The limited palette for this flower consists of just three vibrant colors. The red and green mix to create a beautiful warm brown, and the gold flecks run into the green to create natural foliage shades. Using a Watercolor Stick for the gold also adds interesting texture.

• Pthalo Blue (Green Shade)
• Pyrrol Scarlet
• Quinacridone Gold

1. After sketching the flower, put in a layer of Quin Gold (wet onto dry paper) and then drop in some Pyrrol Scarlet.
2. Dampen the rest of the petals with a thin wash of Quin Gold.
3. Brush a thicker consistency of Pyrrol Scarlet into the damp petals and gradually adjust their shape.
4. Leave hints of broken white at the heart of the flower. Try let your outer edges be loose and free.
5. Deepen the red for the farthest petals towards the center of the flower, then carefully lift off a highlight on the extreme right petal.
6. Follow the same pattern for the extreme left petal – dampen with Quin Gold and drop in Pyrrol Scarlet.
7. Working quickly while the paint is still damp, create dots in the center with the Quin Gold watercolor stick.
8. Dampen the dense dots and let the paint flow into the rest of the petals. This creates a subtle gradiated warmth.
9. Accent the depth with a dark mix of Phthalo Green and Pyrrol Scarlet to create shapes in the heart of the flower using loose, free strokes.
10. Drag some of the dark mix into the petals for a bit of texture and to enhance any other areas that need darkening.
11. Draw quick strokes for the stem and the leaves with the gold stick – it should be damp but not wet, which creates a lovely dry texture in the lines.
12. Brush quick strokes for the leaves in juicy Phthalo Green. Running over the dry gold strokes slightly activates the paint without completely obliterating it.
13. Develop the damp leaves further by adding varied consistencies of Phthalo Green with a touch of either Pyrrol Scarlet or Quin Gold to alternate the tones.