tutorial, check out these other watercolor tutorials:

About zakkiya hamza @ inkstruck

Zakkiya is the creative blogger and founder of Inkstruck Studio. She’s a self taught artist who let go of her architecture profession to pursue her passion in art. Zakkiya likes to write detailed tutorials in watercolor, calligraphy, and hand lettering. She also teaches watercolor workshops occasionally in Doha where she’s based currently. Other passions include traveling, photography, and basketball.When she’s not working, you can find her cuddling and running around with her toddler boy.

For more watercolor tutorials, follow Instruck Studio here: