The English language is absolutely divine. And so are each of the alphabets it comprises of.For each one of us, there may be one or more letters that are special.For example the initials of our name. Wouldn’t it totally rad if you could learn how to make that letter look extra special? Let me show you how with this floral monogram illustration tutorial.

Hello you! I hope that you enjoyed my previous tutorial on Botanical illustration logo tutorial. Turns out, I love all things floral.Frankly speaking, it’s been a recent addiction. Each time I see fresh flowers, my heart goes into a flutter. And I want to buy them all. With this floral monogram illustration tutorial, I went all out to re-create an alphabet into something that will stand out. For this illustration you will need:1.Watercolor paper 2.White gouache 3.Watercolor paint 4.Water 5.Circular lid or compass 6.Eraser 7.Paintbrush 8.Pencil

Step 1:I always tell this but first you need to prep your workspace. You don’t want to scurry around searching for supplies in between a project do you? The letter I have illustrated in this tutorial is “C”.For this,I used a guide to get the perfect shape.The circular lid I’ve used is from one of the many jars that I have in my kitchen cupboard. Alternately you can use a compass. Draw an arc as lightly as possible to form the letter C.

Step 2:Following the arc shape, start drawing the leaves . You don’t need to strictly follow the shape of the letter.You can improvise by extending the leaves and flowers outwards. This will make it look like it’s free flowing.

Add more leaves and flowers to the floral monogram illustration. You will slowly start seeing a beautiful “C”shape being formed. My choice of flowers for this floral monogram illustration was ranunculus.

Step 3: Finish lying down the pattern in pencil.After that,fill in the leaves with watercolor paint. The best thing about art is that you don’t have to follow strict rules. I didn’t want to give the usual green color for the leaves as I did with this floral monogram art. I decided to go with the colors “purple” and “grape”. I loved the vibrancy that it gave to the floral monogram illustration.

Most of the time, I complete all the elements that have similar colors at one go. This is because I may have to change the water once in a while. And also so that I don’t need to go back and mix colors again.

Step 4:Next I painted the flowers. The choice of color I used was crimson. There is a simple trick to painting ranunculus. Although,this will not work for detailed paintings.

Fill the flower completely with paint. Wait for it to dry. You will still see the pencil marks showing from under the paint. This will act as a guideline for forming the petals.

For the layers, I used white gouache. The vibrancy of gouache is amazing. Make thin lines with a liner brush and you’ll slowly see the petal shape appear. Finish if off by painting the inside of the flower with black.Finish off the leaves by painting the centre vein with white.

Step 4:Using the liner brush,paint the stems. I used the color green to show contrast. Rub off the pencil guidelines. And there you go! Your very own floral monogram illustration all done.

What do you think?

Did you enjoy reading this tutorial? Do you think it would be a fun project to do using the initials of your name? What would be your choice of flower if you decide on making a floral monogram illustration?Let’s get out chat.Go ahead and comment below. I would love to know!

Thank you very much for stopping by and reading this tutorial. I’ll be back with plenty more amazing stuff for you to make. Cheers,until next time!

About zakkiya @ inkstruck studio

Zakkiya is the creative blogger and founder of Inkstruck Studio. She’s a self taught artist who let go of her architecture profession to pursue her passion in art. Zakkiya likes to write detailed tutorials in watercolor, calligraphy, and hand lettering. She also teaches watercolor workshops occasionally in Doha where she’s based currently. Other passions include traveling, photography, and basketball.When she’s not working, you can find her cuddling and running around with her toddler boy.