Rows meeting at one point under a lone treeViolet, lilac, sap green, sky blue. Mark a dot on the horizon, run every row toward it and paint the tree there.
One big stem of dot clusters, each a ring around the stalkViolet, lilac, sage green. Dot a small ring, leave a gap of bare stalk and dot the next ring above it.
Field from above as slanted stripes of purple and bare earthViolet, lilac, tan, olive. Paint slanted stripes across the whole canvas, purple and tan in turn.
Cut stem on a windowsill beside a pair of scissorsCream, violet, sage green, gray. Paint the sill as one pale band and lay the stem on a slant across it.
Five stems in a row, each a different purple from blue violet to pink lilacUltramarine, violet, magenta, white, sage green. Mix one purple for each stem, bluer on the left, pinker on the right.
Lavender stems in silhouette against an orange evening skyOrange, peach, deep purple. Blend the sky and paint stalks and flowers in one dark purple.
Loose watercolor stem, the purple left to bleedViolet, ultramarine, sap green. Wet the paper along the flower, touch in purple and let it spread; add the stalk dry.
One flower spike close up, each whorl a ring of tiny flowersViolet, ultramarine, lilac, gray green. Paint the rings one above another with bare stalk showing between them.
One lavender stem down the middle of a tall narrow canvasViolet, ultramarine, white, sage green. Paint the stalk, then stack rings of small dabs up its top third.
One sprig bent into a circle, a wreath of a single stemViolet, lilac, sage green, white. Pencil around a bowl and paint the stalk along the line, dabs on the outside.
Pressed-flower look: one flat stem with a lettered label belowCream, violet, sage green, brown. Paint the stem flat and pale, and letter its name beneath with a liner brush.
Single stem and its shadow on a white wallWhite, violet, sage green, pale gray. Paint the stem, then the same shape in thin gray, leaning to one side.
Stem in bud, tight gray-green tips just turning purpleGray green, sage green, violet. Paint the buds as closed gray-green dabs and tip only the lowest with violet.
Stems on a black canvas, a lilac dot on each violet dabBlack, violet, lilac, sage green. Paint each dab violet first and touch a lilac dot on its upper side.
Thick-paint stem, each flower a dab from a palette knife tipViolet, lilac, white, sage green. Load the knife tip, press and lift for each flower so the paint stands up.
Three stems fanning from one point at the bottom edgeViolet, lilac, white, sage green. Paint three thin lines first and dab the flowers smaller toward each tip.
White butterfly on a lavender stem that bends under itViolet, white, sage green, pale yellow. Curve the stalk first and paint the butterfly as two folded wings.
Whole sprig: flower spike above, narrow leaves in pairs belowViolet, lilac, gray green, white. Paint the leaves as thin single strokes in pairs and keep the upper stalk bare.
Fields in rows 15
Bicycle leaning at the edge of the rowsViolet, lilac, green, red. Finish the rows, let them dry and paint the bicycle over the nearest one.
Field at sunset, rows in deep purple under an orange skyOrange, pink, deep purple, violet. Blend the sky, then paint the rows dark with a lighter stripe along each top.
Field from above as slanted stripes of purple and bare earthViolet, lilac, tan, olive. Paint slanted stripes across the whole canvas, purple and tan in turn.
Field under a storm sky, one band of light across the rowsSlate gray, violet, lilac, white. Paint the rows dark and brush lilac across one band where the light falls.
Lavender beside a gold wheat field, a track between themViolet, lilac, gold, straw. Paint the track narrowing to a point, purple on one side and gold on the other.
Misty field, each row grayer and bluer than the one in frontViolet, lilac, gray blue, white. Mix more gray blue and white into each row as it goes back.
Night field under a full moon, rows in blue violetNavy, ultramarine, violet, white. Paint the rows in blue violet and brush a little white along the moonlit side.
One row from the side, bushes like a line of cushionsViolet, lilac, sage green, tan. Paint each bush as a green dome and flick short purple strokes up from it.
Rows curving over a hill with no horizon in viewViolet, ultramarine, lilac, olive. Curve every row the same way and make the far ones thinner and paler.
Rows meeting at one point under a lone treeViolet, lilac, sap green, sky blue. Mark a dot on the horizon, run every row toward it and paint the tree there.
Rows running down to a blue seaViolet, lilac, cobalt, white. Paint a flat band of sea above the field and end each row against it.
Rows running to a line of dark pointed treesViolet, lilac, dark green, sky blue. Paint the trees as tall thin flames on the horizon, darker than anything else.
Rows starting behind a low stone wallViolet, lilac, gray, cream. Paint the wall across the bottom in blocky strokes and start the rows behind it.
Small square canvas: three fat rows and a strip of skyViolet, lilac, sap green, pale blue. Paint three wedges that narrow upward and dab them with the brush tip.
Three white beehives where the rows endViolet, lilac, white, sap green. Paint three small white boxes at the end of the rows and dot bees above them.
Bunches and jars 15
Bunch beside two lemons on a tableViolet, lilac, lemon yellow, white. Paint the lemons first and lay the bunch so its heads point toward them.
Bunch in a blue enamel jugViolet, lilac, cobalt, white. Paint the jug first with one white highlight, then fan the stalks out of it.
Bunch in a white pitcher against a dark green groundDeep green, white, violet, lilac. Paint the ground dark right up to the pitcher so its edge stays crisp.
Bunch laid on a folded linen clothViolet, lilac, cream, pale gray. Paint the cloth with two gray fold lines and the bunch on a slant over it.
Bunch lying across an open bookViolet, lilac, cream, gray. Paint the pages as two pale wedges and lay the bunch across the fold.
