There are few flowers that draw attention quite like an Oriental lily. With their sweeping petals, delicate freckles and unmistakable presence, they feel like the perfect botanical subject. Sadly I have an allergy to lillies, but this doesn’t sway my love of admiring and painting them.

When I decided to release my latest free botanical watercolour tutorial, this was the flower I wanted to share the joy of with others.

In this tutorial, I guide you step by step through painting an Oriental lily in watercolour, focusing on both botanical accuracy and the joy of capturing natural beauty.

Why Paint an Oriental Lily?

Oriental lilies are wonderfully expressive subjects for botanical watercolour projects. Their large petals allow space for gentle colour transitions, while the spots, veins and stamens require close observation and careful brushwork.

From a teaching perspective, they’re ideal subjects. Painting an Oriental lily helps you practise:

• Building luminosity with transparent watercolour
• Observing and simplifying complex petal shapes
• Balancing soft washes with crisp botanical detail
• Painting distinctive features such as lily spots and stamens

These are foundational skills you can carry into almost any future botanical projects!

About the Free Botanical Art Tutorial

This free watercolour tutorial is designed for botanical artists who already have some experience with watercolour and want to expand their skills. You don’t need to be an expert, but some familiarity with basic washes and layering will help you get the most from it.

Inside the tutorial, you’ll learn how I approach:

• Mixing botanical watercolours to create gorgeous pinks, purples and greys
• Creating an even glaze on the paper to apply watercolours easily
• Painting spots without overworking the paper
• Adding detailed stamens and pollen with confidence
• Maintaining clarity while working on a large, dramatic flower

The focus is on slowing down, really seeing the plant and enjoying the process, not rushing to a “perfect” result.

Why This Tutorial Is Free

I wanted this tutorial to be something you could return to, learn from and experiment with over time.

If you’ve ever wanted to paint a stunning pink lily but felt overwhelmed by the scale or detail, this tutorial is meant to calmly guide you through it, step by step. I teach in a relaxed, friendly style that is easy to follow.

Materials You’ll Need

You don’t need an extensive studio to follow along. The tutorial works with a simple, high-quality setup, including:

• Watercolour paper suitable for botanical work (I enjoy St Cuthbert’s Mill Saunders Waterford)
• A small selection of watercolours
• Fine brushes for detail and soft washes

A full materials list is included inside the tutorial itself, but you could substitute with your own tools.

Access the Free Oriental Lily Watercolour Tutorial

So, are you ready to give it a go?

The complete Oriental lily botanical art tutorial is available now and free to access. You can paint along at your own pace, pause when needed, and revisit sections as often as you like.

👉 https://www.patreon.com/posts/105360450/

I also share more in-depth, gentle guided tutorials on my Patreon channel, if you would like to explore more learning opportunities.

Share Your Lily

If you paint this Oriental lily, I’d love to see your work. Feel free to share it on social media or leave a comment below.

Whether you follow every step or use the tutorial as a loose guide, I hope this lily brings a sense of accomplishment to your painting journey.