Find Calm & Create: A 3-Week Drawing & Watercolor Challenge (All Levels)

1. Introduction: Welcome to my second class. I'm Emma, a surface pattern designer from El Salvador. Wild nature offers many wonders, flowers hold a special appeal, their incredible variety in shape, petal arrangement, color and texture provides endless inspiration for creative work. In this class we'll explore how art can transform us. I truly believe it offers a unique path to processing and empowering ourselves through challenging concepts. Whether you are a beginner or have experience, especially if you're curious. This class is for you. You learn to see and draw nature's patterns and flowers using easy to follow instructions to make drawing flowers enjoyable and achievable. Our focus will be on mindful drawing to improve our overall well being and learn along the way. In this supportive and encouraging space, you'll be able to quiet your inner critic and with confidence start building your library of imaginary flowers. In our first week, you'll create five nature inspired flower drawings each day, including some small, charming button flowers. Weeks two and three will use our previous work to create motivational cards, perfect for gifts or gentle personal reminders. Plus you'll acquire the tools to create countless imaginary flowers enrichening your future creative projects. This class and subject are truly close to my heart. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I'm excited to see you in our first lesson. 2. Your Projects: Week one is dedicated to the enchanting world of flower drawing. We'll begin by building a personal catalog of floral illustrations. Remember that inside or downloadable workbook, located in the Projects and Resources tab, you'll find additional photos and a curated list of creative prompts that I use to generate a wider variety of imaginary flowers. These shortcuts will help you overcome creative blocks and foster your artistic flow. You can watch the entire lesson or pause the video to create each flower at your own pace. Week two and three, we transition to painting. Your challenge here is to create one meaningful affirmation card per day. We will start with simple compositions and gradually introduce more complexity. Don't worry if you're new to painting. We will break down every step and practice essential painting techniques that we will reinforce throughout our daily challenge. The drawing skills and confidence you developed in the first week will complement this stage. When you complete your daily projects, please share your creations. If you'd like feedback or have any questions, simply head to the Projects and Resources tab and click the submit button. Can upload a cover image at a title and include additional photos or videos alongside your description or questions you may have. Then just hit the published button. 3. Tools - Drawing Phase: Aside from an open heart and a curious mind for this class, the tools we'll use are pretty standard. Nothing too fancy. The main objective is to unleash your creativity by drawing imaginary flowers. So regular paper works just fine. I do recommend keeping everything together in a journal. It just makes life easier. Now, you don't have to do this, but I use a hand stitched journal with isometric paper to create my floorals. If you want to try the paper out, I put a document with that kind of grid paper in the projects and resources tab. It's very helpful for practicing drawing circles, which are basic flower shapes and dividing them into three, six or nine sections. Make sure to stick your completed sheets inside your journal so everything stays together. You can also use a compass if you like precision or anything strong and round to trace your basic shapes. When it comes to the drawing phase, 90% of the time I grab my mechanical pencil. It's great for getting those precise soft thin lines. We'll also be using regular soft pencil. This is useful for sketching out darker thick lines and for shading as it covers areas faster. It's up to you which one feels better in your hand. Use whatever you're most comfortable with. Blending stumps come in different sizes, and I like to use the smaller one for more control, just so you know the stump will pick up some of the graphite as you blend, which you can then use to add tones to other areas. If you don't have a stump, a tip works great, too. I love using pencil erasers, as they offer even more control. Plus, they're not just for erasing unwanted lines. They are great for making marks, too. You'll also need a sharpener and a regular eraser. See you in the next lesson. 4. DAY 1: Rhododendron: Today, use creative drawing to gently reflect inward. Pause to listen to your inner world, connecting with your unique needs through mindful observation and intuitive mark making. Let's embrace self kindness, allowing the creative process to unfold naturally and honoring the unique expressions that emerge. Today, I will be kind to myself. Welcome to day one. I am so excited that you're here. Today, our focus is a beautiful rhododendron Bauer salt. We'll approach this project step by step, making it easy and enjoyable. With your basic shapes in place, let's count the petals in your subject. We can see five. So we divide the circle into five sections, remembering to be kind to yourself. It's perfectly okay if you eyeball these sections. Constantly reviewing your subject, your next step is to prime your petals. Remember, we're creating imaginary flowers inspired by nature. We're not drawing the exact flower. So choose one petal as a starting point. Review its shape and plan now where your angular lines will start and end. Your approach is that of drawing a mandala. So go around your circle using the sections you drew previously. Once your guidelines are in place, lightly connect the dots. You'll notice that these guidelines create a trapezoid like shape within each section. Now that your trapezoid like shapes are established, go around each one, softening their corners. Erasing lines is an important part of defining your boundaries. This will give you a clear vision of what's unfolding. Now that your petals are primed, it's time to reinforce their boundaries. Take your time and breathe deeply. Let your lines emulate the subtle wobbliness of the petal tips in your reference photo. Relax your grip on the pencil and enjoy the process of bringing your flower to life. Our next step is to choose a detail to interpret inside each petal. Sometimes a reference subject can be challenging. We might feel overwhelmed by too many details or conversetly by lack of clear direction. Our flower reference, for example, has a wealth of subtle details. At this stage when I'm unsure how to proceed, I often focus on the most prominent features. In this case, that would be the darkest mark along some of the petal edges. Enhance the tips of each petal by adding organic marks with your soft pencil, particularly where you've already created those lovely wobbly lines. The next detail might be tricky to visualize. However, we can envision it as a delicate interwoven white thread. To represent this, consider using continuous overlapping S shaped lines, ensuring that the central curves of each S connect. Let's break this down even further. Begin by drawing a single continuous S shaped line as you draw the neighboring line, breathe deeply and concentrate to connect the curves, mirror the direction of the previous line. Be kind to yourself because irregular spaces are expected. Remember, we are interpreting a texture, so flexibility is key. Making a visual note of this pattern is a good idea. It'll help you remember it, and it'll also remind you how it was built. You might find it easier to create it outside of the petal boundaries. And if you see me pause slightly, it just means I'm concentrating a bit harder. But I assure you it's totally achievable. In order for your petals to be more visible, we can draw inspiration from the shadow and reference of the overlap petals and reinforce some of these sections. The last detail we'll add to our first drawing will be the stamen, the stalk like structures you see in the middle. Keep it simple by adding a bold line, your filament that travels from the center of your flower outward, stopping somewhere in the middle of your petal. Then add a small oval, the anther at the very tip. Proceed to place these two marks randomly around your flower. Consider changing the direction of the bold line and even using a soft curve to depict movement. Remember to approach your flowers with a mandala like method moving around in a circle. And since we have our basic shape already in place, divide it into the desired number of petals. Add key marks and guidelines in a circular motion, forming the basic petal shapes. Continue until you're satisfied with the trapezoid shapes. We'll explore overlapping petals now, but don't worry. We'll take it slow. Start by softening just the top edges of each shape. Then look at your reference photo to see where the petals overlap. We'll focus on the left side of each petal only. Gently sketch a curve flowing smooth leaf from the top of your petal shape down to the center. Notice how they go beyond our initial guideline, and that's okay. Softly repeat this mark around your sketch. And once you're done, erase any unnecessary lines to clearly see your overlapping shapes. Now that your petals are primed, go ahead and reinforce their boundaries. Take this opportunity during this simple step to breathe and find your center again. I hope you realize that what you have accomplished is complex, yet achieved through simple steps. Come back to your subject for another detail to place in your flower. For the center, choose a simple detail like the dip where the petal curves inward. Interpret it simply a gentle curve will do. Place this curve near the center and repeat it around your flower. It will form a soft hexagon we can color in. Now add stamens like you did in your first drawing. Make the filament slightly thinner this time. Place them randomly around your flower, ensuring they converge toward the center. The last detail will be the shadow at the tip where the edge dips in the petal. Block out the subtle colour change with a simple loop and place this detail all around your flour to complete your second drawing. Let's approach the third drawing like we did our previous one. Feel free to decide on any tweaks at any time, even before we start defining shapes. This way, we can incorporate them as we define our petal edges. Jot down these changes for future reference. They can be applied to any other flower. For this drawing, the petals will be slightly wider. I sometimes trace the shapes in the air in my sketchbook. It's a small extra step, but it helps me feel more confident in the direction I'm going. You've just practiced the overlapping method, so take a moment to relax and let it sink in. So for this flower variation, let's make another slight change. The top of each petal will have a wavy edge, just like reference image. Now confidently go over each petals edge reinforcing their boundaries. Notice this simple moment, breathe and enjoy the rhythm of these familiar steps. Following the reinforced boundaries, using your mechanical or regular pencil, let's place the shadow seen at the top middle section of your subject using the pressure technique we practice with our leaves. Now take a moment to darken the center of your flower. Imagine a smaller version of the curved hexagon from your second drawing. Continue building up texture and interest to your flower by adding an extra detail along the wavy edges of your petals at small expressive lines to emphasize the undulating movement. For the final detail in your third drying, add stamens. For some variation, make the filaments even thinner and curvier than before. 5. DAY 1: Rhododendron Continued: This is your private and safe space where you get to experiment and play. Let's get bold with this flower and make the petals really graphic. Don't worry about mistakes. This is all about exploring and having fun. Every stroke and every line is learning opportunity. Let's see what we can create. Remember to be kind to yourself throughout this process. If you need to review the instructions again, feel free to do so. So let's get a little adventurous. Shift the center of your flowers slightly to the right. The instructions are essentially the same, but with the center off center. This will create the illusion that we're viewing the flower from an angle. If you'd rather keep the center in its original place, that's fine, too. Continue defining your petal shapes by incorporating guide marks and lines. Remember, these will serve as a roadmap during the priming process. When you're done with your guidelines, soften the hard corners on each section. To this day, I often get caught up in pursuing perfection, striving for identical petals in this case, having our intention top of mind when that happens, and if that happens to you, I remind myself that I am in this safe space for starters. Then I look at my source of inspiration. Nature itself is full of variation and unique beauty, uneven lines and unexpected quirks can add character and personality to my work. It's okay to let go of the pressure for perfection, embrace the individuality in this case, right now, of each petal. Now, choose a detail for the edge of your petals. This could be a ruffle, a fringe, or any other unique characteristic. Let your subject guide you. Use the tool that best suits this detail to recreate in your flower drawing. Embrace steps like this. I call them breather steps. They're naturally easy and enjoyable because they're simple, and let's say they allow flow, like with this irregular line we're using to describe the ruffle edge, steps that start feeling familiar to us will eventually become breathers. Use this time to relax, breathe deeply, and find your ground. Finish the edges off by reinforcing the petals and adding small organic lines to emphasize the ruffle detail. We're now going to interpret the middle shadow near the bottom of the referenced petal by blocking out the shape and drawing an elongated droplet shape. Adapt the length of the droplet according to the length of each corresponding petal and then color them in. Now with your blending tool, soften these shapes by blending them into the paper background. Ground yourself by connecting with your senses, paying attention to the sound of the stub, scratching the paper, and breathe. A final touch will be to add the stamen to your flower. Make it different by keeping one filament per petal, strengthen the anther by erasing the excess graphite and drawing them again. Now your fifth flower. Follow the same process, divide your basic shape into the desired number of petals. However, this time, we'll incorporate a different detail into our drawing. Carefully examine your reference photo. Find a petal that interestingly overlaps another. Perhaps it has a unique bump or curve. Remember, we are to select just one distinctive feature right now. On the left side of each petal section, lightly sketch an angular guideline that extends from the top rim to the point where this unique feature occurs. Once your guidelines are in place, gently soften these edges with your pencil, allowing it to flow over the guideline and curve into the dot marker. Repeat this process only on one side of each petal. Once you're done, erase unnecessary lines. Return to your reference photo to complete this detail. Observe the oval shaped shadow that appears towards the end of the distinctive feature. Add the same detail to the end of each of the curved lines you've created. This is a great time for a short breather during this familiar simple step. Relax and enjoy the process as you gently reinforce your petals, paying attention to the smooth edges. Check your reference photo again, if necessary, to see what else we can add, or maybe we can build upon our previous drawing and include the droplet shaped shadow in the middle of each petal. But instead of blending them, let them remain distinct. This can be a clear example of how simple tweaks can have a big impact on the outcome. Now add the dotted texture you see in your reference. Remember, if it's only on one petal, you can use it to inspire your unique flower. Randomly place this animal like print across all petals. Remember to include your visual side note. This will help you retain it for future use and will also serve as a reminder on how some details in nature cleverly repeat themselves. We'll finish off today by creating two buttonflowers. Follow the same initial steps, divide your basic shape into the number of petals you'd like to have. I usually keep the same number of petals I've been using, but you can vary this. Most importantly, look back at your previous work for inspiration. Create these buttonflowers using details from today's drawings so they harmonize with your existing creations. This will give you a valuable foundation for expanding your collection of imaginary flowers. Possibilities are endless. So my advice is that you keep it simple by choosing one detail to place in your smaller basic shapes. Choose the drawing for your buttonflower. Divide the space into the number of petals you want. Place the markers that indicate where you'll be softening the petals and lightly sketch in angular lines to start forming your trapezoids. Then prime your petals and reinforce them using the details of the petals you've selected. Move at your own pace. If you feel overwhelmed, pause for a few seconds. The steps you took to create the first drawings will come back to you. It's basically the same, but in a small space. If you feel like it, use the same tool to add the details that follow the rim of your petals in your original drawing to your button. Breathe as you get reacquainted with this step. We've got two options with the inspiration we are following. Either the white thread idea, the S like lines depicting an interwoven pattern with no center, or you can choose to keep it simple and just add the stamen at the center of your button. When you finish, take a moment and pause, breathe deeply and admire your work. It's a testament to your creativity and patience. You've achieved complexity through a series of gentle steps. See you tomorrow. 6. DAY 2: Calibrachoa: Today, let's slow down and truly see nature's intricate beauty presented right before us. Let's pay attention to the textures, to the shadows, the subtle shifts in light and color. By mindfully observing, we can cultivate a deeper appreciation for the world and find inspiration in the everyday. Today, I will notice the details. Welcome back. You're doing amazing. Let's explore Cali Ra chos today. Use the striking bold shapes as the foundation for your initial flower silhouette. To begin with, you know, we'll divide our basic shape into the number of petals we want. If we squint our eyes or blur our vision, we can discern five. These initial steps will become more familiar as we progress. So for now, follow my lead if you like, and enjoy. Make small marks as guides for your angled lines. Remember, these angled lines are key for defining your trapezoid shaped petals. They indicate where the gentle curves begin and end in each one. Now with your angled lines in place, begin softening or rounding the sharp corners of your petals. Mindfully choose a single feature of your flower, such as the petal with a gentle smooth curve to become your focal point for now. With that decision in mind, strengthen the lines that define the boundaries of your flower. Now notice the dramatic shift in color in this beautiful flower from white to purple and finally to its complimentary color yellow. Map these areas out in your sketch. A curious tale. Design School cautioned me against using complimentary colors due to their perceived clash, but nature proves they can coexist in harmony, constantly teaching me new things. Continue by welcoming your inner child's playful spirit as you begin to color in the areas where the purple hue was found. Take this moment to breathe deeply and cultivate a sense of ease. Remember nature is imperfectly perfect. So continue with the assurance that you're doing wonderfully. Now using your pencil stub or your blending stub, gently blend the graphite in a circular motion, creating a smooth transition between tones, making sure to lightly shade the middle section to suggest a color variation from the surrounding paper. Then carefully observe the subtle variations and shade within the purple section of your reference. Use your soft pencil to gently emphasize these deeper hues. Then gently blend the graphite with your pencil stub again. A distinctive feature of cali achoaPeos is their fused appearance with prominent veins running along the inner creases. Let's use this to start building the details in your flour. Incorporate this strong vein with your soft pencil, using pressure as you draw a single line, less as you release having it fade away, or use multiple strokes with your mechanical pencil like you see me doing. This next step will feel familiar. Recall how we identified a subtle interwoven white thread within our subject on day one. Here on the Calibra toa, we have a similar detail, but in a contrasting purple hue. Let's approach it with a confidence familiarity brings. Be mindful, though. This time, you'll be moving around your flower, creating a new look with this familiar pattern. You might find yourself fidgeting a little, as I often do when I introduce something new, like moving around in a circular motion with this pattern. Don't worry much about having all the S like lines interweave. Simply add the lines, even if the space is created or uneven. Remember there is no wrong or right way to do this. Just have fun exploring and see where your creativity takes you. Come back to your reference photo to see what you can use to decorate the center. Use simple language to describe what you observe and finish your first flower by drawing what you see in it, a circle and some lines emanating from it. For your second drawing, use the same reference as before and follow the initial steps to establish the same guidelines used in your first drawing. However, before continuing, carefully observe your subject. Select a petal that exhibits a dip at the top middle edge rather than the smooth one we previously worked with. This will introduce a subtle variation in your second depiction. When you have placed all the marks and guidelines and are happy with the trapezoids before you, slowly reinforce your boundaries and remember to breathe. At any point, you can introduce simple tweaks that are unrelated to the flower itself, such as increasing the size of the center, lightly map that out. With this in mind, find inspiration within a specific section of the subject. The partially current border or the colored transitions, if you repeat that around your center will probably look like a flower silhouette. Now we can darken the purple section in the same manner as before and include blending the color transition into the paper background. Be mindful of the flower silhouette we have in the middle. Perhaps moving your blending stub up and down rather than around will help to maintain the shape in its place. Although we shouldn't worry too much, there's always a solution. Include the dark center, deepening the tone with your soft pencil and blend that area as well. There are so many ways to interpret something. Focusing on a single element can ignite a new thought. We can explore recreating the interwoven thread pattern of our flower using elongated scallops. Write down this idea for future reference and move slowly around the center of your flower. Once you complete the first layer, patiently build the pattern by placing a second row. Remember to loosen the grip on your pencil, breathe deeply, and be mindful of how this pattern is emerging filling in your flower silhouette. Just like in your first drawing, complete the center by adding in the middle details and veins. Curiously, this one ends up looking like a small simplified flower. Use your past work as inspiration when making decisions. In the fourth drawing from day one, you strengthen the flowers edges. We are at liberty to incorporate details like this at any stage of our drawings. Proceed slowly allowing your body to settle in this familiar step, breathe deeply again, and continue your journey in learning to love your creative process. To finish your second drawing, sketch in the strong vein. Apply more pressure as you start drawing it and less when you come to the edge. Use your soft pencil this time and extend the veins to the rim of your silhouette. Mindfully move around your drawing, breathing, and appreciating your progress. Your initial steps remain the same. Divide your basic shape into a desired number of petals and softly add your marks in angled guidelines. Make meaningful tweaks to your petals by making the recess a bit more pronounced this time. If you'd like to practice flexibility and let go of the need for perfection, your sketchbook is the perfect place to experiment. Notice how my drawing has uneven petals. So why breathe, I let go of the need for control and carry on with the next step. Constantly check your reference image. Even with the subject that has strong shapes, there are many subtle details to uncover. Let's begin with the most noticeable. The color change and the shape it suggests. Go ahead and place your markers and angled guidelines. Then reinforce the shape evoked by the color change you see in your photo. Use simple language to describe what you see a shadow that looks like a hexagon. And the stamens which when viewed from above, look like five small circles. Slowly draw them in and color in the hexagon shadow. Now, this variety of Calibachoa has a vibrant hot pink color. The color is so intense that when you squint your eyes, it appears as a solid, saturated shade. Let this inspire you, invite your inner child to play, and use your soft pencil to lightly color in the pink section. Then gently blend the strokes to create a smooth, dreamy effect. Take this time to connect with your senses and ground yourself. Listen to the sound your pencil stub makes against the paper, breathe and come into the present moment. Return to your subject for more inspiration. Pay attention solely to the shape or line that the color change creates. Interpret this color transition in its simplest form. I like to call them inverted scallops. Breathe and continue to incorporate this detail into your drawing. Once you're done, use your mechanical pencil and the pressure technique to elongate the tips of the lines you just created, giving the impression of volume or veins all around your silhouette. To finish your drawing, blend the hexagon shadow and add in the clear veins you see in the center. Go about it in a familiar fashion as you did with your prominent veins of your two previous flowers. Tweak this a little by adding extra veins. 7. DAY 2: Calibrachoa Continued: We will do another off center drawing. Remember, we proceed the same way with all our initial steps. The difference this time will be our subject and the detail we select for our flower silhouette Since the detail selected does not have a sharp change in direction, but rather a smooth recess, instead of a dot marker, draw a small line near and parallel to the edge of your basic shape. This will help make the transition smoother. Connect these small parallel guidelines. You just drew to the rim of your basic shape using curved lines. You will slowly start to see an undulating shape emerge. All calibra choas for this day have a color change in the center. Map that out and take note of what you just did. Then apply the strong border from your second drawing to this one, reinforcing your flowers boundaries. Draw the strong veins in the middle section of each petal with your soft pencil. Then erase the center and add the middle stamens, which look like small circles. Now using pressure and your soft pencil, color in the center of your drawing. Once you're finished, blend it with your pencil stub, extending the color into the rest of your flour while gradually releasing pressure for a soft transition into the paper background. Remember to enjoy the nuances of the sounds your tools make to stay present. And once again, we find ourselves with a familiar pattern. Explore other ways to interpret this texture. We can use the scallop idea as a starting point, but this time, tweak it to have angular lines and sharp corners. As you lay your zigzag lines on top of one another, you will notice a short argyle pattern begin to form. Make a visual side note for better retention and emphasize where the corners meet by adding a dot on each one. Complete your flower by applying this detail to your drawing for a more intricate look. For your fifth drawing, follow the same initial steps you used for your first and third flower silhouettes. However, instead of mapping out the flower like color gradient, confine the color changes within a hexagon shape. Add your markers and experiment with priming your silhouette using only these guidelines. Once you're satisfied with the guidelines, reinforce the silhouettes boundaries. Make a side note of any new tweaks you'd like to incorporate, like a simple texture, then boldly strengthen your flower's edge for a new look. Find inspiration in your other Calibra choa photos and mix them up. Add the smaller hexagon shape and the flower like center, similar to the one in your second drawing. Explore drawing the basic shape and drawing the flower silhouette in one go. Continue by shading around your center, maintaining the hexagon shape, then gently blend the graph light into the background. Once again, find in these simple steps the space to settle into your body, connect with your senses, breathe, and enjoy the creative process. Now, remember you can isolate any part of your subject. A very small section has shapes blended together, prompting the idea of repeating this on a larger scale in the form of a pinstripe pattern. After building up some details, we are ready to add in the simple texture. Start by drawing the visible veins in your photo. Then estimate halfway points between these guidelines. Once they are in place, add the pinstripe pattern between the previous lines. This will help maintain relatively even spacing between each line. If you like, blend the pinstripe pattern into the darker center a little. Then to finish off your fifth imaginary flower, strengthen the prominent veins using your soft pencil. Remember your button flowers will be either the centers of your imaginary flowers or an interpretation of your whole flowers, but simplified down. This is a good place, again, to practice reviewing the steps you took to create some of these sections, identifying what worked well and what could be improved. With these buttons, you are also allowed to make tweaks, flipping details around as you please. Add as many details from your drawings as you like. The more you experiment, the better, the more variety you will have in your library, and the more you'll discover unexpected and delightful variations. Choose the centers you'd like to use as buttons and redraw them separately outside of your flower. Again, this will help you remember the steps you took, improving your familiarity and making them easier to draw in the future. By isolating them, we can reveal their individual characteristics and find inspiration for completely new flower forms. As you leave today, take a moment to appreciate the journey you've embarked on. If you feel inspired, isolate all the centers of your flowers to see how they function as independent elements. You never know how getting acquainted again with the details you have discovered can perhaps even spark ideas for new flowers or even patterns. Showing up for ourselves, both in our art practice and in our lives is a courageous act. I am grateful for your presence here today. Thank you and see you tomorrow. 8. DAY 3: Lisanthus: Focusing on the fundamentals, mastering basic shapes and lines, practicing simple steps consistently can take us on a journey toward greater complexity in our art. Trust the process, knowing that each small step, each deliberate stroke, builds upon the last and brings us closer to achieving our artistic goals. Approach each lesson with an open mind and a beginner's spirit, allowing yourself to be guided. Through this approach, develop your skills, expand your creativity, and discover the intricate beauty that emerges from embracing simplicity in your artistic practice. Welcome to day three. It's truly a gift to have you here. Today we'll dive into the delicate beauty of the Lycianths flower. This subject is intriguing to me. Working from a photo of a white flower presents an interesting challenge to determine how many petals to divide our basic shape into to start our first drawing. We can dig a little deeper. The fun thing about the information we find is that it can inspire our drawings. So let's start with five petals. We're going to take it step by step. Remember to observe your subject mindfully. Draw inspiration from just one feature. The one that catches your attention first, like the wide opening, curiously shaped like a soft hexagon. We're in the petal priming phase, focus on the softest detail. Perhaps the gentle curve on the right. Remember to repeat just one detail around the circle, creating a mandala like effect. Start each curve from the corner of your hexagon, extending it to the rim of your basic shape. Once you've completed all corners, finish each petal by drawing a small curve on the opposite side. As your petals take shape, start reinforcing their boundaries. Continually returning to your subject for inspiration, how about extending the first curve you drew into the center of your drawing? You can describe it as another S like line that starts in the center and flows into the initial curves or backwards, flowing out from your initial curves into the center. However you go about it, go around in a circle. Use the Mandala approach first drawing a soft guideline and then strengthen it. Analyze the actual simplicity of every step we've taken. Breathe with every line you draw. As you do so, slowly realize what's unfolded before you overlapping petals. Let's revisit our flower for more inspiration. This time, we'll use the anthers to continue our drawing. Keep it simple. Use two small ovals, nestle together. And with the mandala approach in mind, breathe deeply as you add each pair to a section near the center. Finally erase the converging lines at the very center to make space for the two oval detail. Now let your inner child come out to play as you mindfully add graphite to the center. Once you have a shaded circle about a quarter of an inch in diameter, grab your pencil stub and gently blend the graphite outwards, feathering it into the paper's background. If necessary, deepen the shading in the center and then capture those subtle indentations we see in the petals. Think of them as small organic strokes like tiny valleys carved by nature. Place them with ease randomly around your flower. We can re evaluate and adjust our drawing at any stage. It's part of the process. My mechanical pencil wasn't ideal, but it was not a mistake. We learn by experimenting with different materials. A soft pencil will do the job of darkening the center and may add depth to your work. Remember the Lycianths petal variation. Fact we found. Well, this time, let's have fun with just four petals. Follow the same steps as before, dividing your basic shape into four sections. This is a great example of how one small change can dramatically alter the results. Notice for starters how the opening in the middle now forms a diamond instead of a hexagon shape. Use the same gentle curve as before, adding it to each of the four sections. Then extend that curve with a flowing S shaped line that meets in the center, breathe and relax and let the familiarity of this technique guide your hand. You've got this. We can now complete our petals by closing them with a soft curved line, just like we did in our previous drawing. Then gently erase unnecessary lines to clean up your shapes. Let's tweak this flower and add another layer of detail, taking inspiration from the loose organic lines in your photo reference. Prime your shapes by adding the guidelines for ruffled petals. When you're happy with your sketched lines, reinforce all your boundaries. You've been here before with these steps. Take a moment to breathe and enjoy the process. Add the same oval pairs in each section near the center. Explore different ways of drawing them as you strengthen their edges. Darken the center with graphite and blend it out just like before. If your mind wanders, reconnect with the present by listening to the sounds of your blending stub. Draw inspiration from details like the shadings on the edges of the petals in your photo reference to give your petal drawings a stronger boundary. Build upon the subtle tweaks you make as you progress. Revisit the subtle indentations in the petals, but this time elongate them significantly as you place them around the center details and darken sections if you'd like to. Take one step at a time, making simple changes to create a whole new flower. Let's play with six pedals for your third drawing. Take all the steps you have taken before and approach this drawing with the confidence that comes from having completed these steps in your two previous drawings. Once again, take every opportunity that presents itself, especially with familiar steps to breathe, to relax, and find your center again. Breathe and absorb the fact that you are creating complexity by taking one simple step at a time. Find inspiration in small sections like the pronounced scallops and use this for the top edge of your new flower. Include this detail as you bravely strengthen the boundaries of your petals. And if you're like me, remember to relax the grip on your pencil. Continue breathing as you complete this step. Dive deep into the details of your subject, exploring every nuance, the subtle shifts in color, the gentle play of shadow and light. Let these discoveries guide your hand as you interpret them in your own unique way. Even simple organic marks flowing from the corners of the scallops into the petals can capture these delicate shifts. We can make changes whenever we want. For the center, we can revisit the idea of the two ovos and draw only one in each section for a different look. Embrace simplicity by skipping, shading the center. Instead, focus on the flowing indentations that extend outward from the ovals. As you complete your third drawing, be mindful of the pressure technique gently releasing each stroke at the end to create a sense of lightness and flow. 9. DAY 3: Lisanthus Continued: Let's explore another off center variation. And don't worry. The steps remain the same. We'll encounter some tweaks, but let's focus on one step at a time. This drawing will have four petals. Once you've divided your basic shape, using the Mandala approach, place all your guidelines and soften one side of each petal. Once you've finished this step, clear the way for the next one. For this fourth flower, use simple curves. Extend the initial curved line without changing its direction, bringing it to the center of your basic shape, creating round petals. Allow the lines to flow beyond the guidelines. When you're done with this step, you erase the necessary lines and complete your petals by extending the curves just like you did before. To maintain the focus on simplicity, keep the edges of your petals smooth. Notice the subtle colored changes along the ruffled edge. We can interpret those as inverted scallops nestled within the petal itself. This is one of the many details we'll see repeated in nature as we grow our library. Scatter some scallops within your petals, concentrating them near the top rim of each one. Then enjoy the simple step of reinforcing your rounded petals, being mindful to keep their smooth contours. Remember to breathe during these moments of simplicity and continue with the next simple step, gently shading the spaces between the scallops and your petal edges. Keeping our intention in mind, let's simplify our center, making it smaller, removing some elements, and rearranging others. Follow your initial steps, dividing your center, adding your guidelines, and creating a simplified flower like middle. Draw inspiration from your evolving artistic journey. Feel empowered to let your previous work guide your next steps. Borrow the top strokes from your neighboring drawing and incorporate them into each scallop of your current flower. This time, let them echo the innate movement of the overlapping petals, creating a sense of harmonious flow and allow the wobbly, crooked lines to simply be they add character and a touch of whimsy to your work. For your final touch, add shading to the center. But this time, try something different. Instead of blending, allow the pencil strokes to shine through, creating texture and depth. For your final drawing, experiment with depicting the layered petals of your flower. Our intention of embracing simplicity applies not only to the shapes and marks we make, but also to how we approach seemingly complex subjects. A simple approach could be combining your third and fourth flower, making the latter smaller. Follow the same familiar steps, divide our outer shape, place your guidelines and sketch the soft curve on one side of each section. Clean up any extra lines, then repeat this process, ensuring the guidelines fall on the middle of the bottom layer of petals. Now, let's be bold and reverse the overlapping petals direction by softening each petal section's opposite side. Then extend those curves you just drew, bringing them to the center. Allow these curved lines to flow beyond the main guidelines for any easier accomplishment of the overlap effect. Now, complete each petals silhouette by extending the softened corner on the other side, and don't forget to do the same with the bottom layer of petals. Breathe as you complete these steps. The hardest part is over. You've just sketched two layers of overlapping petals. Very well done. And don't forget to tidy up your sketch a bit to make way for details. You're doing great. Draw inspiration from even the smallest details as we did before, when a subtle shadow guided our decision to strengthen the edges of our petals, this time, keep their simple roundness. And you know these steps, so take a moment to breathe deeply and enjoy the process one line at a time. And remember to take side notes for better retention. These also help you anticipate and plan your next moves. Use the same inspiration to thicken the borders of your flowers top layer petals. You can use a mechanical or regular pencil, whichever you feel most comfortable with. Find beauty in the unexpected turns of your lines. Let the roughness of your sketches tell a story of their own. Fall in love with the journey with every stroke, with every imperfect, yet perfect moment of creation. It's important to appreciate the journey and celebrate the progress we make no matter how small. Okay. Keep our next step simple as well. Make a quick note to keep the veins of your bottom petals straight and use your mechanical pencil or soft pressure with a regular pencil to keep these thin or light. Now, let's explore adding the center shading before the details. This is going to be different. Use your soft pencil to lay down graphite, then gently blend it with your pencil stub, and then use your eraser to remove graphite at the center of each petal. One little shape per petal is enough to create a five petal silhouette. Lastly, add a small.in the center to complete your fifth drawing. Let's continue our button flower journey. We'll keep focusing on isolating the centers of some or even all of your flowers. This will give you a clearer picture of their individual beauty and provide valuable practice to solidify what you've learned. As you draw, you'll find that the tools and techniques you've used will come naturally. If you feel the need to add or modify anything at this point, like reinforcing some areas, don't hesitate to do so. There might be a button you'd like to modify the number of petals. We are here to keep exploring, so follow your gut instinct. Don't rush, breathe, relax, and allow the steps to settle into your mind and body. Each time you revisit these steps, you deepen your understanding and appreciation for the process. Enjoy the journey, celebrate your progress, and fall in love with creating. The more you practice, the easier and more enjoyable it will become. You are doing great. See you tomorrow. 10. DAY 4: Magnolia: As you engage in this mindful creative drawing class, set the intention to embrace any challenge that may arise. Welcome the opportunity to step outside your comfort zone, experiment and explore without judgment. Allow yourself to be surprised by what emerges on the page, even if it's unexpected or different from what you envision. Remember the process, the journey is where the growth happens. Today, embrace the challenge and take a moment to acknowledge and appreciate the time you're dedicating to yourself and your artistic and personal growth. Welcome to Day four. It is wonderful that you're here. Today we'll be drawing inspiration from an Ash's magnolia a beautiful flower that offers a unique challenge, but don't worry. We will tackle this together one step at a time. When faced with a challenge, our first step is to pause, mindfully observe, and analyze. Take a moment to truly see your magnolia. We have a big but delicate white flower that at first glance appears to have two layers, each with three petals. So the next simple and familiar step is to divide our basic shape into three sections. After analyzing our magnolia, we can see how it has overlapping petals, which we have practiced drawing already. Begin with the bottom layer you're following the familiar steps we've been practicing. You might notice that the guidelines look steeper or more angle. That's simply because we have fewer petals, which means they are larger. Let's not worry. We'll make this work. We have started to prime our boundaries with these curves. When you're ready, reinforce this portion of your petals. We'll approach these overlapping petals a little differently this time. Observe how the top petals are formed and overlapped. Sketch in guidelines for them shifting their position slightly. Use the isometric paper to help you find the metal for this shift. Once in place, draw your angled lines, finding a spot below the outer rim of your basic shape for these top petals to end. Then draw a very soft curve over your second set of angled guidelines. Make a little room for your top overlapping petals, erasing a small section of the initial bottom ones. Complete your top petals by mirroring the soft curve lines you drew, making sure they end over each of the left sides of the neighboring petal. We are mimicking the triangular essence of the petals of your subject. Breathe and go slow if you feel this is challenging. But I know you've got this. Now we can complete the bottom petals by doing the same, mirroring the initial left curve, making sure they end on the left side of the neighbor petal. Continue observing your subject, and now only if you like, embrace a challenge intention further and practice the concept of detachment by erasing the bottom petal so we can redraw them somewhat more similar to the triangular shape shown in our photo. It's totally optional, but a great way to refine your skills and practice challenging concepts. Use the area where the upper petals overlap as a starting point to lightly sketch the guidelines for your lower petals. Keep in mind these lower petals will appear slightly squared in your photo due to their folded shape. Don't worry about being perfectly precise. Be loose about drawing them in, and after you're done, erase the necessary lines. With all your petals sketched in, take a breather moment as you reinforce your petal boundaries, but pay attention to the shadows the top tier casts for inspiration and use a soft pencil to create a thicker line around the upper petals. This will add depth and dimension to your flower. Let's now focus on the heart of our ash magnolia. It might look complicated, but remember we break down tasks and take one step at a time. Start by observing the shapes and colors. What's the most obvious feature in the flowers center, the underlying basic shape. So we draw that in. Once you've captured the basic shape, what else stands out? Notice the red color and how it clusters in three distinct areas around the central shape. As you add this detail, be loose about it. Use organic shading to emphasize the shape created by the color itself. While these elements look like soft spikes in real life, the photograph presents them as a pattern. So what's the simplest way to interpret this pattern? A good approach might be to isolate one element and then repeat it around the central shape. Remember, similar to constructing a mandala. Go back over those shapes, adding a bit more graphite to the center and blending it. This will further define the forms and give your drawing more volume. Extend your shading across the entire central area of your flower, adding more depth and definition. Focus on darkening the areas that define the protruding part of the magnolia. I personally chose to let the red details recede a bit, but feel free to keep them if you prefer that look. To complete our first drawing, add the soft ruffle shadows we see in our reference photo. The simplest way to interpret these ruffles is by using thick lines that fade outward. For this detail, use the pressure technique. Begin with somewhat firm pressure and gradually lighten it as you move toward the edge of the petals. For a second drawing, we'll concentrate on one layer of petals only. We'll keep the overlapping nature of our subject and continue using the techniques we've practice, starting by mindfully observing your subject. Divide your basic shape into three sections. The isometric paper can be a valuable tool here, not only for creating these divisions, but also for helping you locate the central point and mapping out the central form within your overall shape. On the outer edge of your basic shape, mark the point that's roughly one third of the way between your divisions at a second set of lines starting where your initial lines intersect the inner circle and travel to the marks you just made. Use these new guidelines to shape your petals by drawing a soft gentle curve for each one, ensuring they start and end at the same point as your secondary guidelines. Next, take a deep breath and strengthen the curved edges of the petals you've just drawn. Now erase unnecessary lines and include erasing the guidelines inside your central shape to make space for details. Map out a smaller section of your central shape. Tweak the inside details by shifting the shape used to interpret the spikes of the central part of your magnolia. This time, use a softer droplet shaped figure. Breathe and focus as you repeat each drop moving in a circular motion. Once you've completed that step, begin shading the area around these small drops. Take this opportunity to relax and breathe as you expand your shaded area. Invite your inner child to help you let go of judgment and enjoy the process of creating texture with your pencil strokes. Keep defining your petals by retracing some exposed section of the central shaped connected to the soft curves you had strengthened. Complete them by going over a small section of the outer edge of your basic shape and curving inward as you approach the adjacent petal. Finish the middle section off by slowly and gently strengthening the edge of your spike center a little further. Continue breathing as you complete this simple task and erase the guidelines you initially traced to make room for the details of your petals. When working with challenging subjects, enhance your reference photo using filters. Exaggerate the filter effects to reveal hidden details. Close observation is key to a challenging subject like this. Notice how the petals have a soft ruffle or texture, creating delicate shadows. When you trace over the photo, these textures might appear as incomplete stripes, often with a gentle loop at the end. Add each loop stripe one at a time using simple shapes, positioning them around the edge of the central section of your drawing. Complete your second drawing by adding a soft gray tone to the petals. You can use a pencil stub or a hard lead pencil gently applying graphite to each petal. Then you might be wondering why we're not shading the ruffles, we added. The answer is simple. We are experimenting and embracing the unexpected by making unconventional choices. These decisions encourage spontaneity and exploration of different approaches. 11. DAY 4: Magnolia Continued: Because we're here to explore and be spontaneous, we'll start by isolating a detail. For a third drawing, focus on interpreting a single petal and using that interpretation to create a five petal flower this time. Go through the steps you are familiar with this time dividing your basic shape into five sections and mapping out the central shape. Exploring different approaches might include modifying the steps we take and discovering ways to simplify the process. This time, try erasing sections of your initial guidelines to create a cleaner canvas before you begin defining your petals. Use the points where the inner circle and your initial guidelines meet, along with the points where the adjacent guidelines intersect the outer edge of your basic shape to lightly trace your second set of guidelines. As you've experienced, these lines indicate the direction in which the overlapping petals will curve. On the outer edge of your basic shape, mark the mid points between each of these guidelines and add a dash to them. These mid points will indicate where the petal curves will meet the outer line of your basic shape. And once you're done, clean up your drawing by erasing unnecessary lines. Use the corresponding intersection points to finish defining your petals. For me, it's helpful to ho over my pencil over these points to visualize the direction and angle of the opposing curves, preventing me from adding unnecessary lines as I work. The petals primed, we can now reinforce their boundaries. And as you know, these simple steps help us relax and reconnect with ourselves. So take a moment to breathe deeply, enjoy the process and celebrate your progress. Take notes of the decisions you make as you progress for better retention. This will be invaluable for future projects, allowing you to easily recreate or adapt your techniques. Now we'll thicken the petals of your flowers. This simple act will set it apart from your initial sketches and even suggest a subtle color shift. Approach this step with a childlike wonder, letting your pencil dance over the edges of your petals. Let's hack back with a reference photo for our next steps. Working back and forth between the petals and the center helps create a sense of harmony. So let's continue by shading the area around the center. Let's add some detail to the center spikes. Approach them differently by adding small circles to represent the spikes that are more visible, as well as those where the light is hitting the tips. Blend the graphites softly and then add some lines to suggest the petals coming together in the center. This detail can be quite loose and free. Don't worry about making it perfect. Just casually incorporate this detail into your drawing. To finish the center, add a bit more depth by strengthening some of the shadows. Now, going back to the ruffle shadows on the petals, in our previous drawing, we focused on the shadows the ruffles produce. Well, between them, you can see what can be perceived as veins. They can be represented with lines. But notice how they seem to fade as they get closer to the center and how they fan out from the top. Make a side note of this fading and fanning effect. It's a great detail to have in mind for the future. As you draw each vein, vary the pressure to create the fading effect. Draw these details on each petal, keeping the fading and fanning in mind. When you discover a detail you like or love, make a note of it. This will help you quickly find your favorites later. When you discover something you truly enjoy, it's helpful to practice it again as soon as possible. Let's reinforce this by redrawing our previous flower. To make it different and interesting, embrace the challenge of wider petals for this fourth drawing. The process continues the same with the initial steps, dividing the basic shape, adding all of the guidelines, and gently priming one side of each petal by sketching the soft curve for each one. When you're finished, carefully erase any lines you no longer need. Now let's complete each petal. To keep it simple, extend each soft curve, connecting it to the basic shape and add a small somewhat sharp curve to the opposite side. That's the part that tucks behind the neighboring petal. And remember, you can always make small adjustments along the way. Let's add the veins, similar to your last flower. But this time, follow the gentle curve you sketched at the beginning. Now as humans, we sometimes make mistakes or perhaps get carried away with excitement. Losing track of the steps, it's perfectly natural. So with kindness towards ourselves, we can simply backtrack and pick up again with the previous step before adding the veins. That is, thickening the edges of the petals. As each step is completed, we progress to the next. Now, our current focus is adding the veins. This photo taken at Fips depicts what I believe to be the same plant, though perhaps in a different stage. Regardless, it will serve as the inspiration for the center. This pattern is similar to the one we created on day two. It's amazing to me how I see these patterns reappear in nature. We previously worked with a scallop pattern using straight lines or zig zacs and we'll use the same idea here. This time, though, we're working in a smaller space with just two layers. Take your time filling in the center, adding details at each intersection, and keeping the shaded look we started with. Color in the background around your circular argyle. And once more, if you like something, make sure to make a note of it. For a fifth imaginary flower, let's combine some of the things we've learned into one drawing. To make it really interesting, we'll start with a new petal shape, pointier this time. By now, you're familiar with the initial steps. Use isometric paper to help you divide the basic figure into six parts and loosely map out your center. Draw your secondary guidelines, connecting the intersections of your main guidelines and the center to the adjacent intersection of your guidelines and the basic shape. Let's analyze the structure your guidelines have created. We need to incorporate our soft curve next to help create a nice smooth curve. And because of the angle of your secondary guidelines, start near your main guideline, travel over the center you mapped out, and then let the soft curve flow naturally into the secondary guideline until it reaches the top. Then it's helpful to stop for a second on the top. Come back down using the opposite secondary guideline to mimic the soft curve on the other side of the petal. Little tongue twister, but you can review the steps once more if you need it. Breathe and go slow. I know you've got this. As you erase unnecessary lines, take a moment to admire the intricate work you've done. You're doing a fantastic job. Use your soft pencil to thicken your pedal edges and keep breathing deeply, coming back to the present moment and relaxing through this simple step. Now, do you remember the looped stripe detail we drew in your second drawing today? Use this detail, spacing the stripes closer together. They now kind of look like elongated sharp scallops. Stop when you get near the petal edges, varying the height of the scallops to adapt to the changing space. Give your imaginary flower a more defined look by thickening the petal borders even more. It's curious how I tend to stick to my mechanical pencil, but please feel free to switch to a regular pencil if you prefer. For the center, let's do something similar to your last flower, but add another layer to the circular argyle. Follow the same steps as before, but this time, make all the lines in the center thicker and skip the dot detail where the lines cross. These small tweaks will give your flower a new look. Finally, take a deep breath and complete your fifth drawing by shading the center. Let's dive back into the world of button flowers. Remember, it can be as simple as isolating the center of your flower. Also, remember that the steps you took to create your previous work will come back to you. The more you practice, the easier and more enjoyable the process becomes. Relax into these familiar drawings and breathe as you draw each line. Every day you come to your practice, the techniques you've learned will start to feel natural. Don't hesitate to make any changes that feel right at any stage like using a petal as inspiration for your button. Draw it smaller or use a smaller amount of petals. Perseverance is the artist's truest companion. It fuels the hand, guides the eye, and strengthens the spirit. Even when faced with a limited canvas, the act of creation itself is a victory. Don't be discouraged by constraints. Instead, see them as opportunities for innovation. Trust your inner voice, that whisper of intuition that guides your hand, embrace the challenge of a smaller area. It demands creativity. Don't rush. Let the process unfold organically. With each repetition, skill and confidence blossoms. And as you finish today's lesson, pause for a few minutes. Make it part of your closing ritual and admire your progress. Truly amazing job. See you tomorrow. 12. DAY 5: Larkspur: For today's lesson, let's set aside expectation than simply trust the process of creation. Let's allow our lines to flow freely, our marks to be spontaneous, and our minds to be quiet. In this space, there are no mistakes, only discoveries. Today, I will trust the process. Welcome to Day five. Today's subject is a beautiful Guardian blue larkspur. This flower offers a new challenge, the number of petals it has. But don't worry. We'll not only do this together, but also remember from the get go that we focus on one element and take one step at a time. Although we're using these flowers as inspiration, I find it incredibly helpful, especially with a complex subject like this to do a little research. It's good practice as it's not immediately obvious how many petals we should include, at least at the beginning, understanding the structure of our subject can be helpful when starting or drawing. We'll use five petals, so divide your basic shape and place your markers on the rim of the outline between each guideline. Spot something on your subject that catches your attention like the space between the top petals. Let's focus on the petal to the left of that space and use them for our first drawing. Sketch the lines of that gap by drawing straight lines outward from the center on both sides of your main guidelines. Eyeball the width of the gap and repeat this process for all other divisions. Your photo is your best friend. Refer to it constantly as you trow, paying close attention to the unique shape of your petal. Mindful observation is key to capturing its essence and essence being the keyword. Erase unnecessary lines if you wish, and start priming your shapes by rounding the top edges of your petals one at a time. Next, we'll add subtle S shaped curves that radiate outward from the center on all petals to mimic what we see in our reference photo. These lines should mirror each other on each side, so go slow and draw them mindfully. Visualize these lines flowing inside the petal shapes, connecting smoothly to the rounded tops. You can draw them either from the center outward or from the rounded edges inward. Let's add a detail and repeat it across your petals, the subtle point at the top. Focus on this protrusion, extending it just slightly beyond your initial guidelines and add it to each petal. It's a subtle detail, but it makes a big difference. Using the anthers as inspiration will create a smaller flower like center. First map out the area it will occupy. Erase the necessary lines and then place the same guidelines you drew for your main flower, but make sure you adjust your guidelines so that the petals of this center fall between the petals of your main flower. Choose one of your other shapes and define the tops of your centri sections. As you gently prime their shapes, bring your attention to the present moment, relax your hand, take a deep breath and savor the simple act of drawing. When your petals are all outlined, you are ready to reinforce their boundaries. Move slowly as you strengthen each one. Savor the lines you draw. Observe how your pencil as you apply pressure, leaves behind a dark line. Listen closely. It might even make a soft swishing sound as it travels through your paper. Use your senses to connect to the present moment and keep going. You're doing a great job. Once you've reinforced all your boundaries, let's observe the color change in your subject. Choose one location for this detail and replicate it in all your middle sections. Now look closely at your reference photo. Notice the subtle color gradiation on the petals with a darker purple tone near the edges. We can interpret this by gently layering graphite in those areas. A soft pencil is ideal for this as it provides more coverage. Remember to be gentle with your touch to avoid hard edges. Take your time and enjoy this step. Now, let's blend. Use your blending stub to softly diffuse the graph bite. As you work, really tune into the sensory experience. Feel the texture of the paper beneath your hand. Listen to the whispers of the blending stub and observe the subtle changes in tone as you blend. This mindful approach will not only help you create smooth transition between dark and light areas, but also bring a sense of calm and focus to your drawing practice. Take this as another breather step where you can relax into the process. The final detail of our first drawing is to draw a few delicate veins at the center of each petal. Start with firm pressure and gradually release it, allowing the lines to fade softly toward the end. Remember how we divided our basic shape for the first flower. We'll do the same thing here, but with an extra layer of petals to make things more interesting. Focus on one layer at a time. Start by dividing your basic shape and sketching in the spaces between each petal just like you did before. You can erase unwanted lines once you are happy with your guidelines. Our next step is to round the corners of each petal. As you draw the soft curves, take a deep breath, and exhale slowly, go at your own pace, savoring the lines you draw. Come back to your reference photo to analyze the shape of your new petal, and when you're done rounding the corners, define their shapes further by interpreting the pointier tops of each one and erase the necessary lines afterwards. Now for the bottom tier of petals, lightly sketch two guidelines. For now, position them in the middle of two adjacent top petals. This will automatically shift the bottom layers position. Since we don't see the spaces between these lower petals, we can define their shapes with just two guidelines. To help keep your drawing, clear work and pair of guidelines, define your petal shape, and erase any unwanted lines, and repeat this for each petal and remember to breathe and embrace the wonderful quality of your lines. For the center of this second flower, use the same process we used for the first drawing. Map out the area where your center will live and clear the space by erasing unwanted lines. Then lightly sketch the same guidelines and create the basic petal shapes, just like before. When you're done shaping your petals, erase any extra guidelines. Then slowly start reinforcing the boundaries of your top petals. Use your soft pencil and take your time with this step, allowing yourself a moment to breathe and appreciate the complex work you've just done. To give your drawing depth, use your mechanical pencil or a lighter touch with your regular pencil to reinforce the bottom tier of petals. Take a close look at your reference photo. Notice how the colored change very subtly in each anther. Now choose one area for inspiration and interpret that colored change in a new way within the small petals of your center. Feel free to experiment and express your own artistic vision. Look closely at the petals. Notice the subtle shifts in color again. Now, try closing your eyes slightly or squinting. Do you see how some areas appear to have a more defined shape? Those are the shapes we'll focus on. Feel free to interpret them in your own way. Map them out so you have hard edges to create a clearer sense of contrast. Once you've mapped out the color changes on your flower drawing, invite your inner child to help you loosen up and let go of expectations. We come here to relax, so breathe deeply, relax your shoulders and fill in the areas where you see the deep purple color on your flower petals. Don't worry about perfection. Just enjoy the process of creating your beautiful imaginary flower. Now explore the expressive potential of line weight. Thicken the boundaries of your central element to give it a bolder, more impactful look. Don't be afraid to experiment and let your intuition guide you as you create. Check back with your flower subject and notice the subtle veins again. They are present, even if faint. This act of mindful observation and drawing is a form of meditation. So breathe and finish your drawing by adding those delicate veins to the bottom petals just like we did on our first flower. But make them thicker this time, just a little. 13. DAY 5: Larkspur Continued: With one flower in a reference photo, we continue to explore all of it, mindful of its subtleties and nuances. Observe closely so it lets you know what to use as inspiration, like some of the more rounded petals. Even when we decide to use simple shapes, we follow a clear process. You know your initial steps, so divide your basic shape into a desired number of petals. Softening the corners can be done freely, just like we did in our previous drawing. Or you can use markers to better control the curves indicating their start and end points. Next map out your flower center, making it slightly larger than before. Erase any unnecessary lines and add new guidelines, shifting their positions as you did with your previous flowers. Begin shaping the small petals with short casual strokes at their corners. Then once more clear your drawing of unnecessary lines and begin reinforcing the boundaries. Now the possibilities are endless. You can keep the smooth borders like the ones we drew earlier, the top left, or you can recreate the shapes from our earlier flower drawings. Let's focus on the main petals again. Look back at your photo and really observe your subject. Take your time, explore your subject with care and choose a single new detail that resonates with you. Bring the irregular edge to life and your petals using loose lines. Breathe deeply, relax, and connect with the joy of creating. Allow yourself to fall in love with the lines you draw. As you repeat each stroke, watch how your lines flow more naturally and smoothly across the paper. Your artistic journey is like a garden where the seeds of your past creations can blossom new. Take some details from the older drawings like the strong edges and the middle vein of your previous flower center and apply them to this new center. You're cultivating growth and transformation with every stroke you make. You'll be surprised how a single detail can transform your work and push your creative skills forward. Complete each petal by extending its left side. Let the line flow smoothly and diagonally from the curved corner until it touches the center. Add a bit more weight to this line, mimicking the shadow you see cast onto the neighboring petal in your photo. Repeat this step for all petals, creating a gentle overlapping effect. For your final detail, take a close look at the subtle color shifts in the purple areas of your petal. Notice how the dark and midtones create an irregular line almost like a puzzle piece separating the different shades. And remember how we color block sections in our second drawing. We'll do something similar here, but this time we'll focus on just the dark and midtnes. There's no single right way to interpret this. Everyone sees things a little differently. Trust your instincts as you map out each section and allow your inner child to have fun filling in those shapes with your pencil. When your reference photo has more elements that can help you achieve different results, use them. Like the button in the background. I can inform you of so many new things. But first, let's decide on the number of petals and layers for your fourth option. Follow the same initial steps, but this time, divide your basic shape into fewer sections to create a flower with four petals and to make things even more interesting, try making the space between each petal wider. We'll make these petals a shape similar to those in your first drawing. Feel free to soften the corners with loose flowing lines that extend outward from your main guidelines and curve toward the midpoint between them. Remember how you approach the bottom layer of petals in your second drawing? Let's use that same technique here. Work with pairs of guidelines to determine the shape of the petals behind the top layers. You might find that some shapes are similar to those in your previous drawings, and that's great. Lean into the familiarity and enjoy the repetition. Notice how much smoother the lines flow now. You might even find yourself feeling more comfortable and confident with this flower, so comfortable that you might even try drawing your petals freehand. That's fantastic practice. Once you've finished refining the shapes of your petals, take a moment to breathe as you continue with your next step, reinforcing the outlines of your petals. Use this time to relax and appreciate your progress. Continue to consult the flower you've chosen as inspiration and identify a new detail to focus for your petals. Use the same technique of squinting your eyes to identify the shapes created by the color changes, and then interpret those shapes onto your petals. Approach this one step at a time. Start by preparing the shape with a small circle, followed by a thick, bold and tapered line. Don't worry too much about the fact that you're drawing in a white section. It's an opportunity to get creative. The colors in this flower will be inverted. When you're done, use your blending tool to soften the marks you've made. Even though your photo is a little blurry, it can still spark ideas. Observe your subject carefully, make some decisions about what you see and keep working on your petals, keeping them smooth. Slowly, you can start making a list of details that can become your go to techniques, your glossary, like thickening edges to a new shape. This will add variety to your work and will make it easier to create imaginary flowers. Go back to your drawing, use your regular pencil for this step and remember to breathe and relax as you thicken all your petal edges. Now that you strengthen all the outlines, let's add some finishing touches to your petals. Take your blending tool and create a soft subtle wash of graphite around the main detail, around the edge of your petals. Then using your mechanical pencil, add a delicate echo of the same detail on your main petals, but this time with fineer lighter lines. Finally, erase a small portion of the center of your flower. At the base of each petal detail, add V shaped lines. Connect the tops with a curved line to create a smaller flower silhouette and add a simple detail to the very center of the silhouette to complete your drawing. This fifth drawing is going to be a fun challenge, and don't worry, we'll do it together. We'll use the same details for this drawing as before, but I'll teach you how to draw your flower in a three quarter perspective. The process when we break it down is surprisingly simple and can be applied to any flower you want to draw. The first thing we do inside our basic shape and more or less at the center, we draw an oval. By applying this perspective, our basic shape now becomes the oval we just drew. Then move the center of the basic shape down. This now becomes the center or the base of our flower. Starting at the base, draw curved lines extending toward the edges of our oval, our new basic shape. These lines should mimic the natural growth pattern of petals flowing outward and upward from the base. You can use the templates in the projects and resources tab to familiarize yourself with these guidelines. Now begin to fill the spaces with your petal forms, allowing the division lines to guide your hand. These lines will suggest the gentle curves and cup like position of each petal. Use these last two guidelines as the midline of the petals closest to you. Since we're drawing the flower in a three quarter angle, they'll require a bit more attention. Draw the petal shapes outward from the guidelines extending toward the bottom edge of the original basic shape. This section is actually the backside of the petals, the sections that are visible to the eye. Very bottom of these petals will be hidden as they softly fold and curve into the flower center, focus on the parts you can see. This perspective can be tricky, but it's a fun skill to learn. Erase the necessary lines, map out where to place the center of your flower and add the same details as in your previous drawing. Follow the same steps and use your blending tool to soften the details of the petals. For the petals that are closest to you, change the detail to help show that they are the back parts of the petals at the same simple center right where you mark the base of your flower at the beginning, and finish your fifth drawing by reinforcing the edges of your petals and adding a soft layer of graphite. Be sure to use this last detail only on the three farthest petals from you. Let's bring today's lesson to a close, focusing once again on button flowers. Take a moment to choose the center section of the flower that you want to highlight and isolate. As you work, think back to how you constructed these sections and how you built the forms and let the knowledge guide your hand. Now more than ever, it's time to trust your instincts. Trust in everything you've learned and embrace the lines you choose to draw and the decisions you make. You are capable of this and so much more. Don't be afraid to experiment and try different approaches. Every stroke, every line, and even repeating steps is a learning experience. Remember, the more you practice, the smoother the process will run. The more you dedicate yourself to any art form, the easier it will be to tap into that wellspring of creativity within you. So as you put the finishing touches onto your buttonflowers today, remember, keep going. Your progress is remarkable. I'm incredibly proud of everything you've accomplished, and so should you. Have a wonderful rest of the day, and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. 