How to Paint Daisies in Acrylics

1. 1

   Step 1: Block In the Green Background

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   Start with the whole background before you think about a single flower. Load a flat brush with titanium white, pale olive green, and a touch of powder blue, then sweep loose vertical strokes across the entire canvas. Let the colors stay a little separate so the surface has movement.

   You want variation, not a flat wall of one green. Keep the strokes streaky and soft, like an out-of-focus meadow sitting behind the flowers. This layer sets the mood, so lean into pale, airy greens rather than anything dark or heavy.

   Tip:

   Watch this step Work fast while the paint is wet. Acrylics dry quickly, and a wet background is far easier to blend into a soft haze than a dry one.

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   Used in this stepacrylic paint set for beginnersflat acrylic paintbrushstretched canvas 11x14

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2. 2

   Step 2: Blend the Background Soft

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   With the whole canvas covered, go back over it while the paint is still wet and soften every edge. Cross-hatch light and darker greens into each other with the flat brush so the strokes melt together instead of sitting as separate marks.

   The goal is a hazy, out-of-focus backdrop with no hard lines anywhere. A gentle, muted background is what makes the crisp white daisies read so clearly once you add them. If any spot looks too busy or too dark, dab a little more pale green over it and blend it back down.

   Tip:

   Watch this step Wipe your brush on a rag between blends. A clean, barely-damp brush feathers the greens together far better than one loaded with wet paint.

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   Used in this stepartist palette knife and mixing tray

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3. 3

   Step 3: Paint the Stems and Leaves

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   Now switch to a thin liner or detail brush and mix up an olive and dark green for the stems. Pull long upward strokes that fan out from a single point near the bottom, the way a hand-tied bunch of flowers would sit in a vase.

   Vary the height and lean of each stem. Some tall, some short, a few crossing over each other. Add a few blade-like leaves along the way. Keeping them uneven is what makes the bunch look picked from a field instead of drawn with a ruler.

   Tip:

   Watch this step Thin the green with a little water so it flows off the liner brush in one smooth pull. A dry, stiff brush drags and breaks the stem line.

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   Used in this stepliner detail paintbrush setolive green acrylic paint

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4. 4

   Step 4: Dot In the Flower Centers

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   Before any petals, place the yellow centers. Load a round brush with yellow ochre and tap small round blobs across the top of the bunch, one for each daisy you plan to paint. Scatter them at different heights so the flowers will fall naturally.

   These dots act as your map. Space them the way you want the finished daisies to sit, leaving a little breathing room between each one. Some can cluster together, others can sit off on their own stem. This is the moment you set the whole layout of the bouquet.

   Tip:

   Watch this step Resist making every center the same size. A mix of larger front daisies and smaller back ones instantly adds depth to the bunch.

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   Used in this stepyellow ochre acrylic paintround acrylic paintbrush set

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5. 5

   Step 5: Add the White Petals

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   Here is where the flowers appear. Load a round brush with titanium white and flick short strokes outward from each yellow center. Pull each petal from the outer edge in toward the middle so it tapers naturally, then work your way around every dot.

   Do not aim for perfect symmetry. Let some petals overlap, some point at odd angles, and a few stay a little shorter. That looseness is exactly what reads as a real daisy. Keep your wrist relaxed and paint each flower quickly rather than carefully placing every stroke.

   Tip:

   Watch this step Use a thicker, less watery white here so the petals sit crisp and bright on top of the muted green rather than sinking in.

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   Used in this steptitanium white acrylic paintround acrylic paintbrush set

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6. 6

   Step 6: Layer More Daisies for Depth

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   One layer of daisies looks flat, so keep building. Add more white flowers over and between the first ones, and turn some so you see them from the side or the back rather than head-on. Overlap a few so they crowd together like a real bunch.

   Drop a few smaller, paler daisies toward the back and let them fade slightly into the green. Those quieter flowers sit behind the bright front ones and give the whole bouquet a sense of depth. Now the bunch feels full and three-dimensional instead of like a flat row.

   Tip:

   Watch this step Mix a touch of green or blue into your white for the back daisies. Slightly grayed petals recede, while pure white ones jump forward.

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   Used in this steptitanium white acrylic paintpowder blue acrylic paint

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7. 7

   Step 7: Brighten Centers and Finish

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   Time for the details that pull it all together. Warm up each daisy center with a fresh dab of yellow, then add a tiny spot of lighter yellow or white on one side of each so they look like they catch the light. It is a small move that makes every flower feel round.

   Tidy any stray stems and clean up the edges of the bouquet. To finish, suggest a simple glass jar at the base with a few pale gray-blue strokes. You do not need to render it fully. A hint of a container is enough to hold the whole bunch together.

   Tip:

   Watch this step Step back from the canvas before you call it done. Distance shows you which daisies need a highlight and which corners feel empty.

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   Used in this stepcadmium yellow light acrylic paintacrylic paint set for beginners

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Keep going

How to Paint Sunflowers in Acrylic (Step by Step for Beginners)

6 steps · about 6 minutes

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Tools we recommend

• Liquitex

  Liquitex BASICS Acrylic Paint Set (24 tubes)

  Artist-grade pigment at student pricing, buttery enough to blend and thick enough to hold a stroke. The set most acrylic painters start on.

• Benicci

  Benicci 16-Piece Artist Brush Set

  Every shape you actually reach for (round, flat, filbert, liner, fan) in nylon that keeps its point and does not shed. Comes with a palette knife and case.

• FIXSMITH

  FIXSMITH 8" x 10" Stretched Canvas (12-pack)

  Pre-primed cotton canvases in a bulk pack so you can just start painting. The low-stakes surface for practicing before the big piece.

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