Raindrop rings on a pond, lotus leaves beaded with waterGray-green, green, white, slate blue. Dot white beads on the leaves and draw thin ovals for the rings.
Stepping stones crossing a lotus pondGray, green, pink, blue. Shrink the stones as they cross and lighten the far bank.
Ink bud and leaf with one small red square in the cornerBlack ink, red. Paint the red square last, as the only color on the sheet.
Backlit lotus, petals glowing against a dark green bankWhite, pale pink, dark green, yellow. Paint the petals white first, then glaze thin pink toward each base.
Deep red lotus with a gold center on a cream groundCrimson, rose, gold, cream. Dot the center gold with a cotton swab and ring it with short dashes.
Lotus cropped so three petals run off the canvas edgePink, magenta, white. Start the petals outside the canvas so the bloom looks larger than its frame.
Lotus from the side, cupped like a bowl on a tall stemPink, rose, green, pale blue. Paint the back petals tallest, then overlap shorter ones forward.
Lotus in flat shapes, each petal one solid pinkPale pink, rose, magenta, navy. Use three pinks and no blending, darkest at the back.
Lotus in pastel pink and mint with soft edges all roundPale pink, mint, white, lilac. Blend each petal into the ground while the paint is still wet.
Lotus seen from above, a round leaf under it like a platePink, white, green, dark green. Paint the leaf as a full circle first and set the flower off-center.
Lotus with a bee on its yellow centerPink, yellow, black, white. Paint the bee as a yellow oval with two black bars and small white wings.
Lotus with a drop of water on its lowest petalPink, white, gray, green. Paint the drop as a gray oval with one white dot near the top.
Open lotus at dawn, petals warm on one side and cool on the otherPeach, pink, pale blue, white. Light every petal peach on the left and pale blue on the right.
Open lotus with one fallen petal floating beside itPink, white, blue-gray, green. Paint the fallen petal as a small curved boat with a pale rim.
Pink lotus face-on, petals in three rings round a yellow centerPink, white, yellow, green. Paint the outer ring first and overlap each ring inward.
Single lotus on a black canvas, each petal edged in lightBlack, magenta, pink, white. Paint the petals magenta, then drag white along each top edge only.
White lotus with pink-tipped petals on a teal groundWhite, pink, teal, yellow. Load the brush white, touch its tip in pink and pull each petal in one stroke.
Yellow lotus against flat violet waterPale yellow, cream, violet, green. Keep the water one flat violet so the yellow reads brightest.
Bud, bloom and seed head 15
Bloom past its best, outer petals drooping to the waterPale pink, cream, green, blue-gray. Curve the lowest petals down and let their tips touch the water.
Bud and full bloom side by side, the bud a head tallerPink, rose, green, pale yellow. Paint the bud darker than the open flower.
Bud just breaking open, one petal peeling backRose, pale pink, green. Paint the closed bud, then add a single paler petal curling away.
Buds and blooms along the bottom edge, pale sky above left emptyPink, green, pale blue. Keep every flower in the lowest third of the canvas.
Closed bud, open bloom and seed head in a row on three stemsPink, green, yellow, brown. Paint three stems of different heights first, then top each one.
Dried brown seed heads standing in a clay jarBrown, tan, burnt sienna, cream. Dry-brush tan across each head so the ridges catch it.
Green seed head with round holes, like the spout of a watering canGreen, yellow-green, dark green. Paint the flat top as an oval and dot the seed holes dark.
Life of a lotus in four panels: bud, bloom, falling petals, seed headPink, yellow, green, brown. Divide the canvas in four and keep the stem in the same place in each.
Petals dropping from a bloom, the yellow seed head showingPink, yellow, green, white. Leave three petals on the flower and float two on the water below.
Seed head and a curled dry leaf in browns on a pale groundBurnt umber, tan, ochre, cream. Paint the leaf edge as one wavy dark line and fill inside with ochre.
Seed head from above, two rings of dots on a green discGreen, yellow, dark green. Paint the disc, then dot the holes with a cotton swab.
Seed head tilted toward you, dark seeds in their holesOlive, brown, black, cream. Paint each hole as a dark ring with a cream seed inside.
Seed heads in a winter pond, stems bent at sharp anglesBrown, gray, white, pale blue. Bend each stem once and repeat the angle upside down in the water.
Three buds at three heights against a yellow morning skyRose, green, pale yellow, peach. Blend the sky first and paint the stems in single upward strokes.
Tight pink bud shaped like a flame on a tall stemRose, pink, green. Pull the bud in two curved strokes that meet at a point.
On still water 15
Duck paddling between lotus stems, wake spreading behindBrown, green, pink, blue-gray. Draw the wake as two pale lines opening from the tail.
Leaves held above the water like tilted umbrellas, one bloom among themGreen, blue-green, pink, pale blue. Tilt each leaf a different way and shade its underside darker.
Lotus at the pond's edge, reeds leaning in from one sideGreen, ochre, pink, blue. Flick the reeds upward with a liner brush, all leaning the same way.
Lotus leaves from above filling the canvas, two blooms betweenGreen, yellow-green, pink, dark blue. Overlap circles of different greens and run pale veins from each center.