14. DAY 6: New Guinea: In our lessons, we use mindful observation and drawing as a powerful tool to explore and understand challenging concepts in a safe, risk free environment. Without knowing, this practice helps us embrace new ideas, making them easier to integrate into our daily lives. Today, let's continue this mindful creativity and self discovery journey by embracing spontaneity. I'm thrilled to continue this journey of discovery with you. Today we'll explore a lovely and bright flower called New Guinea in Patience. Our reference image features many guinea blooms, each exhibiting slight variations. To appreciate and capture this natural diversity, let's begin by focusing on the general traits of the petals, their number, and overall shape. This initial observation will guide our approach to forming them in our first drawing. The petals in our subject overlap in a different way this time. Lightly divide your basic shape into four parts. We'll define our petals inside the top left and bottom right quadrants. Sketch secondary guidelines along the outside edges of these petal forms and gently erase your initial division lines. Now add angled lines at the corners of each petal silhouette. Then sketch small V shapes in the gaps between these angled lines on each petal shape. With these guidelines in place, loosen the grip of your pencil. That's a note for myself, breathe in deeply and confidently smooth out these two petals. Now repeat the steps for the bottom petals. Very lightly add your secondary guidelines, as well as the angled and V shaped lines. And as before, soften all the sharp corners of your petals and remove any unnecessary lines from your drawing. It's time for a breather step. Take your regular pencil and reinforce all your boundaries, as you well know, enjoy this step, relax and savor its simplicity. If overwhelmed by the complexity of the reference photo, choose one thing to focus on and replicate that in your own work. This helps avoid feeling overwhelmed and provides a starting point. Eerase unnecessary lines, map out where you see the color change, and fill that in. Be gentle with yourself. Build the color change little by little. You can start with a small section of your petal and gradually widen the areas as you move along the edge of the petal. When you finish one side, replicate the same on the opposite side. O. Continue adding graph fight where you see it's needed. Mindfully observe your source of inspiration and further define the color change you see in the petal you selected. Spontaneity can show up in any way we work and in how the creative process is modified as we advance. Our first petal is complete with its color change. We can observe a clear shape and be spontaneous by modifying how to make the rest of the petals, maybe even making the process easier. We have a clear shape we can draw in the rest of the petals then inviting your inner child. Complete them by coloring them freely. Use a blending stump or a Q tip to smooth the pencil work on the first two petals, creating a smooth transition between the colors. Extend this technique to the remaining petals, incorporating a gradual application of light gray to build depth and visual interest. Use your eraser to carefully lift some of the pencil from the blended areas, reestablishing highlights, then reinforce the darker regions of the petals with your pencil to enhance the contrast. Now closely observe your subject, noting the subtle tone variations across the petals. Finish your first drawing by applying graphite selectively, building up layers gently to capture these differences and create petals that are richly nuanced in color. For your second flower, start with a new subject. Observe it mindfully, allowing your intuition to guide you. Even if you don't immediately verbalize your thoughts, your mind will be processing the steps and decisions for this variation. Repeat your initial process, dividing the shape into quadrants. And as you work, consciously document your decisions. This tweak list can become a sort of glossary, a powerful tool for adapting your approach and creating new imaginary flowers. Establish your corner angles and petal midpoints using light guidelines. Once satisfied with the overall petal shapes, confidently reinforce their boundaries. Take your time with each line using this opportunity to breathe, to relax, and fully enjoy the familiar creative process. Feel at liberty to move freely as you add details to your flower. If you begin with the center shape, but then feel unsure how to proceed, that's perfectly normal. When you feel stuck, learn to break through by shifting your focus to what's calling you next. For example, in this particular case, if strengthening your petals feels right and helps you overcome your doubts, trust that instinct. Follow your creative flow and allow your intuition to guide you. Once you've overcome that feeling of being stuck, feel free to return to whatever was previously interrupting your flow. And as you progress, remember to remain open to adjusting your approach. Don't hesitate to change your process as you advance. Often, we can achieve the same result with fewer or simpler steps. Notice how the petal details in your subject are remarkably similar. While you can appreciate subtle variations, the overall shape and its color change is evident. With that in mind, lightly map out the general shape of the color change and loosely fill the same space as before. Now take the same next step. Use your blending tool to smooth out the graphite you just laid out. Now, let's add a unique character to your flower. If you look closely at the reference, you'll notice delicate veins across each petal. Keep your approach simple and spontaneous. Capture these veins with thin straight lines radiating from the center. Take your time with these simple strokes. Breathe, come to the present moment, and enjoy the entirety of what you're creating. Let your intuition guide you in creating the center. Look closely at your photo for a shape that captures your attention, a flower silhouette, for instance, and use that as inspiration to finish your second flower. 15. DAY 6: New Guinea Continued: Keeping our intention in mind, when an idea pops into our head, don't judge it. Embrace spontaneity and go with it. Why not try five petals for your third drawing? Make a quick note of this spontaneous decision and add it to your glossary. This will serve as a reminder to embrace spontaneity, overcome creative blocks, and move forward. Being spontaneous can also present itself as you prime your petals without taking the step of adding in secondary guidelines. We've practiced drawing flowers for almost a week. Why not explore how your muscle memory is adapting as we learn and practice? Continue refining your petals by carefully observing your reference, add your marker points and then loosely define the shape for each petal paying close attention to the prominent indent. It's fun to find inspiration in unexpected places like areas where perhaps a bug has taken a bite. Now, continue adding details like the small scallop next to the indent. I seriously think it's the trails left behind by a small caterpillar feeding. Anyway, approach this step loosely. Simply interpret what you see and relax as you draw. Once you finish shaping your petals, move into each one and reinforce the boundaries using your soft regular pencil. As you trace each line, allow yourself to relax and be fully present in the moment. Embrace these moments of pause. They encourage relaxation and provide a clear view of your capabilities, revealing your progress, and demonstrating that you can create anything you set your mind to. Add your markers to indicate the location of your center and color change. You can do this freehand or use a more structured approach if you prefer. Now carefully map out this section. Notice the marker to the left. It's slightly higher on the petal. I could adjust it, but I've chosen to embrace it. Let go of the need of perfection. While working, you might experience spontaneous idea that inspire a change, such as inverting the color application for this new flower variation. This idea is a valuable addition to your glossary, a collection of techniques to explore in future projects. Follow the same process we've used previously. Map out the color area and fill it with crap bite. Allow your pencil strokes to be light hearted and spontaneous. Invite your inner child into the creative process and let their sense of wonder and uninhibited joy guide your hand. Just as your inner child would, stay judgment free and above all, have fun. Complete your petals by incorporating thin veins that emerge from the scalloped edges toward the center, allowing them to gently dissipate as they approach the center of each petal. Now finish your third drawing by adding a simple decorative element to the flower center. Identify a shadow and position it consistently along one edge of each petal near the center. It seems hard to believe, but a subtle mark makes a big difference. Dive into your reference photo and let your eye wander. Pick a new detail to explore. Whether it's a full petal or a tiny section, trust your instinct. We'll concentrate on a smooth petal edge for your fourth flower, keeping the process simple and intuitive. Keep the petal shapes nice and simple, just like with our first flower. We'll create an overlap with two of the petals on top. These steps should feel familiar to you. So remember to breathe and let your hand lightly guide the shape of each petal. After you've established the shape of each petal, go back and add definition to the edges. As you reinforce the boundaries, feel free to clean up your workspace by erasing any lines that no longer serve a purpose. Follow the colors path within your flower, and as you work, let the heart shape be a touchstone. Remember to treat yourself gently and find the fun in every step. After this gentle reminder with these hearts, playfully color each one. Finish your drawing by giving your petals a touch of dimension and thicken their edges. Then look closely at your reference photo, having in mind that we are keeping things simple for this flower variation. Notice any small imperfections like tiny bite marks or dry spots. Adding these simple details will hint at the flowers natural life and history. Before your final drawing, take a moment to mindfully observe your flower. Pay attention to the distinct bottom petal. It's much larger than the rest. Also note the way two petals rest upon the others and the overlapping pair nestled between the top petals. Use these observations to highlight the flowers unique size and shape in your guideline sketch. For this flower and every drawing, make choices that feel right to you. You are encouraged to adapt your process, especially as you observe the petals unique variations. Don't hesitate to take a step if it feels right in the moment. Move back and forth between your steps, draw guidelines, and then reinforce boundaries. Continue adding guidelines for the overlapping top petals. Erase unnecessary lines, but make sure to keep the lines you do need. And remember to breathe, it's part of the process. So make sure you calmly inhale and exhale. Prime your shapes, reinforce the boundaries, and erase lines that are no longer needed. If that felt like a lot, it's because it's a big shift from what we've been doing to ease any tension, take a breather step as you go. Remember to add these breathers steps to your glossary, like thickening edges, in this case, to all your petals. The organic flow of my creative process is one of the things I like the most. It develops naturally. Showing up for your practice and really observing your subject helps you see those lovely creative opportunities that might have been hidden when we began today. Make a quick note, keep reinforcing your boundaries and add the small scallop detail we found, having fun with it. The organic nature of this process means you can place that detail wherever you like. Continue mapping out, cleaning up the space for the center of your flower. Extend the lines of the petals you have already drawn and start to shape the flower center. Work on defining your petals by adding a curve line at the top of each section. You'll be outlining and reinforcing the edges here. Little by little, a flower silhouette will appear. Find inspiration in the smallest of details. Add a new petal shape inside the remaining sections. Remember to go one detail at a time and embrace the irregularity of the petals if they show up. Take a moment to breathe with this familiar step. Draw the heart shape defined by the color change on the top four petals and color the outside as you did in your first two drawings. Remember to embrace your inner child and allow non judgmental playfulness to come through. Interpret the bottom color change with a loose hand as it shows a different shape. Observe the wide curve, lightly sketch it in, and then fill in the area outside the curve. As you continue to breathe and relax, tune into the sound of your blending tool as it glides over your graphite, creating a smooth gray tone. Refer back to your subject and recall the details of your second drawing and other previous works. Now lightly add thin veins that extend from the outer edges of your petals inward, allowing them to gradually fade out before they reach the center. Let's conclude today's lesson with two drawings of button flowers. As you work on these, remember to breathe deeply and connect with the creative process. These small flowers are familiar forms, echoing steps you've taken before with success. They provide a wonderful opportunity to practice and refine your drawing techniques. And in doing so, you'll also be honing valuable life skills. Cherish this practice and feel empowered to continue drawing beyond these florals. Let your art practice be a space of respite, a quiet place where you can find stillness and connect with your inner artist. Draw one of your button flowers off center and remember the steps are the same. They're simply applied within a tighter space. Trust your instinct. The process will flow. Take one step at a time, referencing back to your source of inspiration, one of your earlier drawings. You're doing a fantastic job embracing this creative exploration, and that's something to be proud of. Remember each step you take strengthens your creative spirit and opens up new possibilities. Keep nurturing that spark and see you tomorrow. 16. DAY 7: Jazzy Mix: Embrace the connection between pencil and paper, mindfulness and creativity, free of judgment. Continue to explore your artistic techniques while cultivating mindfulness and a deeper self connection. Practice mindful presence and curious observation and embrace the valuable life skills that naturally emerge. Today, simplify your steps, making them easy to follow and complete, ultimately bringing your drawings to life with greater ease and intention. We're walking through a beautiful journey together, and we'll finish our drawing phase with the fun Zenia jazzy mix. The complexity of our subject today might lie in its numerous petals and detailed center. You'll be able to draw this flower by following and completing simple steps. This is an example of how it would look if we number the simple steps. You'll see the number on the upper right corner of your screen. First, begin by counting the petals. There are nine, and then divide your basic shape into three sections. Markers eyeballing one third of each section between your initial guidelines. Then draw a second set of lines from these markers in each section. Add a third guideline between the initial and secondary guidelines to establish a third petal in the three sections you initially drew. Map out your center, erase unnecessary lines. Add markers for the bottom tips of your petals. The strategy of simplifying each step to its simplest form is designed to minimize being overwhelmed during the drawing process and to foster a sense of enjoyment. This approach is universally applicable. Viewing life's challenges as a series of small, attainable tasks makes them significantly less intimidating than confronting the entire complex project. Don't forget your side notes, and after adding angle guidelines, start priming your petals, smooth the corners working upwards from the markers you placed. This repetitive step offers an opportunity for a mindful pause, moving around your basic shape with each line you draw, take a deep breath, relax, and connect with the present moment. Frequently reference your subject to capture the subtle wavy edge of the petal tops. With your established guidelines, you can now incorporate this detail simultaneously reinforcing your boundaries. When that step is complete, clean up by erasing the lines that no longer serve a purpose. Bring full awareness to this simple step. Listen to the sounds made when you sweep the paper of eraser crumbs, acknowledge the lines fading before your eyes and breathe. As we approach a more complex section of the flower, we continue to break down the process into simple steps. We observe, we analyze, and we select a single detail to repeat around our established center. We can see small flowers casually blooming in that space. Start by drawing their basic shape. Next, divide your small basic shapes into five sections and then create a sharp loop that travels around these five guidelines. If you feel overwhelmed or stuck, simply pause and breathe, go at your own pace and be kind to yourself. Repeat the steps of drawing the small basic shapes, dividing it into five sections, and adding a sharp loop until you have several small flower silhouettes around the edge of your center. Ensure you reserve a small space in the very center of your flower. Now draw small circles within the remaining space and then fill the spaces between them. I like to include in my creative process, again, a moment to pause to acknowledge my progress and admire how it's coming together. Every completed step is a victory, a step closer to finishing your project. Let's return to observing, analyzing, and choosing. This time focusing on a detail for your petals. The most apparent detail is the color change. If you squint your eyes, you'll notice that the color change can be interpreted as a soft wave. Proceed moving in a circular motion and add this wavy line along the edges of your petals. Once you've added all the wavy lines, invite your inner child to fill the red areas of your petals with graphite. It's perfectly normal to feel like interrupting a step. If it benefits your process or improves your mood, don't hesitate. I, for example, strengthen those petal edges earlier. Feel free to take that step beforehand with me if you prefer. Once you're happy with that, return to filing the red sections. Take another look at your subject and choose a final detail for your petals. Notice the slightly darker veins within the red section. Using creative license, draw these veins starting at the top edges of the petals and have them gradually fade as they approach the center of the petal. Let's have some fun before we finish our first drawing. We're going to fold some petals. It's quite simple, actually. We will go one step at a time, follow my lead and breathe. Choose a petal and draw a line where you would like it to fold. Now take the portion above that line and mirror it below the fold line. Remember to strengthen the edges of the folded section. Finally, complete this detail by erasing the section above the folded petal. Predicting every step of a project is rarely possible. We encounter unexpected obstacles, shifting moods, and new inspiration that can alter our course. By focusing solely on the next simple step, we practice patience, being in the present moment, cultivating a sense of calm and making steady progress. Personally, this approach has allowed me to find greater enjoyment in completing projects. We will use the same photo reference, but interpret it a little differently with more simplicity. I love providing examples like these because they demonstrate how subtle adjustments can have a significant impact on the end results. Here's where those subtle tweaks come in. Notice that we didn't add markers for the bottom parts of your petals this time. We're keeping them flush against each other. Slowly reinforce your boundaries, one petal at a time, going around and repeating the same line. Once you've finished repeating the first line, complete the top section to the right. Breathe and relax into the rhythm of repeating the second line around your drawing. When that step is complete, add the top wavy parts of your petals. Within your constraints, discover and cultivate the liberty that remains within your reach. Feel free to either maintain the existing interpretation of the soft wave or provide a scalloped alternative. Now, let's begin your center. Incorporate all the guidelines you used in your first drawing. Treat this phase as a moment to pause, once again, and breathe, relax, and as with your button flowers, appreciate how familarity simplifies the process of drawing this feature again. Act on any inspirational impulse you have and quickly capture it visually, such as by adding a small detail to your small flowers. Then continue completing the step. Add the dot details on your small flowers and then extend the petal lines until they touch your small center flowers. Continue by filling the remaining space with small circles, just like you did before. When you're done, color the gaps between the circles. Finish your second flower by reinterpreting the color change. For a different result, consider a subtle shift in technique. Use your soft pencil to create thick lines that fade toward the center of your petals, placing them side by side. This will produce an effect of light veins within the thin spaces between each line. We'll use the same reference photo once more, but this time we'll focus on a single section of the flower and make minor adjustments that might seem bold. We'll have a smaller center and overlapping petals. The very first steps are identical to your previous drawing with the sold exception of the smaller center. The first minor adjustment will be to draw the angled guy line only on the left corner of each petal. Continue refining your petals by extending the angled line just beyond your main guideline. Then curb it softly to meet the center of your basic shape. Repeat this line around the entire shape. Allow yourself to be mindful of how this repetitive movement encourages relaxation. Consider your next step, perhaps adding it to your glossary. Squaring off a shape is a valid option, especially given the soft rectangular tops of some of the petals of your subject. After making a note of your next adjustment, confidently reinforce your boundaries. Starting from the mapped out center, carefully trace your guidelines until you reach the top. Include the portion of the basic shape that falls within your petal and complete the opposite side with a gentle curve that extends slightly beyond the guideline, ending at the edge of the adjacent petal. A simple yet bold decision is to draw inspiration from the single small flowers in the previous drawing for this flower center. So erase any unnecessary lines and divide your center shape into five sections. Then add your markers and the sharp loops around each guideline. Add the same detail to the center and use the thickening edges technique from your glossary to add depth. Once finished, sketch a wavy line to indicate the color change. Adjust it so it resembles an S shape. Then color the sections below this line. Whenever possible, tap into your inner child's playfulness, embracing the emerging textures like your inner child, be spontaneous and use a blending tool to diffuse a graphite and create a smooth color transition from the dark color to the white of the paper. Slowly build up your drawing, appreciating the beauty in every line mark, and blend you make. Optionally further strengthen your petal edges and complete your third drawing by adding the veins you observe in the red areas of your subject. For a subtle variation, use your mechanical pencil to create a thinner, more delicate version of the veins in your neighboring drawing. As you add the veins, let the repetitive action once again help you relax and admire the complexity of your creation. A flower with nine overlapping petals. 