Fist holding a just-cut bunch against the skySky blue, violet, lilac, peach. Paint the hand as one simple shape at the bottom edge and fan the stalks above it.
Flat basket heaped with cut lavenderViolet, lilac, tan, brown. Paint the weave as short crossed strokes and heap the flowers over the rim.
Lavender bush in a terracotta pot on a stepViolet, lilac, terracotta, gray green. Paint a round gray-green mound in the pot and flick the stalks up from it.
Lavender drying heads down from a wooden pegViolet, gray purple, sage green, brown. Paint the stalks fanning up from the heads and tie them near the top.
Market bundle rolled in newspaper, flower heads poking outViolet, lilac, pale gray, sage green. Paint the roll as a gray tube with a few lines of print and the heads on top.
Short bunch in a striped mugViolet, lilac, white, navy. Paint the mug and its stripes first and keep the bunch no taller than the mug.
Stems in a clear bottle, stalks showing through the glassViolet, sage green, pale blue, white. Paint the stalks first, then the bottle over them as a thin outline.
Three drying bunches on a string across the canvasViolet, lilac, sage green, tan. Paint the string as a shallow curve and hang each bunch from it, heads down.
Three small bottles with one stem in eachViolet, sage green, pale blue, white. Paint three bottles of different heights and a single stem leaning in each.
Wreath of short lavender bunches laid head to tailViolet, lilac, sage green, white. Pencil around a plate and paint short bunches head to tail along the line.
Dabbed with a swab or a fingertip 15
Border of swab-dotted sprigs around all four edgesViolet, sage green, white. Dot one short sprig, turn the canvas and repeat until the frame is full.
Cotton-swab stems: two columns of dots up each stalkViolet, lilac, sage green. Paint the stalks with a liner, then press pairs of dots up each one with a cotton swab.
Dome of swab dots over a painted terracotta potTerracotta, violet, lilac, gray green. Paint the pot with a flat brush and dot a dome of flowers above the rim.
Fingerprint stems, three prints wide at the base and one at the tipPurple and green finger paint. Draw the stalks with a swab and press fingertip prints up each, fewer toward the tip.
Fingertip bee over swab-dotted stemsYellow and purple finger paint. Dot the flowers with a swab, press one yellow fingertip for the bee and stripe it.
Fingertip bunch in a jar, finger paint on paperPurple, green and blue finger paint. Paint the jar with a swab and press fingertip flowers in a fan above it.
Heart outlined in swab-dotted sprigsViolet, lilac, sage green. Pencil a heart, dot sprigs along it tip to tail and rub out the pencil when dry.
One big stem of dot clusters, each a ring around the stalkViolet, lilac, sage green. Dot a small ring, leave a gap of bare stalk and dot the next ring above it.
Swab dots in three purples, darkest at the foot of each stemDeep purple, violet, lilac, sage green. Dot the lowest flowers darkest and take a clean swab for each lighter purple.
Swab-dotted field, the dots shrinking toward the horizonViolet, lilac, white, green. Use a full cotton swab for the near dots and a pinched one for the far dots.
Swab-dotted stems over a still-damp lilac washLilac, violet, sage green. Brush on a pale wash and dot the flowers while it is damp so their edges soften.
Swab-dotted wreath around a blank center for a nameViolet, lilac, sage green. Pencil around a cup, dot short sprigs along the line and leave the middle empty.
Three swabs taped side by side, pressed once for each whorlViolet, lilac, sage green. Tape three cotton swabs in a row, dip them and press up the stalk in steps.
Two-tone dots from a swab dipped in violet and white togetherViolet, white, sage green. Dip one side of the swab in each color so every dot has a light edge.
White swab-dotted stems on a lavender-colored groundPurple, white, sage green. Mix purple and white for the ground, let it dry and dot the flowers in plain white.
How it works
Lavender flowers sit in whorls on a spike that rises clear of the leaves, so a painted stem is a bare stalk with rings of small dabs near the top. The wild species are mostly blue, violet or lilac.
Read the full guide
Mixing the purples
Lavender, the paint color, is purple mixed with white. It stays on the blue side; lilac is the pale purple on the pink side. Five stems in a row, each a different purple from blue violet to pink lilac is a mixing exercise that covers both.
Painting a lavender field in rows
Mark one point on the horizon and run every row toward it, because parallel rows appear to meet at a vanishing point. Paint the far rows thinner, paler and bluer: distance takes contrast and color out of things. Misty field, each row grayer and bluer than the one in front does it with two purples, gray blue and white.
Leave bare stalk showing between the rings of dabs, and make the dabs smaller toward the tip.
The three fingertip pictures use finger paint. Every other dabbed one dots its flowers with a cotton swab.
Questions and answers
How do you paint lavender with a cotton swab?
Paint the stalks with a liner brush, then press pairs of dots up the top of each one, fewer toward the tip. Cotton-swab stems: two columns of dots up each stalk is the plainest of the 15 dabbed pictures.
What colors do I need to paint lavender?
Violet is in 55 of the 60 palettes, lilac in 40 and sage green in 28. Mix the pale purples from violet and white; a touch of magenta turns one toward lilac, ultramarine toward blue.
What is an easy lavender painting for beginners?
Small square canvas: three fat rows and a strip of sky. Paint three wedges that narrow upward and dab them with the brush tip. Easy first lavender, under More filters, holds 24.
How do you paint a bunch of lavender?
Paint the stalks first, fanning from the tie, then stack dabs up the top third of each. Lavender drying heads down from a wooden peg turns the fan over: heads at the bottom, stalks tied near the top.