# Watercolor Fun - Paint a Floral Wreath with Birds - review & insight | Gareth B. Davies Source: https://garethbdavies.com/course-insights/watercolor-fun-paint-a-floral-wreath-with-birds/ [← All courses](https://garethbdavies.com/course-insights/) Illustration & Drawing · Quick win · Rated 6 /10 # Watercolor Fun - Paint a Floral Wreath with Birds Updated September 2026 Denise Hughes · Illustrator, Designer, Tutor Beginner · 22 min Twenty-two minutes teaches one wreath composition trick and a handful of brush moves, not a full watercolor foundation. [Get a Free Month on Skillshare](https://skillshare.eqcm.net/c/3155494/298081/4650?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.skillshare.com%2Fclasses%2Fwatercolor-fun-paint-a-floral-wreath-with-birds%2F590000966) New to Skillshare? Your first month is free, enough to take this course at no cost. ## A short, single-project class Denise Hughes's "Watercolor Fun" is built around one finished piece: a circular floral wreath with a pair of birds at its center. At 22 minutes across seven lessons, it is less a course than a guided studio session, and it treats itself that way. The materials lesson is brief and practical: pencil, black pen, watercolor paper, scrap paper, and two sable brushes, sized one and three. The recommendation of Winter and Newton Series Seven brushes is specific enough to be useful, and the class is careful to note that cheaper round brushes work fine too, which keeps the entry cost low for a beginner unsure whether they will stick with the hobby. The arc moves in a logical, low-friction order: doodle flower and leaf shapes in pen first, practice a handful of brushstrokes in isolation, then apply both to the wreath itself. This doodle-first approach is arguably the most transferable idea in the whole class, since it separates the design decision from the painting decision, letting a nervous beginner commit to a shape on paper before ever loading a brush. ## What actually gets taught The brush technique lesson is where the real content lives. It covers exactly two moves: painting with just the tip of the brush for thin lines and pressing the full body of the brush down for a wider mark, then alternating between the two to vary line weight within a single stroke. Petals and teardrop-shaped leaves are built from these two moves alone, which is a smart way to make a beginner feel capable fast, since a handful of physical brush motions cover most of the shapes needed later. Wet-on-wet gets the most attention of any single technique, appearing first as a small accent where wet paint bleeds into a leaf, then again as the main device for shading roses and birds. The rose method is concrete: a watery pink base coat is laid down first, then a second, darker wash dropped in while the first is still damp, so the two blend without hard edges. The same principle carries into the bird centerpiece, where a darker orange is dropped onto the underside of a simple bird shape and blended with a clean, damp brush. ## Where it falls short The class is explicit that a template for the birds is available in the class resources for anyone unsure about drawing them freehand, which is a reasonable accommodation given the short runtime. But that same brevity means color mixing gets almost no dedicated treatment, paper preparation is not addressed at all, and the composition guidance for the wreath amounts to leaving gaps and turning the paper as you go, rather than any real discussion of balance or focal point. As a result, this works best as a single fun afternoon project for someone who already owns supplies and wants a finished piece quickly, not as a foundation for watercolor painting more broadly. Anyone who has taken even one prior watercolor class will likely find the pacing and content too thin to justify the time. The standout The wet-on-wet demonstration on the rose petals, showing how a second wash dropped into a still-damp base coat creates soft, realistic shading with almost no blending effort. ## What you will learn - · How to loosen up flower and foliage shapes through quick pen doodling before ever touching paint - · Two core brushstroke techniques: tip-only thin lines and full-pressure flat strokes for varying line weight - · The wet-on-wet technique for dropping pigment into damp paint to create natural blending and shadow - · How to lay out a circular wreath composition using a pencil guide, staggered foliage, and negative space - · A simple layered method for painting roses: a watery base coat followed by darker wet-on-wet definition - · How to add a simple bird centerpiece using the same wet-on-wet shading approach Best for: Absolute beginners who own basic watercolor supplies and want a single guided project to build confidence with a brush. Skip it if: Anyone with prior watercolor experience or anyone wanting real instruction in color mixing, paper stretching, or composition theory. Helpful Examples Engaging Teacher Actionable Steps Organization of Lessons [Get a Free Month on Skillshare](https://skillshare.eqcm.net/c/3155494/298081/4650?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.skillshare.com%2Fclasses%2Fwatercolor-fun-paint-a-floral-wreath-with-birds%2F590000966)