17. DAY 7: Jazzy Mix Continued: For your fourth imaginary flower, let's switch to a different zinia from our jazzy mix. This time, draw your flower off center again. Feel free to choose the placement of your new center or consider placing it slightly below the center of your basic shape, like I'm doing. Map out the center of your flower with a circle, either free hand or using a compass. Then follow your initial steps, divide your basic shape into nine sections, ensuring that your guidelines radiate from your new center. You can either draw each guideline completely from the center or start just outside the central circle and extend your guidelines outward. Observe your subject closely. We'll interpret the petals as being pinched at their bases. Add your markers and begin shaping your petals with angled lines starting at the top corners. For the bottom parts of the petals will use a slightly different approach. Draw your angled lines from just above the central shape, extending them down to your markers. Repeat this step for all petal shapes moving around your flower structure. The petals that appear slightly compressed might feel a bit awkward to draw. But trust the process, it will all come together at the end. Once all angled guidelines are in place, begin reinforcing your boundaries. Strengthen one side of all your petals, then move to the opposite side, working slowly and deliberately. Use this repetitive step as an opportunity to once again breathe deeply and recenter yourself. It's natural for the mind to wander during repetitive tasks. As you continue practicing, you'll learn to recognize these moments as chances to relax, reconnect, and find your focus. To further refine your petals, check out the second flower in your reference photo. Despite the slight blurriness, some petals have scallop tops. Be mindful as you observe so you can identify bits that can spark an idea. Take inspiration from that little petal to exaggerate the scallops. Also vary the number of scallops to add visual interest to your flower. For the middle section of this flower, we'll use a similar center from the first drawings with a slight adjustment. This time, emphasize on the circular texture and reduce the number of small flowers that bloom in the middle. Begin by drawing a small circle in the middle. Then slowly add more circles, spiraling outward. Continue this pattern until you nearly reach the edge of your center's basic shape guideline. Once you reach the edge of your center guideline, draw the basic shape of the small flower, divide it into five sections, and add a sharp loop around each guideline. Then fill the remaining space with the circular texture, coloring the empty spaces to help this small bloom stand out. Add another small flower following the same process and continue with the circular texture. Remember to color the empty spaces to make these bloom pop. Scattered two or three small blooms near the edge of the central section, and complete your center by adding a little detail at the middle of your small blooms and a few circles in the remaining space between your petals and the guidelines of your basic shape. Finally, draw inspiration from the petal above your previous source and boldly block out the color change with a smooth, half oval shape that repeats around your flower. Adjust the size of the blocked out area as needed, reducing it for compressed petals and enlarging it for the others. For your fifth flower variation, consider adding these prompts to your glossary. Fewer petals and simplified shapes. Divide the basic shape into six sections using the isometric paper as a guide if available. Then map out your center and return to closely observing your subject. The perspective of the flower and the way the upper petals fold downward reveal a unique form, inspiring a more simplified petal shape this time. Add small angled lines close to the edge of your basic shape on both sides of your petal sections. Next, slowly reinforce the boundaries. Start on one side moving around your guideline structure from the inner circle guideline upward. When you reach the angled line, draw a soft curve that flows into the edge of the basic shape. Once you've completed one side, simply draw the opposite curve for each petal. Complete your petals by closing the gap at the top of each section. Remember to breathe deeply and be present in the simplicity of these steps. Now let's choose a detail for your petals. The most striking detail is the color change within each one. Select one petal, squint your eyes and observe its shape. In simple terms, it resembles sharp scallops. Trace the scallop shape on each petal. You raise the unnecessary lines in the center. Now, again, if you squint your eyes, you'll notice that the shape of the center resembles many spikes. Focusing on these peaks, how would you interpret the center's edge? A simple way to capture this is with a sharp zigzag line around the entire middle section. Once you've completed the center silhouette, loosely color the dark areas of each petal. As you color extend each petal until it touches the zig zag center. Remember to embrace your inner child's playfulness again throughout the entire process, but especially during the coloring step. The center could present a small challenge, but we can look back at our previous work to solve it. The technique from day two, despite being derived from a different source offers a viable solution for our current challenge. Keeping the spikes in mind and how we've interpret them at the edge, simply continue drawing more zigzag lines inwards. Finally, draw inspiration from the deep red possibly created by shadows. Use your soft pencil and the pressure technique to draw strong veins radiating outward from the center and fading toward the middle of the petals. Let's wrap up today's lesson with some button flowers. Once more, use this final section to practice the steps and flowers you've drawn. Remember, you can isolate all the centers of your flowers. You'll be amazed at how different they look on their own. You can also draw a mini version of one of your flowers, just like we did on day four. Feel free to follow along with the button flowers I've chosen to draw and then let your creativity flow and draw more. You'll find the steps become really easy. In this phase, too, embrace a creative flow and experiment. Rather than filling the space with circles, try coloring it. This will add a distinct variation when combining your creations. As we close, remember that today's lesson and all our lessons are more than just exercises in drawing. They were lessons in trusting the process, being in the present moment, practicing patience and focusing on one step at a time. We learned all this as we drew. I hope you noticed how following instructions and practicing fosters ease and flow. This mindful approach, showing up consistently for your creative practice, is what truly ignites your muse. It's in these moments of dedication that you begin to see opportunities you might have otherwise missed. Transforming challenges into pathways for inspired creation. As you finish your button, remember once again that you can still diverge from your previous flower center choices. So go ahead and color the center of this button flower. Now pause and appreciate your work. Subtle adjustments have yield significant variety, resulting in a unique array of flowers. Remember, through these drawing lessons, you not only enhance your artistic skills, but also your personal growth. What you have done is truly meaningful. See you in the next lesson. 18. Tools - Painting Phase: Allow your breath to be the gentle guide as you approach your art. Recognize that each inhale and exhale influences your artistic process, softening the tension held within your body. As you show up for your art practice, you consciously use your breath to anchor yourself in the present moment. When your mind wanders, return to the rhythm of your breathing, finding focus and calm. Trust that your breath will guide your creative expression, allowing your unique vision to flow freely onto the paper. Today, we will all breathe. For your final project, add a kneaded eraser to your toolbox. This will come in handy to remove excess graphite before painting. I'm also going to be using a fountain pen to draw some of the shapes and add details to the affirmation cards. I'll be using a soft blue gray ink that has hints of mauve or lavender that pop out when water is applied after drawing. A micron pen for lettering. And, hey, you can use a micron pen instead of the fountain pen for drawing shapes and details, too, if you prefer. A few more tools for detail, a white pen, colored pencils and two contrasting shades of blue, one dark, one lighter. Also an optional fun and different tool is water soluble graphite pencils. Use your favorite paper. I'll test out hot press, but mainly, I'll be using cold press watercolor paper. It has a lovely textured surface. And depending on the brand, the backside might have a more subtle texture. That's the side I'll be painting on. When I work with watercolor, I usually tear my paper instead of cutting it. I start by carefully folding a big sheet in half, using a bone folder to get a nice crisp crease. Then I add a little clean water along the folded edge to soften it. I fold it back the other way, use the bone folder again. And add a bit more water. Once that folded edge is soft, I gently tear it apart. It gives the finish piece a nice warm handmade feel. To trace the basic flower shapes, grab something round instead of using the sharp point of your compass. That way, you'll protect your paper. Now, feel free to use the brushes you're most comfortable with. I typically use spotter brushes. These shorter brushes offer a lot of control, and surprisingly, they can hold a good amount of paint despite their size. For larger areas, I use a number five brush and a number one for smaller areas and finer details. I'll also be using an old brush for mixing paint, a towel or a paper napkin to wipe your brush or remove excess water or paint while you're painting. A place to mix your paint, I use my small porcelain palette and a container for water. The watercolors we'll use are primary colors. I'll be using Schminkaadam, helourquois. Purple magenta, the same brand. And senile a quarrel burnt sienna. With these three colors, you are able to create a beautiful, deep dark blue. If you mix the paint so it's a bit milky, it'll give you a rich navy blue. And if you make it more watery like tea, you will get lovely light shades of cool blue. Just a heads up, watercolor tends to dry a little lighter than it looks when it's wet, and sometimes the color can shift a little too. So it's always a good idea to test your colors out to see what they'll look when they're dry. 19. DAY 8: Paint Consistency: For this class, I'd like to show you the consistencies we'll use for our daily projects. I'm preparing a large amount of the color I'm going to be using in a creamy consistency. And from there, I'll prepare a few more consistencies of the same color to play with. You'll get the hang of the pink consistency with practice. From the creamy color, go slow as you play around with the amounts of water to get a color similar to the ones I will show you. Like to play with tea, coffee, milk, cream, and butterterns. I understood it best this way. So the first one is tea. It's very, very watery. I'll move quickly on your paper, and you'll get a very light color. The second one is coffee. Slightly less watery, move less quickly on your paper, and will be a little darker in color. The third is milk. You'll start to see that in your palette, the puddle of paint moves slower than the other two, as well as on your paper and is darker. Creamy consistency. You saw me prepare it at the beginning. You can start to see the brush strokes on your paper as it moves very slowly and is very dark. Now I let the creamy consistency dry and thicken up a bit, giving it a buttery consistency. The navy paint goes on super dark on your paper, and you get a bit of a dry brush effect. We'll explore simple paint and effects using water and paint to create color changes or shadows in your flowers. Apply a thin layer of clean water and drag it inwards. Leave a space where you'd like the colour change to happen. Dropping tea like consistency paint into water will create a very soft, subtle colour change, but enough to hint a light source. A stronger color change starts to happen when you drop coffee like consistency paint into water. You can see how the paint spreads quickly with these two options. When you drop thicker paint consistencies into water, you'll notice the color changes are much more intense and the paint spreads more slowly. Here we dropped milk into water. The color change and speed at which the paint moves are more dramatic now as we drop creamy consistency into water. Butter consistency because it's so thick, it barely spreads on the wet surface. You'll see a faint colour ring around where you put it, but the main color stays right where you first touch the dry spot. Experiment using more water, even a slightly puddled up area, you'll end up getting a deep color with a slightly wider spread. This is probably my favorite one. I find it very soothing how the pigment moves around. You can use these techniques using, for instance, T consistency with your thicker paints. In this case, T and dropping in milk consistency paint. Water or tea consistency and dropping in a creamy consistency paint. Once again, water or tea and dropping in thick, buttery paint. Play around with these puddles of paint, mix them around, play adding paint, and then thinner paint or even water, blending them around and see what comes out. This has made one of the things I like the best in my practice, playing with paint and getting dark and light tones in my work. Your project for today is a creative chart like this. You'll find it really useful. It doesn't matter if it's a color you mix yourself or one straight from the tuber pan. Make little puddles of the color in those five consistencies. This will help you understand how the paint feels as you're using it and how it lays down on your paper. It's also a fantastic way to experiment with how the color reacts and changes when you add the different thicknesses of paint or water. Pay attention to how the thicker paints give you those rich dark starting points for your color variations. Explore what you can do with your tools while your paint is wet. Pick up your mechanical pencil, for instance, and see what kind of lines you can make. You can also try dabbing your pencil into thicker paint from your palette to create a colored starting point for a line. Another interesting technique is to create patterns by pressing into the wet paper. The indentations will catch the paint as it dries, naturally making those lines darker. Try this for your next exploration. Apply a bit more water again, leaving a small dry boundary around your shape. Introduce your thickest paint to this dry edge and then gently help it flow into the water. It's lovely to see how the pigment moves and blends on its own. You'll be surprised how differently this dries. For me, watercolor has been a wonderful lesson in letting go of the desired outcome. I can only do so much. It has its own inherit magic, and I embrace whatever emerges. We will take a little breather for today's assignment by developing your own colored chart. It's important to keep track of the materials you use. This will be a helpful reference for the future. Even if the colors you use evolve, this chart will provide a useful foundation. Little by little, you'll start to identify which one to use according to the vision you have for the piece you're working on. And when you're ready, let's start painting. See you in the next lesson. 20. DAY 9: I Am: Let's get ready to create our first affirmation card. You will remember the process from your days drawing imaginary flowers, and that familiarity is going to be your superpower today. We will be following the same steps we took before. The only thing that's changing is the paper we're using. So with the confidence you've built over the last few days, you'll feel right at home guiding or drawing onto your watercolor paper. Let's do this. Going through the steps again, first trace your basic shape using something round to protect your paper. Divide that shape into the number of petals you want and add your secondary lines to define each one. Then map out the center for your middle section, repeating the same process to define the center flower and add details to the very core. Remember, we've drawn this flower before, so this will feel familiar. With clean water, first wet the outer area of your flour, working your way inwards. Take a breath and notice how the water moves in your cup and on your paper. Move from the outer edge of your flour inward and be careful as you get closer to the central details. Once you're there, grab a little bit of your creamy consistency paint and begin outlining the outer edge of your central details. Work slowly going back and forth with your brush, letting the paint touch the damp paper so it gently bleeds into the central flour. Your thicker paint will spread slowly if your paper has a thin, even layer of dampness. If it's too wet, your paint will spread very quickly. A good way to check if you have the right amount of water is to tilt your paper before painting and observe a smooth even sheen. Try this technique beforehand if you want. Move slowly and know that practice makes progress and let your first layer dry completely. Before we put on a second layer, let's take a piece of scrap watercolor paper and try out the gradient for your flour. Use your coffee consistency paint on the top of the petals and then put your cream consistency paint on the bottom, encouraging it to move into the wet paint above. When you're happy with how the gradient looks, go ahead and apply it to your card. Painting a big area might seem a little daunting, but just have two things in mind. First, nature isn't perfectly uniform. So if you get some dry edges, don't worry about it at all. We'll be layering more paint on top, and those edges will just blend in and add some nice texture. And second, remember we are here to enjoy the process and have fun. So with your larger brush, apply your coffee like consistency paint and carefully outline the edges of your flower silhouette. Then brush the paint inwards. As you approach the center, introduce your cream like consistency paint with your thin brush. Outline the central flower and encourage it to blend with a lighter color, being mindful to control the darker paint so it doesn't travel too high. Have in mind, this layer follows the same principle as the first, working on a wet surface with a thin, watery underlay, and then adding thicker paint. Once the first section is painted, continue with the sides using the same technique. Apply your thinner paint to the outer portions, outline the flower's edge for definition, and then guide the paint inwards. As you get near the flower at the center, add your thicker paint and help it integrate with the existing damp paint. Work on the side sections, altering as needed to ensure the paint remains wet and remember to relax and breathe. Dip your brush into your paint and take a slow breath. Notice the pigments on the bristles. Watch how the paint moves on the paper, each little tendril reaching and blending to create soft gradients right before you. With each stroke, with each breath, become a quiet observer of this tiny fluid world unfolding. Feel your breath gently echoing the ebb and flow of the paint, a silent connection between you, the water, the pigment, and the paper. This is a mindful moment more than just adding color, where your breath anchors you to the delicate beauty of the watercolor. Let your layer dry completely, and any bloom that whispers its way into your flower, embrace its curious arrival. Draw inspiration from your sketch for your third layer. Use your tea like consistency paint. Then on a scrap of watercolor paper, or you tested out your second layer, add the idea of the pin stripes. But this time with paint, this fits riot in because the drawing you are using has hints of this pattern. Enjoy this step. It's a simple, consistent action all around your flour. As you work, breathe deeply and notice the soothing rhythm of this repetition. It's a gentle anchor for your focus to being present in the moment. Many find that these kinds of receptive, repetitive movements can quiet the mind, ease tension, allowing for a deeper sense of calm as you create. Welcome this peaceful sensation as you continue. For the core details, let's keep it simple with your pen, outline the essential details and color in the center. Remember how we added pin stripes on day two by finding the midpoints and then filing in the sections. Do that again on the central flower, using your thin brush and your te like consistency paint. Repeating this pattern will add depth to your flower and help you relax further. Now let's finish up your flower by painting the details we drew on our second day. Use your thin brush and your te like consistency paint and try to move your brush just like you did your pencil to create the outlines and then fill them in. This will help you make your flour pop with depth and volume. Let's move on to stems and leaves now. You can sketch them lightly with your pencil first, or since we're keeping it simple for our first affirmation card, pick up your drawing tool and draw them directly without a plan, just to see what happens. Ease the grip on your drawing tool. Pay attention to the sensation of drawing on this new surface. Move with deliberate slowness and appreciate the lines you create. Draw the central vein first and add delicate side veins close together. Breathe with every line that appears on your paper. If you're working with non waterproof ink, you can create a shadow on your leaf by adding a small amount of clean water to activate the ink. As you paint each stroke, let your breath flow with it and take a moment to admire what you've just created. Time to add your affirmation. You can use a light box, a window at graphite to the backside of your template printout or free handed lettering to transfer the message onto your watercolor paper. Use what you have and also enjoy the simplicity of this step. We will now explore how to make your affirmation cards message permanent using watercolor. Experiment with varying the water to paint ratio as you add color to each letter. This will create different shades. As you can see, I've chosen blue. It's a color often linked to feelings of peace and serenity, but you're welcome to try other colors, too. As we bring our lesson to a close today, I encourage you to carry forward the message you've explored. Remember that just as we've layered colors and lines onto our paper, we can gently and persistently instill positive beliefs within ourselves. It may feel challenging at times, but the possibility of truly believing in our inherit worth is always there. Let the simple yet powerful affirmation I am, and that's awesome echo in your thoughts and resonate within your heart. By consciously repeating and embracing this truth, we nurture a deeper connection with our authentic selves. Tell yourself daily, I am, and that's awesome. See you tomorrow. 21. DAY 10: I Am Plenty: Welcome back. Again, today, we'll blend the mindful practices of drawing and watercolor with the power of intention. Let's revisit the first flower drawing we created on day five. Take a moment to bring that small journey to mind. As you get ready to draw your flower onto your watercolor paper, I invite you to recall our intention for this phase. Before even touching your tools, make sure you breathe deeply, allow your shoulders to relax and trust the creative journey you experienced the first time you brought this flower to life. Move through the same steps, but this time with deep presence in each breath, each line, each brush strug and the unfolding beauty of your work. Now that your drawing is softly present on your watercolor paper, try out your milk like consistency paint on a separate piece of paper. Get a feel for how you want to paint the petals. We're going for petals that have more color on the edges, fading to a lighter middle. With your thin brush and dark paint, first trace the edges of your petals, reload your brush, and then move the paint toward the inside. Be mindful of the edges. Keep them damp so that when you introduce water, you achieve a smooth, dark to light transition. I like to introduce water right in the middle and then delicately spread it outwards until it touches the dark color, tasing the edges so the colors soften and blend into each other. If you see too much water on the paper, dry your brush slightly and dab away some of the excess water. This will prevent the dark paint from spreading too much and keep the transition smooth and more contained. Continue this mindful approach for every petal, truly embracing each brushstroke you make. As you paint each one, deliberately following the steps we've outlined, consciously remember your intention to breathe deeply and welcome any beautiful bloom or unexpected texture that might appear on your paper. Observe how the artistic journey of each petal unfolds with a growing sense of ease and natural flow as you continue to create. For the center, experiment with creating small light petals that fade into a darker color as they approach the core. Work these petals similarly to our first card, where we played with strong color shifts. The main difference here is working in a small defined area and using very watery light paint. Apply a thin wash of this paint to the top section of your small petals, and as they get closer to the flowers core, switch to the tart paint, letting the two consistencies touch and blend softly together. Keep using your thin brush to help keep the edges crisp and repeat the same process for all your petals. Take advantage of these moments of familiarity with your watercolor to stay in the present moment, engage your sense of sight and breathe as you observe how the colors dance and lend with each other. Looking at a reference, you'll notice the thin veins in each petal. You could just draw them in, but since we're using watercolor, this is a great chance to interpret them differently. Use the same principle of pressure, but this time with your brush with clean water, start with the tip of your brush and as you move, apply slight pressure to it to get a thicker width and release at the end. Feel free to experiment here. Why not take inspiration from what we just did? Paint elongated shapes for veins using the same light water color with dark tips. Add maybe two or three of these blended veins to each petal and remember to gently embrace the feelings of familiarity and comfort that show up as you work with your paints. Using your thin brush and darker paint, add a single vein inside each of your small petals, trying to do it in one brush strug. Next, plan the placement of your stems and leaves or simply trace them from your printouts. Draw lightly and remember your needed eraser can soften any dark lines if they arise. And with the drawing tool you've chosen, drawing your stem confidently. Now let's move on to the leaves and explore darker colors. I recommend testing the color on a separate piece of paper first just to make sure you're happy with it. Having a mid tone and a darker color prepared will allow you to achieve different shades within your leads. Once you're happy with both shades, start painting your leaves. Stick with your thin brush if you're comfortable and keep exploring your paints. Use a darker shade in areas that would likely be in shadow like the underside of a leaf or behind a petal. Mix in a bit of water for areas you'd like to be lighter, like the tops of your leaves. Paint one half of each leaf and let it dry completely before painting the other half. This will give the impression of a gentle fold and automatically create a central vein. The veins on all leaves will follow the same pattern. But if you feel like changing them up a bit, go with your gut. I decided to keep mine consistent across all cards so that the vein style, along with the color, become the unifying elements for the whole collection. Time to transfer your affirmation to your card. And as you do so, feel the texture of your paper on the surface as you form each letter, see the words come to being before you. When it's your turn to work on yours and while you're making your affirmation permanent on your watercolor paper, involve your senses again. Observe how the pen leaves a permanent mark on the paper. If it's paint or ink you're using, become aware of how sometimes the ink flows and sinks into the paper. The words become whole, silently say the affirmation in your mind. And when they form a complete sentence, repeat it out loud. Ay and plenty. Visualize the feeling of being enough and say your affirmation out loud one more time. A and plenty. Let your affirmations take root, craft your own story of self. Use this practice to cultivate positive self talk, make it significant, begin to believe it. Ay and plenty. 