Tips for Painterly Style Acrylic Still Life with Flowers

Before we dive into tips for painterly style flowers using fast drying acrylics, here’s a quick nugget: finished art is a trap.

When you chase polish, you tense up. You measure success only by how pretty the result looks. But real growth? That lives in the messy stuff — the playful strokes, the rejects you tape to the wall, the ones that fail more often than they work.

👉 If you’re brand new, you can start at the Acrylic Hub — it’s got all the free courses and guides in one place.

So in this lesson, loosen up. Don’t aim for perfect, or trying to copy my work, aim for discoveries. That’s where the true garage-artist magic kicks in.

Now let’s dig into painting loose, expressive flowers with acrylics — and yes, you’ll find the full 20-minute demo video below.

Why Paint Loose Flowers?

Why not! Flowers are the perfect playground for painting loose and expressive. Toss a vase on the table, add a few vessels, and suddenly it’s paint-party time.

They’re also the perfect size for a loaded round brush — just flick your wrist in a few directions and flowers appear out of thin air.

And if things get out of control? No problem. Drop it in the sun for 15 minutes, let it dry, and paint right over it. Honestly, that’s even better than starting with a blank canvas. I do this all the time.

That’s the freedom of loose flowers — messy, playful, and way more fun than painting tight. Perfect whether you’re brand-new or just tired of stiff landscapes.

Materials & Palette

Here’s what I used — but don’t overthink it.

• Heavy Body Acrylic Paints: I use 6 primary palette plus white and a neutral
• Surface: canvas or mixed media, watercolor paper
• Brushes: a variety of round, fan, liner and such
• Other: palette (I use canvas or mixed media paper), water jar, spray bottle, rag, and some tissues in case it doesn't work and I start crying.

👉 Want the full kit rundown? Scroll down to the bottom or my complete toolbox.

Palette tip: those six or seven colors are enough to mix anything you need. If you’re unsure, this color mixing guide walks you through the basics.

Developing Your Artist’s Eye

The first attempts might look rough. That’s normal. Don’t panic.

If you find yourself painting in circles, step back immediately. Assess the situation and ask yourself one question: Is this working?

• If yes → carry on.
• If no → ask another question: What’s one thing I can do right now to improve this painting?

If you can’t answer that second question, the painting gets propped up somewhere you’ll see it often. Let it rest. Walk past it a dozen times. One day it’ll speak to you — that’s when you get back to work (not before).

And hey, if it never speaks? No big deal. That’s why we keep tissues in the studio — cry it out, then paint over it.

Learning from the Masters

Sargent, Monet, Van Gogh — they all have incredible art and journeys. Trailblazers at their best! Steal a little from each one and mash it into your own routine.

7 Principles for Strong Paintings

Haha — see, this is exactly what I mean. “7 principles for blah, blah, blah…” That’s not me at all. This heading is a leftover from the old AI-written copy, and I almost fell for keeping it.

But here’s the deal: instead of deleting it, I’m going to hijack it. I’ll give you my seven core skills — the ones that actually made a difference in my painting journey.

That’s the real deal, the authentic voice you came here for. So let’s do this — garage studio style.

7 Core Skills That Actually Matter

Foundation First
If you want real freedom, you need a base. Drawing, color theory, composition, design — these are the building blocks. Most artists avoid them (I did too, for way too long), and I paid the price.

No Finished Art
I said this earlier, but it’s worth doubling down. Chasing polished “finished” pieces is a trap. This deserves its own crispy white post, and I’ll write it soon.

Explore Everything
Doodle. Sketch. Scribble. Make gestural paintings. Mix random colors. Apply paint with brushes, sticks, paper towels, your hands. The point is to break habits and discover new ones.

Values Trump Color
Forget color matching. If your values are right (or close), the painting works. It’s way less stressful than trying to nail the exact Granny Smith apple green.

Pencil = Freedom
Sounds silly, but it’s true. A #2 pencil and cheap paper can teach you more about range of motion than a $20 brush. Supplies get expensive, and we tighten up — but draw cheap and draw a lot, and you’ll discover how much you can “get away with.” That freedom will show up in your paintings too.

Negative Space Rules
One thing the AI actually got right — negative space changes everything. It’s powerful. It makes your work breathe. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Learn it, use it, exploit it.

Construct to Deconstruct
If you can draw something well, you understand what holds it together. That’s when you earn the right to paint it loosely. Structure first, then freedom. (And yeah, no wonder my DA was 2 when this section was generic — glad it’s garage-approved now.)

Curious what was here before? Check this out...

Conclusion

Painting flowers loosely isn’t about getting them “right.” It’s about exploring, failing, discovering, and trying again tomorrow. And knowing that with each failure you actually went outside your comfort zone, this is where growth happens.

So grab your brushes, put on a fresh coffee, and paint bold. Loose, messy, garage-approved.

Learn & Improve Your Acrylic Skills

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Recommended Acrylic Painting Materials

• Princeton Catalyst Brushes – Flats (#6, #12), Rounds (#4, #8), Fan (#4), Liner Brush
  Durable synthetic bristles for versatile acrylic techniques
• Liquitex Heavy Body Acrylic Paint – Essential Colors
  Cadmium Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Red Light, Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Blue, Burnt Sienna, Titanium White
• Winsor & Newton Cotton Canvas
  Reliable stretched canvas for studio and plein air work
• Strathmore 400 Series Mixed Media Paper
  Heavyweight, acid-free paper for acrylic and mixed media
• Fabriano Artistico 140lb Cold Press Paper
  Excellent for acrylic, mixed media, and textured effects
• Blick Multi-Colored Painting Knife Set
  Variety of shapes for texture, scraping, and bold strokes
• Miscellaneous: Two pint-sized water containers, paper towels (from Home Depot or Walmart)
• Note: I use canvas or sturdy cardboard as my palette — no store-bought palettes needed.