Lotus on peach and lilac evening water, leaves as dark ovalsPeach, lilac, pink, dark green. Blend the water like a sky and paint the leaves over it when dry.
Lotus pond at sunrise, blooms dark against orange waterOrange, yellow, magenta, dark green. Blend the water first, then paint blooms and leaves nearly black.
Lotus pond under a full moon, white blooms picked outNavy, white, pale yellow, dark green. Paint everything in navy and green, then add the white blooms last.
Misty pond, far lotus stems fading to grayGray, white, pale green, pink. Scumble thin white over the dry far stems until they almost vanish.
One bloom on water so still that the horizon disappearsWhite, pale blue, pink, green. Paint water and sky the same pale blue, with no line between them.
Pond in flat blue and green bands, one lotus breaking the linesBlue, teal, green, pink. Paint the water in level bands and set one bloom across them.
Raindrop rings on a pond, lotus leaves beaded with waterGray-green, green, white, slate blue. Dot white beads on the leaves and draw thin ovals for the rings.
Small green frog sitting in the dip of a lotus leafGreen, yellow-green, pink, blue. Paint the frog one shade lighter than the leaf under it.
Stepping stones crossing a lotus pondGray, green, pink, blue. Shrink the stones as they cross and lighten the far bank.
Underwater view of lotus stems rising to leaves lit from aboveTeal, dark green, yellow-green, white. Paint the water darkest at the bottom and the leaves pale on top.
Wooden rowboat nosing through lotus leavesBrown, green, pink, pale blue. Overlap the leaves across the bow so the boat sits among them.
In ink and wash 15
Ink bud and leaf with one small red square in the cornerBlack ink, red. Paint the red square last, as the only color on the sheet.
Ink lotus on a tall narrow sheet, most of the paper left bareBlack ink, water. Keep the plant in the lower third and leave everything above it empty.
Ink lotus with one touch of pink on the petal tipsBlack ink, pink watercolor. Let the ink dry, then touch pink to each tip and let it fade downward.
Ink wash pond: gray water, black leaves, blooms left as bare paperBlack ink, water. Paint the pale wash round each bloom and never fill the bloom itself.
Lotus bloom in diluted ink only, no outline at allBlack ink, water. Paint each petal as one pale stroke and let the overlaps darken by themselves.
Lotus in black ink with a pale green wash over the leafBlack ink, green watercolor. Lay the green over the dry ink in one pass, without scrubbing.
Lotus leaf in one wide wet stroke of gray inkBlack ink, water. Load a big brush with pale ink, tip it in dark ink and press it flat once.
Lotus stem in a single upward stroke, flecked with dark dotsBlack ink. Pull the stem without stopping, then dot along it while it is damp.
Seed head on a bent stem in dry, dark inkBlack ink. Drag a nearly dry brush so the stroke breaks and the paper shows through.
Single bloom in thin ink outline beside a broad gray leafBlack ink, water. Draw the petals in dark lines and lay the leaf in pale wash beside them.
Small bird perched on a seed head, in ink aloneBlack ink, water. Paint the bird in five strokes: head, back, wing, tail and a dot for the eye.
Three leaves in three strengths of ink: pale, gray and blackBlack ink, water. Mix the three strengths in three dishes before the first stroke.
Two small fish in pale ink under one dark lotus leafBlack ink, water. Paint each fish in two strokes and keep them paler than the leaf.
Wet leaf with dark ink dropped into a pale puddleBlack ink, water. Drop dark ink into the wet leaf and let it spread on its own.
Withered leaf hanging from a bent stem in broken gray strokesBlack ink, water. Use a split, nearly dry brush and let the gaps stand for the tears.
How it works
A lotus holds its flower on a thick stem above the leaves, and the leaves float or stand well clear of the water. It is often confused with the water lily.
Read the full guide
Bud, bloom and seed head
One plant gives three subjects. The bud is a pointed flame, the open flower a bowl of petals, and the dried seed head looks like the spout of a watering can. Cultivated flowers run white, yellow, pink and red; the two-colored ones are most often white with pink tips, as in White lotus with pink-tipped petals on a teal ground.
Lotus in ink and wash
Ink wash painting uses black ink in different strengths and is usually shades of black alone. A stroke cannot be changed once it is down, so the 15 ink ideas are short: Lotus leaf in one wide wet stroke of gray ink is a single press of a loaded brush.
Water does not cling to a lotus leaf, which has a waxy coat. Paint the drops as round white beads.
Shade the underside of a raised leaf darker than its top.
Questions and answers
What colors do I need for a lotus flower painting?
Pink is in 33 of the 60 palettes and a green in 34; white is in 18. The 15 ink ideas need black ink and water, three of them with one spot of color.
How do you paint a lotus flower step by step?
Work from back to front: paint the back petals first and tallest, then overlap shorter petals toward you. Lotus from the side, cupped like a bowl on a tall stem follows that order, and it is one of 19 easy first lotuses.
How is a lotus different from a water lily in a painting?
Water lily leaves mostly float on the surface. Paint the lotus taller: Leaves held above the water like tilted umbrellas, one bloom among them lifts both leaf and flower clear of the pond.