22. DAY 11: I Am Grateful: Okay, ready? Take a breath. Remember how good it felt creating the last few days? That familiar feeling with your paper and paints. That's going to make today's affirmation card flow much easier. You already know the steps. Let's be thankful for that ease, because that feeling of flow can spill into a whole day rounding you in the present in the moment. Noticing the good in your art journey will open you up to seeing good more often. So invite your inner child from the very beginning. Take another breath. And let's create with gratitude. A key reason I chose a single color for these affirmation cards is that beyond wanting a cohesive look I struggle like with many things with color decisions. I like everything. So stepping back, I realized I wanted simplicity and ease with fewer choices while still achieving something visually pleasing. So my main focus is just the paint intensity. Let's start with a midton shade and slowly begin painting the upper part of your flower outline. As you continue to paint, when you get near the center and the right side of your petal, add clean water and spread it inwards. This will create a gradient, dark edges to a very light middle and also help define the separation between the petals. Now, clean and lightly dry your brush, then use it to lift off a little bit of the paint. This will help emphasize the separation between the petals. Once your paint is completely dry, gently apply a thin layer of clean water over the entire surface of your flour, being mindful of its edges. Then take your thick paint and carefully add a little along the outer edges of each petal, letting it spread naturally on the wet surface. As you add paint, breathe and become aware of how the paint is dancing and flowing across the damp surface, a beautiful unfolding in the present moment, and again, let it dry completely. Now with your favorite tool, draw the lines that divide your petals. Take your time here, savor the simplicity of this step. Breathe in the peace that this straightforward step offers. This is something to remember in any project. We move between steps that seem complex and simple ones. When we least expected, we've been able to regulate ourselves finding calm again. Just like with this next simple step, use your milk like consistency paint to fill in your center details. If you shaded those droplets with your pencil, you'll see an interesting texture emerge once the paint has been applied and dried. Welcome these discoveries as you lay your knowledge onto your piece. More easy steps. After you've drawn in your stem, lightly pencil in where you would like your leaves to go. Remember to use a gentle touch with your pencil. Feel free to get creative with replacement, or if you prefer keeping things simple, you can just trace them from the templates I created for you. After you've penciled them in, trace over your leaves with your pen, keeping the same vein style and bottom shading. If you're using waterproof ink, create the shadow with your lightest paint. Continue working on your composition by adding the details around the center. Remember, these were inspired by an animal like print pattern we found on the rhododendron on day one. Very the size of each mark and the paint tone to add more visual interest to your card. And while you have paint on your brush, color in the small loops at the end of each petal division. Let's create a new button. This time, isolate the detail from your flower center, follow the same steps and ink them with the same color pen you've been using. You might also want to add this new button to your floral catalog and add small dots to your animal like pattern to add depth to your flower. Through art, we can help our affirmation start to settle by connecting to our senses. Observe the strokes forming each letter, the comforting feel of your materials, and the pleasant sounds, be it your pencil on paper or the world around you. Next envision the inherent beauty and goodness already present in your life. A closer look always reveals reasons for gratitude. While visualizing, repeat your affirmation both inwardly, I am grateful and outwardly and add more words if you feel inspired. I am grateful for all the good I possess, and I am receptive to even greater blessings. Embrace the power of these words. This practice of uniting sensory awareness, visualization, and affirmation not only allows us to cherish the present moment, but also readies us to embrace a positive that awaits. By centering on gratitude, we make ourselves open to the abundance of beauty and goodness the universe offers. So as your affirmation takes shape, and every time you see it, hear yourself saying it once more. I am grateful. See you in our next lesson. 23. DAY 12: I Am Unique: Welcome back to another lesson. Once again, trust in the work you have gone through to redraw your flowers onto your watercolor paper. And as you continue to move forward following familiar steps and techniques, you'll begin to feel with greater strength a feeling of confidence in your abilities. And even while following instructions, you will see how you can find joy in your unique expression. After tracing your flour onto your paper, remember to remove excess graphite with your kneaded eraser beforehand. Wet your flour silhouette using water or water with a hint of color if you like. We're going to use the very first technique from your first affirmation card. The difference now lies in the amount of water we will use. Even though we are in the painting and final project phase, you can continue exploring on this occasion, how thick paint travels through a larger amount of water. We will interpret with thick paint the shading we did in the original drawing. It's okay if the water is polling a little on your paper. We're experimenting here. Just make sure you're using thicker paper as a thinner one will buckle. Once you get close to the center of your flour, outline your central details using your cream consistency paint with your thin brush. Move the paint outwards and encourage it to bleed into the water. You might notice the creamy paint diluting a bit as it touches the pool and water and you'll see it spread much faster than on day nine. Continue adding your thick paint to the area surrounding your central details. If your flour is drawn off center, add more paint to the larger space and gently coax it so it mixes with your watery surface and moves more freely. Also dip your brush into your thick paint and add small dots to the tips of your petals. Don't touch or move these dots, let them sit there. While everything is still wet, if you'd like a little more color in your flour, add small touches of your watery paint to the lighter areas and gently pull a little more of your creamy paint outward from the darker sections. Just a touch. Watercolor has a beautiful mind of its own. We need to trust it and allow it to work its magic. Let it be and allow your first layer to dry completely. Now carefully erase any remaining pencil lines around your flour. Then using your preferred drying tool and in the same manner as in day one, outline the details in the center and fill in the very core. Ink up your stem and with your pencil, softly start adding in the elements to complete your composition. Remember, you can free hand your leaves and buttons or you can trace them from the template handouts. Now recall how to fold a leaf or petal. Draw a line where you want the leaf in this case to fold, and then mirror the shape you see above that line. Where the original leaf and the folded part intersect, erase the mirrowed lines if you want the folded tip to fall behind. Continue inking your buttons in the same way you did in your flower. And again, welcome familiar steps and enjoy your peace coming together. One more folded leaf. Now, where the original leaf and the folded part intersect. Erase the original lines of the leaf. If you want the folded tip to come forward. We painted dark leaves on our second card. So breathe and approach this step with ease and confidence. Remember to use your milk like consistency paint for this and play around adding touches of water so you get different shades of blue on your leaves. For the leaf folding back, consider a darker shade of color and a lighter shade for the one folding forward. Breathe as you complete your leaves by adding all their veins, relax into this simple and familiar step. Now, use your darker colored pencil for the prominent veins. Apply the pressure technique. Start with firm pressure and gradually lighten it as you approach the edges of the flower. Go over these veins again if you think they need more definition. Think back to how you created the Argyle pattern in your initial drawing. Now using your lighter colored pencil, lay your zigzag lines in a circular direction. It's perfectly fine if there are areas where the color doesn't quite show up that will give your flower a more organic and natural feel. Keep adding the pattern until your flour is filled, embracing the wonderful qualities of your lines. Complete this pattern by adding the dot you included originally. If your pencil has a creamy texture, a light touch is all you need for this final detail. Once again, you can lose yourself, find comfort and relax in the rhythmic repetition of this action. As we conclude, remember that the art you create reflects your unique self. Each stroke, each color is a testament of your abilities. Let these moments of creation nurture your confidence, root your affirmation of uniqueness deeply within your heart and mind, embrace the beauty of your individual expression, and carry this strength with you always. Let your art be a constant reminder of the incredible and unique person you are. Breathe and say your affirmation in your mind. Find a comfortable rhythm with your breath as you mix your paint to the consistency you love. Now gently use your thin brush to paint each letter, letting the watercolors flow freely. You're almost done. Watch as the words come together to form a sentence. Breathe easily and say your affirmation out loud. Proudly. I am unique. See it tomorrow. 24. DAY 13: I Am Capable: So glad you're back. Today, you'll create your fourth affirmation card. All the steps you've gone through drawing your reference flower, and all the work and effort from the past few days will come back to you tent fold as we continue our journey together. Let's dive in and see the magic unfold. Help yourself with the printouts if you feel more comfortable. Breathe and remember this is your safe space. We are here for the process. Just like the steps for drawing flow smoother, the techniques we learn will feel just as natural with time. Today, we're using the same wet surface approach with the creamy paint, but in a tighter space, and we're keeping a specific direction in mind for how we want the paint to move. It's similar to the wet on wet technique you might know. Watercolor will still be unpredictable. But this way, we have a little extra control like we've practiced. We're adding thick watercolor near the dry area of the paper and touching it. This helps the rich color stay near where you first put it. Then you can carefully guide it and move it just how you want with small brush strokes. Add little bits of color if you want the paint to travel further, but proceed delicately. If you decide you want more of that strong color later, just add another layer on top. But first, let your petals dry completely. Once the first petals are completely dry, we can proceed to paint the rest. Alternating the petals helps to keep them separate. Again, you'll introduce the thick paint by touching the water near the dry spot and pulling it downwards. This helps the thick paint soften slightly and prevents it from spreading upwards too much. Then gently pull and place more paint slowly where you want it. Complete all your petals in the same manner. Once your flour is nearly finished, at least the petals, lightly sketch in the stem and leaves. This way, the pencil doesn't get in the way while you're painting the flour. Keep in mind that once watercolor dries over pencil lines, they become permanent. For this card, paint your leaves with a milk like consistency paint as a base to get a nice contrast and balance in your composition. As your leaves dry, go ahead and paint the outer bits of your middle section. Leave the starlight core untouched for the time being. Take this time to breathe and enjoy the process. Glancing over and observing how what you've achieved in this piece so far is starting to take shape in a very special way. Welcome your familiar steps with an open heart and relax further as you draw in your stem and the veins in all your leaves. Lightly sketch the original pattern from your reference drawing. And since we can always explore in every phase, we'll interpret this detail differently this time around. If you're using a fountain pen, test making dots by writing normally with it. And even though your nib is designed to face upwards, allowing for best ink flow, also try turning it around, known as reverse writing to create smaller dots as you get closer to the edges. If you're using a regular felt tip pen, use a light touch to achieve finer dots. Keep using the same drawing tool and add lines to finish your argyle pattern in the center of your flower. If you're using your fountain pen on spur of the moment, try adding thin lines down the middle of the diamond shapes using reverse writing. If you're using a felt tip pen, switch to a finer point to get the same effect. If you notice any pencil lines peeking out from your painted flower, gently erase them. So as you begin to transfer your message onto your paper, keep in mind that every line you make forms a letter, and those letters build into words. Each time you complete a stroke, let your affirmation gently appear in your thoughts a quiet feeling of self assurance. Then as those words come together to make a sentence, say your affirmation out loud. Notice how gradually step by step, both on your artwork and within yourself, your confidence grows stronger. Through this art, you're not just creating beauty, you're crafting a profound and unwavering belief in all that you are capable of. Tell yourself every day I am capable of great things, and I look forward to seeing tomorrow. 25. DAY 14: I Am Blessed: Welcome back again. We'll keep exploring the beauty of mindful drawing and painting in this space. It's important to acknowledge that making this time for yourself is a blessing, a chance to slow down and connect with yourself. As you confidently use the techniques you've learned, trust that your abilities will grow with familiar actions becoming second nature. Let this time be a reminder of the many blessings in your life and allow yourself to fully embrace the process. This flower might be one of the more complex ones we've drawn, but remember, you've drawn it before. Complex projects are built upon simple steps, so go through them mindfully one step at a time. Keep in mind, you can also use the templates I've provided for you. Remove excess graphite from your drawing and start painting the most time consuming part due to all the details it contains. It looks complex, but it actually is simple. Take your milk like consistency paint as base and randomly paint one circle at a time, alternating, using water to dilute the paint so that the center has a variety of tones. Once you've painted all the details, fill in the space between them using a darker shade of the color you've chosen. Complete the center by reinforcing some areas between the details with a touch of the same dark color. Going over them after they're dry with the same color will intensify their tone. Test a watery paint on scrap paper before painting the small blooms above the center details. If the tone is right, apply it to the middle of their outlines to suggest a halo. We will bring a fun new tool today. But first, paint your petal in a light shade of the color you've chosen. Alternate between your paint and a little water so your petal gets different shades of color. With an RGB water soluble graphite pencil, which is basically water soluble graphite pencil with a hint of color. In this case, Prusian blue, draw the petal veins from each of the tips of the scallops while the paint is still wet and tease it a little so the pigment moves around. If you don't have this pencil, you can use a regular water soluble colored pencil instead in a similar color family. To keep the shapes distinct, paint one petal, then move to another, and keep going like that until your petals are done. Once your petals are completely dry, add your second layer of color. Start by applying clean water to the tops of the petals, spread it more or less down to the middle of your petal. Then add a light watery color from the bottom upwards, allowing it to bleed and disappear into the clean water and into the details already there. Now, carefully with the drawing tool you've been using, you can see I'm sticking to my fountain pen and the same color ink for consistency. Draw your stem. Then lightly pencil in a leaf. Then carefully ink the leaf you just drew. Ink the edges, the middle and side veins, taking your time to draw each line and breathing with a simple step. Add a second leaf on the opposite side and do the same rhythmic process. If you're working intuitively with your leaves and extra bits, just like I did when I was making these affirmation cards, take a look and see if you want other little elements to pop out that you'd like to include. Even if you're using the templates I've made for you, if you feel like tucking in a few more button flowers or leaves, absolutely go for it. Enjoy adding small details. These are like the salt that binds the flavors when one is cooking. These details, in my opinion, are what tie the composition together. They make the entire composition stand out. Just make sure that what you have painted is completely dry. When everything is dry, go ahead and add their stems. You can also give them the same second layer of color idea we used before. And even though we didn't create these tiny buttonflowers in our drying phase, in any phase, we can come up with new ideas. So isolate the core details of your small blooms and add them to a section of your stems and add the core details of your buttonflowers. Continue to explore different ways to shade your lighter leaves. Previously, we've used clean water to activate the ink in the veins to create a faint shadow. For this card let's try something different. Experiment by using your coffee like consistency paint as base and then dilute it with water directly on your paper to build slightly deeper shadows. Once you're happy with that, feel free to add more leaves, following the same steps to bring them to life. You know, showing up for this creative space, it's saying to yourself, Yes, I am blessed. It really is. By making this time and putting in the energy for your art, we're basically telling ourselves that we deserve the joy, the chance to express ourselves and to grow. It's like a big hug for our unique talents, realizing that just having them and using them is a blessing. So, yes, coming here to create isn't just about making art. It's a strong way of saying I am blessed, acknowledging all the good we already have and opening up ourselves to even more of it. I am blessed. See you tomorrow. 26. DAY 15: I Am Loved: Think about the things you've learned. The steps you know now almost by heart, applying that knowledge and going through those familiar motions isn't just about getting things done. It's about building something deeper, your confidence. Each time you successfully navigate a process you understand, that assurance grows. And within that familiarity, that almost automatic way of doing things lies a surprising gift. In that comfortable space where the mind doesn't have to struggle with the new, you can find a sense of stillness. It's the familiar that allows the mind to quiet and to find a moment of peace within every day. Have all this in mind when you draw your flowers onto your watercolor paper, Loosen the grip on your pencil, find that peaceful space and prepare your mind to start painting. After removing excess graphite from your drawing, prepare a T like consistency paint, test it out on a scrap of paper. And when you're happy with it, start painting your central flowers. Add paint to your petal, and even if this color is light, add water to one edge to get a subtle color shift, creating the illusion of them having a light source and volume. Since your petals are flushed, alternate painting them going from one flower to the other to give them enough time to dry before continuing on to the next. Apply water to the pronounced edge of your petal first, followed by your watery paint. Experiment and see which order you prefer. As for me, I generally work from light to dark. And even with a diluted wash, this approach still feels natural to me, as you've seen me done in earlier lessons. To create contrast, make a milky light consistency paint for the outer petals. Start applying this paint along the edge that lies over the adjacent petal. Proceed until you approach the point where the petal starts to curve underneath the next one. And at that point, use a thicker application of paint to depict a shadow. Then dab a touch of this thick paint onto the edge of your central flower for another subtle shadow. Mirroring the central flowers, paint these petals alternately to preserve their individual shapes and reveal their shadows and highlights. Right keeping in mind my ongoing encouragement to experiment at any point, let's revisit the concept of reinterpretation, just like we did in our fifth affirmation card. We'll now apply this idea by subtly altering our central flowers petals with a very light color. Think of it as performing the same delicate line work we did with pencil on day four, but now using paint and a thin brush. Start on the overlapping edge, and with your brush, draw the veins following the overlapping curve this petal has and fill in each petal with this curvy pin stripe pattern on both flowers. Or Enhance the layers and contrast by adding straight veins to your darker petals, placing them on each scallop tip. Try to make these veins radiate outward from the flower's core. You might find, as I do that hovering over the center helps visualize this. For the middle bloom, let's keep it simple. Add the central detail as a guide for keeping it white and fill the flower silhouette with a dark shade. Work deliberately as the space might be a bit confined. I find that managing the paint load on my brush greatly improves control. Once your flowers are complete, lightly sketch in the stems and leaves. Now take a breath and relax into the familiar process as you draw the buttons. We'll paint these first using the same method and color as when we painted them within your flowers. This is because the buttons will be positioned in front of all the leaves. Allow them to dry fully before continuing. Ink the stems and silhouettes of your leaves while enjoying another step that is so familiar now, it allows you to relax completely. Explore further by adding buttonflowers in a new color by just outlining them. You erase pencil lines and add the center using the same tool. If your ink is water soluble, touch the middle detail with a thin brush and clean water. Going beyond the mark you did for a halo effect to appear upon drying. If your ink is waterproof, try this last step with a light or watery color. Then proceed with the light version of the leaves we created before. Don't hesitate to incorporate extra leaves or even buttonflowers if you feel inspired. Gaze at the message you're transferring to your card. Stroke by mindful stroke. Each one, as you know, forms a letter. The letters joining to create the powerful words, I am loved. Take a moment to truly root this affirmation within. Now, think back to the techniques we've explored, the colors we've mixed, and the familiar steps that have become our trusted guides. Notice how far you've come in your creative journey and freely choose the technique you like the best to continue. Look around to the message again and repeat it silently. Let it sink deep. And once your card is complete, permanently colored with this truth, say it out loud. I am loved. Feel the resonance of those words, acknowledging the love that surrounds you. Always. I am loved. See you tomorrow. 