Poppy Paintings
Have you ever wanted to make poppy paintings before? In this blog post I will give you step-by-step instructions, so that your kids or yourself as a beginner acrylic painter can make your own poppy paintings. Poppy paintings are a great activity to do with your kids in the classroom or homeschool setting in November around Remembrance Day or Veterans Day.
Poppy Paintings
If you are looking for a more advanced poppy painting acrylic art lesson, you can check out this poppy painting, which is more geared towards teens and adults click here to watch that Poppy painting tutorial.
I’ll walk you through how to paint a poppy that’s perfect for Remembrance Day art in the classroom, at home with kids age seven and up, or as a beginner acrylic painting project.
This simple but striking painting makes a meaningful art piece while also helping students or beginner painters practice layering colours and brush techniques.
If you prefer to watch poppy paintings you can click on the video below! Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss any painting videos!
If you are a beginner painter wanting to improve your painting skills you can download my FREE 12 page painting guide that gives tips and a roadmap of recommended tutorials to take your paintings to the next level! Click the button below to download it now!
Materials You’ll Need to Make Poppy Paintings
Acrylic paper, canvas, or canvas board
Flat one-inch brush
Number six round brush
Small round detail brush
Rag or cloth
Cup of water
Acrylic paints: titanium white, mars black, cadmium red, primary magenta, cadmium yellow, permanent green light, ultramarine blue, cobalt blue (optional if you want to mix your own greens)
Optional: chalk for sketching your poppy shapes
Steps for Making Poppy Paintings
Step 1: Paint the Background
Start by mixing titanium white with a touch of mars black to create a soft grey. Use your flat brush to cover your entire painting surface with this colour.
Add extra white in some areas for variety, and paint on a couple of coats to fully cover the surface. You can add a little bit of water to your brush for a lighter wash effect.
Let the background dry for about 20 to 30 minutes before moving on.
Step 2: Sketch and Paint the Stems
Once the background is dry, lightly sketch your poppies and buds with chalk. A simple “V” shape works well for the base of a flower or bud.
Next, mix permanent green light with a bit of mars black to make a darker green. You can also mix your own greens using yellow and blue.
Using your detail brush, paint in the stems. The buds can have a slight curl to them for a natural look. At the bottom of the painting, add quick, dry-brush strokes of different greens to suggest grass or leaves.
Layer your colours by adding yellow to brighten the greens or a touch of red to dull them. Don’t worry about being perfect—the abstract style allows for loose and expressive strokes.
Step 3: Paint the Poppies
With your round detail brush, fill in the poppy shapes using cadmium red. Add some primary magenta (or mix a pink with red and white) to create variety and depth in the petals.
For highlights, blend in small touches of yellow. Then, use mars black to paint the dark centre at the base of each poppy.
If you want, slightly wet your brush for smoother lines, or layer more colour once the first layer dries to make the petals more vibrant.
Step 4: Touch Up the Background
If needed, mix a bit more grey and carefully paint around the flowers and stems to neaten the edges or add extra texture. A dry brush with just a little paint works well for softening areas or adding interest to the background.
Conclusion:
Once everything is dry, you’ll have a bold, abstract poppy painting. Each piece will turn out differently depending on your colour choices and brushstrokes, making it a unique project every time.
This project is a wonderful way to honour Remembrance Day or Veterans Day while giving beginner painters and kids a creative and approachable art activity.
If you try this painting, I’d love to see your work. Tag me on Instagram at @jackiepartridgeart and share your version. Let me know in the comments what painting tutorial you’d like to see next.
Happy painting!
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You can download my FREE beginner painting guide to improve painting skills fast by clicking on the button below!