27. DAY 16: I Am Strong: Welcome to another lesson. As you prepared to draw, remember all the techniques we've explored together. Allow that knowledge to flow effortlessly, take a deep breath, trust your reference, and allow the confident muscle memory from your past lessons to guide your hand across the paper. Once more let's begin this empowering process with ease and mindful presence. For the center of these flowers, draw the ones you created on the same day in the second drawing. And for painting today's card, we'll use the combination of techniques we've learned with your first and fourth affirmation card. The difference will lie in the paint load in your brush and paper. So with your medium tone color, start painting your flower from the outside. Use your larger brush for good quick coverage, but take your time, move slowly, and be careful along the edges. Remember to alternate the sections you're painting. Move around, adding paint to different areas so the edges stay wet. Keep bringing the color inwards towards the center of the flower. And once you're near the middle flower, switch through your finer brush and add a darker tone right along the edge. Move the dark paint outwards, encourage it to meet the mid tone, and allow them to blend smoothly. Then just like your fourth affirmation card, add small dots of your thick paint. Let them sit there and blend naturally. Before adding the second flour, make sure your first one is completely dry. For your second flour, makes a thinner paint, similar to the watery consistency of tea. This will evoke the technique we used for the day four flour, combining water with thick paint. Apply this tea like consistency paint using the same method with thick butter like paint for the dark bits and ensure it dries fully. Now, add the details from your reference drawing using your familiar pen. If you're changing colors, be sure to test your pen or drawing tool beforehand. Then we will lay your watery paint onto the lower portions of the shapes within your pattern. You can vary the color of these areas by either dipping your brush into water for a lighter wash or into thicker paint for a stronger hue. Breathe deeply and trust that you can do this. If you feel more comfortable moving farther once you've started the pattern, that's what happened to me. Do so and fill in this space, to the best of your ability, drawing and fanning the S like lines around your flower. It takes courage to add layers to the work you're doing. But always remember this is just paper and paint. We are in a safe space, and the layers that follow will help your piece take shape, hiding what you might consider a mistake. Keep going, breathing, knowing your lines are yours and are perfect in every way. The center of your reference drawing is very simple, but remain flexible and add complexity later if it adds to your composition. For now, let's start with a simple outline for each of the central blooms. Your next step is quite simple. As explained earlier, we'll paint the lower sections of the shapes created by the interwoven thread like pattern, varying the color intensity every now and then. Proceed through this repetitive step calmly. Breathe and relax. It takes time to cover them all. But as you start filling in your flower, notice how this layer dramatically enhances its visual complexity and beauty. The center feels incomplete to me. A touch of watercolor, a small individual droplet inside each tiny petal that will later form a simple flower should help make it feel complete. Make note that this center can be added to our catalogue of flowers. Now that your flowers are done, let's add the supporting elements. Lightly pencil in the stems, leaves, and buttonflowers, and then ink then. To ensure the intricate flowers remain the focal point. I'll be using the lighter leaf style we learned in previous lessons. Create your leaves using the now familiar steps to achieve a similar effect. Remember, if you're using waterproof ink for your leaf veins, use a watery color to create the leaves shadows later. To color your buttonflower and ensure it complements your main flower. Apply the same technique we just used. Add an extra button flower to your composition. Tweak it by only repeating the steps for the painted droplets in each section of the basic shape you penciled in. Make sure it's dry to erase unnecessary lines and complete your composition by connecting it to the flower stem. And there you have it. Every brushstroke, every detail we've created today, culminates in the message of your affirmation card. Take a moment to truly see that affirmation take form within your artwork. Allow its meaning to gently settle in, quietly repeat it to yourself. Observe it as you imprint on your card the permanent reminder. Say it out loud with conviction and recognize the incredible strength that resides within you. I am strong. See you in the next lesson. 28. DAY 17: I Am Kind: Welcome back to our mindful drawing and painting journey. Today, we might be looking at another reference that may feel a little intricate, but I want you to take a deep breath and remember all the wonderful work we've been doing together. Trust in the steps we've practiced so diligently. Trust in the skills you've nurtured over these past lessons. Approach this new affirmation card with the same calm focus. Carefully redraw your flowers onto your watercolor paper or trace them from your templates. Even tracing them is good practice and will build muscle memory. Trust the process and trust your hands. Remember how we give petals a lovely fold. Recall drawing the fold line and then gently mirroring the top part on the opposite side to create the fold effect. Bring that to life on some of the flower petals today. Then finish drawing your flour onto your watercolor paper. Before you begin coloring your petals, mix a light and dark tone of your chosen color. Test the gradient on scrap paper beforehand. This will help you visualize the final effect of your petals. Let that dry completely, and if you're happy with the result, start painting your flowers. Start with a light watery color on roughly the top third of your petals. If you see a little pulling, that's okay. Just a little. It'll actually help the darker color move and blend upwards. Help these two colors blend by working your brush between the areas, making them meet. Move your brush enough to connect the entire light and dark sections and then let them blend on their own. Since we have two flowers, alternate painting petals between them to allow them to dry before continuing on to the next. Proceed in the same way and apply the stickn to all your petals. When you get to a petal with a folded corner, leave it untouched. We'll come back to it later, and continue painting your flowers until they're complete. For your folded bits, simply adding light colour to them. Now, let's approach the center with a slight variation from your I am blessed deformation card. After gently removing the excess graphite, let's start painting the small blooms with a light watery wash for these tiny floral shapes and create depth by painting some in a slightly darker shade. Vary the color tones between the shapes as you paint the small circles within the pattern in your center. Embrace the familiarity of this step. It will be less time consuming now as the shape is smaller. Also, this time it will have fewer layers, will make small tweaks for a completely different outcome. Once the circles and the area around them are fully painted and dry, take a darker shade and apply it to some other spaces between the circles. This will create even greater depth in this part of your artwork. To ensure everything is dry before proceeding, lightly sketch your remaining elements, stems, leaves, and buttons. Once you're happy with their placement, erase any extra pencil lines before you pick up your paint again. With a darker shade, start painting your button flowers. Take your time and enjoy this straightforward step. The only thing you need to do is to apply one color to each plume. Vary the color consistency to get different tones in your buttons, and move slowly as these shapes are small. Use your thin brush for more control. And for buttons that fall over your main flowers, simply use a thick paint consistency so it pops. Take a deep breath and start inking your stems. Once more, embrace steps that are familiar and relax into them. If your line wobbles, that's fine. Practice letting go and welcome the challenge of problem solving. We can here, simply decide to have thicker stems. Now add the centers of your button flowers. A simple outline will do for all of them. It's time to outline your leaves. Feel free to choose the leaf style you like best. I'm going to use the light style again because our main flowers have a dark tone, and this contrast will help them stay the primary focus of our composition. Add the stems for your second flower. And as you advance, erase the pencil lines to keep your workspace clean and ready for paint. Slowly and gently, continue adding the veins to all your leaves. It may take a little time, but find comfort in knowing this is one of the simplest steps. And one that through repetitive actions, you can soothe and relax. As you may know now, I really like encouraging you to follow your own creative impulses. If you feel inspired to add more leaves or button flowers, please do so. Don't let anything hold you back. In this example, I've just outlined a new little flower. Keep it white with just the outline to give your card even more visual variety, and behind it, add another leaf. Oh, yes, and add the metal detail, too. Next, using a paint with a coffee like consistency. Apply another layer to the centers of your flowers, carefully working it around all the small blooms. This will push the initial circular pattern into the background, making your delicate blooms appear to peek out from beneath the heart of the main flowers. Now using clean water, if your ink isn't waterproof and creates a light wash when wet, gently brush it along one side of your leaves to create a shadow, just like we've practiced in previous lessons. If your ink is waterproof, use a dilute and wash of your paint to achieve a similar shaded effect. Now using your coffee like consistency paint, apply a layer to all the petals. This little application will yield a significant result, a shadow forming around the centers, giving your flowers a touch of volume, and making your central bloom stand out even more. Apply the paint with small individual brush strokes placed closely together to also mimic the veins and the shading from your initial drawing. When I drew this flower on day seven, I worked from the base of each petal upwards. Since you're using a different medium, feel free to move in whatever direction feels most natural to you. Apply a fine watery wash to the center around your small blooms to intensify the sense of depth and let everything dry completely. Finally, with your drawing tool, go over your petals once more. Draw short, fine veins in the area where you applied their last shadow. This will further deepen the illusion of depth. You flowers are now complete. Take just a few quiet seconds now. Do you feel that? That's the space you've created, the journey you've undertaken. Acknowledge how far you've come in all the new techniques you've explored. Breathe in that accomplishment and with kindness, gently pat yourself on the back. Now, this affirmation, it's a challenging one for me. Deep down, I believe I extend kindness to others, but turning that same gentle lens inward, that's where it gets tricky. Our inner critics often speak loudly. They may judge us harshly. Use this reminder as a gentle nudge to remember your own humanity. Making mistakes is inherited being human. It's through those very challenges that the opportunity for learning and growth blossoms. I invite you to be kind to yourself. See you tomorrow. 29. DAY 18: I've Got This: So the usual pick whichever flower catches your eye. If you're stuck, don't worry too much about it. Just pick one. Or to make it easy, you can choose the same flower I'm picking, so we're on the same page. Now simply follow the same process you used to draw it the first time and transfer it to your watercolor paper. You've done this before, so approach it with confidence. Breathe with every line you trace. Relax and let familiarity guide your hand. Remember to also have a light touch as you draw. If you need a reminder of the next detail, have your sketchbook or drawing nearby. You can review the steps on day five from your fifth drawing. The steps are the same, but the subject is and so we'll quickly review them here. Remember to draw your new basic shape in the form of an oval. With your guidelines sketched, begin with the petal farthest from you. These will exhibit less perspective, appearing similar to the petals in the drawing to the left. Apply the same three quarter perspective steps with your new subject. Now continue shaping the petals closest to you, softening the top corners while keeping your new basic shape in mind. You erase unnecessary lines, yes, to maintain a clean workspace, but more so to reveal the petal shape you just drew. I encourage you to draw the three quarter perspective, practice with the guy line templates provided in the projects and resources tab or transfer the entire drawing from the flower templates found there too. Again, it's great practice for muscle memory. These can be tricky, but the more you practice, the smoother they will flow. When adding the final touches, leave the petals closest to you without details to show they are the flower's backside and breathe. Now, get ready to paint. But before, remember to use your needed eraser to remove excess graphite from your drawing. Let's start with the center of your flour. But first, make sure your brush is clean. Then wet the central part of your flour, not minding much about the center outline. Make sure it's a thin layer of water, and then add a very small amount of the darker paint. Move it around in a circular motion, incorporating it into the wet surface. Tease it a little encouraging it to travel a bit if necessary. Now, dab your wet brush into the butter like paint and add a small dot at the center, letting it blend naturally. You'll notice the paint travels very slowly, and that's because your surface has a very thin layer of water, so the thick paint has little resistance. Apply the same technique to your second flour. The limited space might make it a bit challenging, and because of that, you can decide whether or not to add the darker spot. So feel free to leave it out and let it dry fully. Like, always, test out your color first to make sure you love it. Now our approach here might seem a little different. We're going to paint the edge details with a coffee like consistency of paint. The reason for painting this first is to show you how layering over these details can soften the hard lines. Be careful to leave the adjacent edge detail unpainted for now to prevent it from merging. Come back to paint them once the first set is dry. One of the cool things about watercolor is how unpredictable it is. Unlike a lot of things, we cannot totally control where the paint goes or exactly how it will look when it dries. All we can do is experiment with an open mind and just enjoy magic happen. Grab some clean water or your te consistency paint and drop it along the top edge of your petal. Then take your milk consistency paint and put it on the bottom section. Gently move them around on the paper. Once they've mixed a bit, carefully add some of your cream consistency paint right at the very bottom and let it blend naturally. Now with your mechanical pencil, tap it in the dark paint, picking some of it up, and draw the thin veins from top to bottom, moving across the wet paint, still blending on your paper, and again, let it dry. Now follow the same steps for your petals. Start with water or your T consistency paint on the upper part of the petal. Then outline the petal with paint, following your guidelines and pull the paint downwards, remembering to reload your brush as needed. Take a breath. Remember every petal you paint is practice. So be kind to yourself as you continue applying your mid tone to the bottom of the petal. You can make your petals lighter as you paint by using more diluted paint. As you get close to the edge of the center, first outline it with your cream consistency paint, then gently blend it upwards. Remember to grab a little of the dark paint only before you start to add your thin veins. Start at the tips of the scallops and bring them down to the base, covering all the petals. Now take a darker tone and work on the middle detail. Just follow your guidelines and breathe, relax. This step is simply about coloring within the lines. If you want, while it's wet, drop a tiny bit of your cream like paint right in the center for a little extra volume. For the backside of your petals and your three quarter view, you can either paint those a solid color or repeat the second layer we did for the frontal petals, but without the scallop details, this will help distinguish them from their frontal views. Remember to pick up a bit of the dark tone before adding your thin veins. Repeat these same steps until all the back petals are done. Next, sketching your stems and leaves. Be mindful to use a light hand as you draw all your extra elements. Keep in mind, you can choose to fold a leaf at this stage. To show it folding back, erase the lines that overlap the front of your leaf and add a few extra leaves to your composition. Draw the stems as usual, but avoid the areas where leaves will sit in front. Be mindful to leave that space empty for the leaf details and finish up your flower composition by adding the veins in the style you've chosen. For the back of your leaf, add a lighter shade to emphasize the illusion of it being folded back. Once you've transferred the affirmation to your card, gently erase any extra graphite. Now use your preferred method to bring it to life. For me, that's inking the letters with my fountain pen, carefully filling each one with that light blue. Take a moment to breathe. The hardest part is behind you. Give yourself a pat on the back again. You've done wonderfully. And as you feel in each letter, really focus on the message in front of you. Remember how well you've done so far in everything you've tackled and whatever comes next, tell yourself, I've got this. See you tomorrow. 30. DAY 19: I Am Worthy: Welcome back to our creative space. Today, we continue to expand our mindful journey together. We will explore fresh new ways to apply this beautiful medium, layering delicate washes over subtle textures and playing with exciting mark making techniques. We have moved from single blooms to more intricate garden scenes. These compositions may take a little extra time, but trust me, moving through each step and completing your card will be deeply rewarding. Just like with your drawing reference, follow the same familiar steps, breathe deeply and trust that your own rhythm will guide your hand smoothly. Let's begin this new exploration together. Our first subtle change today involves adding pencil shading to the same areas in your original drawing. Unlike our previous empty sketches, prepared solely for paint, today we'll explore again the effect of watercolor applied over an underlying pencil texture. We've practiced this before, so proceed with confidence. Start by brushing a little clean water onto the center of your petal. Then apply a watery wash to the upper part, letting the two blend gently. Extend this wash nearly to the bottom, pick up a bit of the thick paint, and apply it to the lower end of the wet surface, working it towards the dry corner. Remember, the wet surface will help the thicker paint soften and blend easily into the lighter section, and pulling it back will help it stay concentrated in that area. And just like we did in our previous card, draw veins that run from the upper edge and meet at the bottom with your mechanical pencil. Remember that if you don't get the dot like color tip, pick up a bit of the wet, dark paint before drawing the veins. So water first, then your watery wash. Cover the outer edges and blend the two together. When you get close to the dry corner, apply your thick paint. Begin brushing it onto the wet area right next to the dry corner and pull the paint inwards. Keep moving the dark paint until the dry corner is fully covered. Then add your veins. To encourage the effect, you can ever so slightly tap in the buttery paint to start the colored tips going from the beginning. Continue this same process for all your petals, alternating between flowers to allow the freshly painted sections ample drying time. With the number of petals we have, there is plenty of opportunity for practice. And the best part is the steps are always the same. Be patient and kind to yourself as you paint. You are doing great. When everything is completely dry, erase all pencil lines around your flowers. You know what to do next. Either trace the extra elements from the templates to build your miniature garden or get creative. You're using pencil, so it's the perfect chance to practice drawing your own stems, leaves, and little button flowers. Reactivate your dry paint with water until it reaches a milk like consistency for the following stage. Before applying it to your main piece, test the tone on your spare watercolor paper to make sure you're happy with its intensity. Once you're pleased with the color, go ahead and apply it to all the heart shaped areas that have the pencil texture. Interestingly, you'll notice some of the light veins subtly grooved into the paper. As you paint this layer, watch how the color intensifies these veins as the vein gently settles into the soft crue created by the pencil lines we drew over wet paper earlier. If the color feels too intense, don't hesitate to add water until you're happy with the shade. This might even inspire you to play with different tones for these heart details as you work your way around your flowers. Now, you might see the watercolor unexpectedly travel up into those crooved veins, and that's perfectly okay. Let's embrace this if it happens. Think of it as nature's way of adding unique little touches and variations. Continue painting these heart shaped details, taking your time and remembering this is a straightforward step. Since these areas aren't blended or flushed, you can paint them in one continuous flow. Feel free to use the range of shades you've prepared until your heart details are complete. Now ink all the stems with your drawing tool, keeping in mind the leaves that fall across them. Make sure to leave the stem uninked in those overlapping sections to create the illusion of the leaves being in front. Given our light colored flowers, let's use the darker style of leaves we practiced earlier. Just as with your drawings, trust the techniques you already learned. Make sure to apply paint to one half of the leaves first and let that dry completely before painting the other half. Allow the familiar steps for creating these leaves, the application of paint, the subtle shifts in shade, and the creation of crisp edges to confidently guide your hand. Allow the repetitive motion of adding your leaf veins to soothe your mind, embrace the process you already know, and let yourself flow with ease. Button flowers aren't essential for every garden you do. If you'd like to include them, try isolating the heart shapes and placing them randomly where you think they look best. Finally, complete your flowers by adding the dry spots, just like we observed in a reference photo and included in our drawing. As we bring another mindful creative lesson to a close, take a moment again to appreciate what you've created. Notice how the simple act of showing up of putting pen or brush to paper begins to bridge the space between where you are now and the artist you aspire to be. This principle extends beyond art, touching any area of growth you desire. For me, sometimes that inner voice whispers doubts, making me feel unworthy of my progress. It happens to you, remember this. Just as your affirmation takes shape on your page, so, too, will your worthiness become clearer with every act of showing up. Let your affirmations resonate with you. As you see your message appear, say it silently to yourself. Then say it out loud. I am worthy, worthy of growth, worthy of all good things. Carry this feeling with you. You are worthy. See you in our next lesson. 31. DAY 20: I Am Safe: Today, we'll continue to bring together the skills we've cultivated and the flower drawings you've developed over the past few weeks. As you bring back your past work to memory, start transferring the buttons of your choosing onto your watercolor paper using a round object as a guide for your composition. Feel free to revisit the techniques we've explored in our previous lessons if that feels right for you. More importantly, I want to encourage you to trust the foundation you've built. Allow your hand and the muscle memory you've developed to guide your lines with confidence. The steps continue to be the same. Go through each basic shape, dividing them into the number of petals your reference shows, rounding their corners, and erasing pencil lines that no longer serve us. What I share with you is simply what has worked beautifully for me, and your own approach may be different, which is wonderful and perfectly fine. Someone asked me once why my sketches were so elaborate. The answer is that this thorough preparation allows me to enter the painting phase with a sense of freedom enabling me to truly enjoy the fluidity and the spontaneity of watercolor. Just like we discussed, the process remains the same, even when you're working with your button flowers. Once more, start dividing your basic shape according to the number of petals you envision. Focus on the central flower in your reference sketch and map that out. Add your guide marks and lines to shape the curves of the small flower within your button. Prime your flower silhouette by softening the corners, and finally clean up your sketch by erasing any extra lines. Some of your flowers will require a bit more structure like this third one we will be adding. The steps for refining your petals, whether you have three or five, are very similar. When you encounter overlapping petals, however, the steps begin in the same way with all your guidelines, and then they will vary slightly. The good thing is that you have enough practice to follow these steps with confidence. So remember, once you have your guidelines in place, continue outlining one side of your petals only. And since we soften the corners in the initial steps, the opposite side of your petals is complete, so proceed with cleaning up your drawing of unnecessary lines. Finish off your drawing by priming the detail at the core of your button flower. Remove excess graphite from your drawing, take a deep breath and get ready to paint. Preparing your pink consistencies ahead of time is a good idea, given how quickly water color dries. Use this brief pause to transition smoothly into the next stage. We've been learning about different watercolor application techniques and how to make various marks and patterns. Today we'll move things around by changing our subject, focusing on different paint consistencies, where we place our marks and patterns on the drawing and how we make some of those marks. So we have a new subject, a round button flower with an internal gradient. You can use your drawing as a guide, but remember you have creative license to refine and tweak it as you paint. To start, apply a wash of clean water to fill the entire basic shape. The paper should be damp across the surface, so blot any excess water to avoid pooling. The application method echoes what we used for some of our affirmation cards. The notable changes for today are, of course, the new subject and the direction in which we'll be drawing the veins. So once your basic shape is covered with a thin layer of water, drop a small amount of your thick paint directly in the center. Then using your mechanical pencil, draw the veins, make sure they originate from the dark center and extend outwards, passing through the point where the curved lines of the flowers petal meet. Let's test when to add veins. Remember, we can experiment at any stage. Using a mechanical pencil, gently draw small veins radiating from the flower's edge outwards. The damp paper will naturally create subtle indentations. We'll observe how these grooves interact with the next layer of color once it's dry. Give these flowers ample time to dry. In the interim, we can start working on another flower. We'll apply the same technique we've been using, but this time on a shape we're already familiar with from our fifth affirmation card. Begin with your watery mix and your small brush, and perhaps without realizing it, we come here to practice things like change. The unique aspect of this flower today is the working space. It's considerably smaller than the one on your other affirmation card and for sure, different from the flowers we painted earlier. Now using your mechanical pencil, trace the curved veins visible in your reference drawing with the same technique as before, using your normal drying pressure to avoid damaging the wet paper. While that petal dries, let's move on to another section. If you haven't already, take a moment to prepare coffee and milk like consistency paints. Use this brief pause to breathe and relax. We'll be using these two tones for a third set of flowers to create contrast. This step is straightforward. Fill in each flower shape by blending these two shades plus a lighter shade. Now, this is optional, but you can use this flower as a reference for where to place your shadows, considering it has another flower overlapping it. As you work on this set of flowers, keep in mind where your shadows will fall and begin by applying the darker shade in those areas first. Be mindful of blending your paint to avoid harsh lines. But remember, we'll be layering over this. So any blooms or hard edges that emerge will largely disappear. Also appreciate that nature has beautiful nuances, color variations, and even sharp edges. So simply enjoy the process of painting these small blooms. Let these three flowers dry and let's go back to our first set of flowers. We will follow the same process as we did in our fourth affirmation card. Once again, embrace the change that will be evidently felt and get ready to work within a more limited space. Reviewing the steps we took, gently cover the shape of your button with clean water, stopping as you approach the flowers central outline. Then using your butterl paint, begin tracing the silhouette of your flour. Continue spreading paint by lightly touching the damp surface. This will allow the paint on your brush to soften and smoothly blend into the wet area. If you remember, having the surface damp and not puddled will help the dark paint stay close to where you put it initially. Notice how the paint settled into the grooves of the veins we added to the first layer while it was still wet. Now let's experiment with adding these tiny veins before applying the second layer. It's a small delicate detail, so the effect might be subtle, we'll discover the difference as we continue. As the painted sections dry, we can jump back to our overlapping petals. Now, moving forward, there will be some time lapse segments since the techniques have been previously demonstrated. However, please don't hesitate to reduce the video speed if you like a closer look, or go back to review them in real time. Then continue painting your first setup buttonflowers. Now this is similar to our previous vein practice. After painting and while the paint is still damp, add the small veins around your central flower shape to complete the set's layers. For the darker flowers, let's create a more intense central detail. The faint pencil shading we established during the drying phase is still visible. Use this as your guide to paint the middle shape with your fine brush. As we walk any journey, we accumulate knowledge in art, and what we're doing here specifically, we collect shapes, marks, and patterns. On day eight, we explored what marks we could make with some of our tools. Apply hairy like pattern to the dark section while the paint is still wet for added texture. Remember, this technique will help this pattern come to life, making the paint in the grooves darker once they dry. Now come back to your second flower. And as you did before, carefully paint the last petal and draw the delicate veins with your mechanical pencil while the paint is wet. Drying the veins while the paper was dry had little to no effect. This is unlike the other two options where we drew them while the paper was wet. We'll leave it as it is, as it's too small a detail to notice, but let's make a note of it. 32. DAY 20: I Am Safe Continued: Now, usually the affirmation is the last thing I pencil in, but a different idea popped into my head last minute. We can stick with a message on top of the garden. But what if we make it a hanging garden? Imagine it spilling out of a basket above the card. That could be fun. Begin to sketch your message in pencil. As you draw the letters on all of your affirmation cards, meditate on the messages you convey, breathe and be mindful of every stroke you make. Be aware of the words taking shape and the deeper meaning they collectively express. And when you're done, continue with your garden. Using a light color mix, paint a small flower silhouette at the center of your first set of buttons. This isn't penciled in, so take a deep breath and break it down. We've done this before. Think of it as painting tiny droplets inside each section of your little white flower. This is excellent practice for building confidence and becoming more spontaneous with your brush. Now let's add another layer to your flowers using your mark making tool. I'm using my fountain pen to draw delicate veins across the lighter areas of your dark flowers. Feel free to draw them organically or like we've done before, by estimating the halfway points and then adding veins within each resulting section. Continue adding this detail to all your dark flowers and remember to breathe and relax as you go through this simple step. Incorporate the flowers detail in the center and take a little peek at all you've done so far. Give yourself a pat on the back. You're doing fantastic. Now complete your second button by adding a small flower silhouette at its center. Remember to take it step by step. Embrace pontan and practice your brush skills by painting small droplets shapes within each section of the flower. Now let's draw your stems and leaves. If you're drawing them freehand, imagine how they would gracefully flow and sway over your message. Feel free to adjust their placement until you're happy with your lines and shapes. If you'd rather trace them, the flower templates are ready for you. For better flow when drawing these lines, I find it helpful to draw directly over the dry paint with my pencil. Just remember to use a light touch so you can erase them easily later. Remember leaves and gardens naturally overlap. So as you draw, don't hesitate to erase any lines from the leaves that are behind others, bringing the front leaves into focus. Next, ink your stems, just like you've done with your other affirmation cards. Pay close attention as you ink, really observing every visible fragment, no matter how tiny. Keep in mind that during each time lapse, you can slow down the video if you want a closer look. And just as before, it's time to add in our leaves. Given our mix of flowers, this is a perfect opportunity to use the different leaf types we've been working with. Combining them will really help distinguish each flower. This is a familiar step. So relax and enjoy each line you create and brushstroke you make. Also, be mindful of which leaves you're drawing, painting, and adding veins to, especially since we have many. Paint one half of your leaves first, let them dry, and then continue with the other halves, as well as with overlapping ones. To keep things clear, I suggest focusing on one plant at a time, completing the details on it. One more thing. Before you add water to your light style leaves or paint to your dark ones, remember to remove excess graphite and work at a pace that feels right for you. For the leaves on your second flower, use a darker shade and continue painting in the same way. Feel free to combine lighter shades within these leaves to create a sense of depth. Also continue painting and drawing them with the same mindfulness of which plant you're currently working on. Now, I mentioned being mindful of which plant you're working on, as it can be easy to get confused with so many leaves in your composition. I actually got a bit carried away drawing the veins and realized at this point I had mistakenly continued the same vein style onto the second flower we painted. An honest mistake, especially since we've only been working with two leaf styles, analyzing the situation and considering how to fix it, I decided to bring back a tool we used earlier, specifically for inking or affirmations. So to help the leaves of this plant stand out and differentiate it, let's draw the veins using the blue black felt tip pen over the dark leaves. Add a few more details to each plant. For your first plant, use the same blue black felt tip pen to add a small dot at the very center of each flower on your dark flowers, add a small dark droplet shape in each section, turning these, as you well know, into small flower silhouettes. Finally returning to your first plant, add a dotted line around the shape that holds the small flower in all three blooms with your fountain pen or a thinner drawing tool. Bringing together the flowers you've created into small gardens presents a slightly more intricate challenge due to the complexity of it, but it's such an enjoyable and absolutely achievable task. Now complete today's affirmation card by inking your message using your favorite method. And as you do, please remember that your art practice is a safe space, a sanctuary where you can fearlessly explore experiment, and express your true self without any judgment. Here you can acknowledge any emotions that surface, gently release those that no longer benefit us, and welcome those that bring us happiness and serenity. This affirmation card serve as a kind reminder that you are safe. And as you finish up, say it out loud confidently. I am safe. See you in our final lesson. 33. DAY 21: I Am Blessed Small Garden: Welcome to our final mindful creative lesson together. Today we'll gently walk familiar paths, revisiting the cherished steps and techniques we've gathered throughout this lovely journey. This space has become more than just art. It's been a sanctuary for healing, a training ground for both artistic expression and vital life skills. Unknowingly, perhaps, we've cultivated resilience, practiced patience, and extended kindness to ourselves with each stroke and each breath. And the beautiful truth is, even if this chapter closes, our journey of learning and discovering continues to unfold. Today, we'll explore the exciting potential of combining and adapting. We can also consider thoughtfully dissecting our previous pieces, selecting interesting fragments to combine and form unique new florals. Since we might refine the flowers details later, let's focus on the petals for now. Use your first reference and go through the same steps you used to create them initially. You'll observe my thought process a little more in this lesson because I want to emphasize the abundance of possibilities we've unlocked together. So the middle section of our fifth drawing seems, why not like a perfect choice for the first flower on our affirmation card. And always remember to keep your workspace clean of unnecessary lines. Now, add the second flower to your small garden using the four petal option from our recent affirmation card. And to make it a little more dynamic, let's draw it off center. Remember the steps are the very same. For your third flower, let's try one of our nine petal ones. Remember the challenge lies in the number of petals. Trust the drawing skills you've built. They'll come through for you just like before. And as with our first flower, we can choose the details later. So let's concentrate on the petals right now. Once your drawing is complete, gently remove excess graphite before you start painting. We are putting into action the drawing abilities we've gathered, just as we're using the watercolor techniques we've learned. All of that understanding is stored in our muscle memory. Let's have confidence that our minds and our accumulated skills will guide our hands. Mix a paint with a coffee like consistency and start applying it to your petals. For tonal changes, blend this dark color with a light one. This will bring a sense of luminosity to your petals. Keep the lighter color on the overlapping section of the petal and continue applying this dark and light mix downwards. When you get close to the bottom edge, you know what to do. Introduce your thick, rich, very dark paint along the still damp bottom edge, pulling it inward to fill any dry areas. Observe the shading shape in your reference drawing. It's kind of squarish. So after applying your thick paint, try teasing it out in a straight line to replicate that shape. Keep painting your flour, making sure to work on different petals in turn so they remain separate. Another approach is to start with the watery wash on the overlapping area and then proceed with the same techniques, up to and including teasing the darker shade with straight movements. Though we aim for a diamond shape, it is useful in general to release expectations and let the water color unfold. As your first flour dries, move on to the second, using the same techniques as our latest deformation card. Remember, begin by applying a light wash to the upper portion of the petals. As you approach the lower section, introduce your thicker paint by touching the bottom edge of the wet wash and pulling it downwards into the dry area of your petal. While the paint is still wet, tap your mechanical pencil into the rich dark paint to get the colour tips of your veins going. Then continue filling your petal with the veins. And since the petal on the opposite side, the one on your first flower is completely dry, you can safely continue painting. While the petals of your second flower dry completely, let's proceed to the third. Start by applying clean water, followed by a thin, watery wash. This will bring some lightness to your little bloom even if it's a confined area. As your little bloom dries, let's try a similar technique with a few key changes, a new petal shape, a different color application, and distinct markings. After your dark to light gradient is complete, add a small dab of your thicker color. With your mechanical pencil, draw a central vein, and then a simple dot pattern. Make the dots closer at the top and scatter them as you move down for a different effect. The indentations from your pencil will allow the wet paint to gather and dry with more intensity. Let's begin with our first petal, and then we'll switch to the second flower to ensure this petal dries properly. I've extended the dotted pattern in the middle section, giving it a tip or a V shape appearance. Back to your other flower. And remember, watery paint on the top. As you come down, introduce your butter like consistency paint. Tap on the thick wet paint and get the colour tips of your veins going. Add all the veins and continue in the same manner for your fourth petal. Now return to your third bloom in this little garden. Going over the steps again, begin at the petals outer edge with your darker shade, working your way towards the center. As you approach the middle, clean your brush, add a touch of water to your petal, and continue filling to create a soft gradient. Dab a bit of your thicker paint on the outer edge, and with your mechanical pencil, draw the central vein and the dotted pattern. Keep your dots clustered together near the top, allowing them to disperse slightly as you move inward. Continue this pattern down the center, letting it narrow to form a subtle tip or V shape. Now let's work on the petal on the other side. We will let these dry for a bit while we add some details, tell your other two flowers. In your first flower, just as you painted the little blooms of your other I am blessed affirmation card, paint your center leaving a white halo. Now for your second flower, just keep painting the hard shaped details using your medium shade color. Take a nice deep breath for this step. It's super simple. You've got this. Switching back and forth like this is a normal and helpful way to work a bit faster. So let's return to your third flower and alternate painting and adding the details with your mechanical pencil to all your petals, except the final one. While those petals dry completely, let's sketch in your stems and leaves. If you're drawing them freehand, just a friendly reminder, you can change your mind and move things around as you like. If you'd rather trace them from your templates, that works, too. Finish painting the last petal just like earlier with the paint consistency, your mechanical pencil, and the marks you've made before. Then go ahead and finish drawing leaves. Don't forget to erase any pencil lines you don't need anymore. Keeping your paper free from extra lines will help your leaves look crisp. So these are the styles of leaves we've been using for reformation cards, and we'll use them both today. You've practiced these really well, so go for it with confidence. Get your paint ready, and let's start with the darker shade of leaves. Paint one side of your leaves first and start adding the stems also with the drawing tool you've been using. Now, do you remember at the beginning of our lesson, how I mentioned wanting to share the richness of ideas we've unlocked together? Well, having chosen this petal shape, we now have the opportunity to select its details. By picking out interesting elements, why not some of your favorite ones and combining them with different petal outlines, you'll see how easily new flowers can bloom. Keep working on your petals until you've drawn the scalloped pattern in each one. Now a nice simple breather step, ink another stem. One of the benefits of working on different parts of a piece is that it gives you a natural pause if you feel yourself getting blocked. So let's return to the leaves and paint their other halves. This next layer is the same one used over the interwoven thread pattern in your IM strong affirmation card. Again, we're mixing and matching things we've learned. Even though it's similar to how we used it on that card, the different petal shape and center make this flower unique. So go ahead and apply your watery layer to this pattern now. This next step is like a little pause, something you've done before. It's an opportunity to find some peace in the repetition. A time to gently cultivate patience and kindness towards yourself. Focus on tracing one line at a time until your stems are fully formed. You've added the light style leaves to your third flower, and your dark leaves are complete. Now, take the same detail from your other blessed card and add it to this four petal bloom. Then moving on to the center of your third flower's little blossom, add the same halo idea, but with a darker color this time. We've reached the last set of leaves, and the process will be familiar, using a slightly darker shade of paint. Start by painting one half of each leaf. And while you have that rich paint ready, let's also paint the middle detail on your third flower. You're in the home stretch of the painting face for this lovely garden. Once the first halves of the leaves are dry to the touch, you can finish them by painting the remaining sides. Allow your leaves to dry fully. We'll bring out a new tool today. I'll be using a white jelly roll to add the veins. Take a moment to test your pen over the color you swatched earlier to ensure it works smoothly. Continue with the meditative process of drawing one line at a time, but with a unique touch of this pen. Introduce a subtle yet meaningful variation by spacing the veins just a little further apart. This will gently push the style beyond what we've done before and will create a lovely variety in your garden, just like the look of different flowers growing together. Finally, add in those little dry spots from your drawing reference. Also, take a quick look around to see if you've missed anything. It happens sometimes. If so, go ahead and finish painting and adding the details to the rest of your flowers and breathe proudly. Once you've got your affirmation, penciled in, remove the excess graphite. Choose your favorite technique to make that affirmation a permanent part of your card. I'm going with my fountain pen again, and that light blue ink I've come to like so much. As we finish our last affirmation card, think of the focus and patience you have found as an artist in this journey. This precious time wasn't just about making art. It was time for learning and growing and maybe even quiet healing. As you complete your affirmation, let it echo silently within you. Recall the good around you from this moment and your art supplies to the bigger blessings in your life. Gently pause. Look at what you've made, recall some of the blessings around you and once more, say aloud. I am blessed. 34. Thank You & Final Thoughts: Fantastic job finishing this class. Now take a moment to appreciate how far you've come from week one to your final affirmation cards. Think about how you felt when you started and how you feel now that you have completed this class. It is important to remember that being gentle towards ourselves through any journey is key. Being mindful of your art practice and taking action will nurture your creativity. Through this simple act of creating, you can find joy in the simple things in life. Open your eyes to see more while learning valuable tools like engaging in your senses to stay grounded in the present moment. Keep momentum going, and you'll be surprised by the rewarding discoveries you make. Keep building your flower collection and share it in the gallery. You might inspire somebody else to keep going. With time, your work will evolve and expand. And who knows? You can even turn into the backbone for something more intricate. I'd be grateful if you can leave a rating and a review. Your feedback on how I can teach you better is incredibly valuable to me. If you'd like to stay in touch, consider following me here on Skillshare and on Instagram, where you can receive updates on my latest projects. Thank you so much for investing time in yourselves. You are capable of great things. Be kind to yourself and allow yourself to be surprised by what you can create. You just did. See you in our next class.