What you will need
- Plain, coloured or patterned paper
- Pencil and eraser
- Black permanent marker
- Paintbrush
- Paint
- Find an image you like on the internet or from a book
- Paint your background colour in or use coloured paper
- Sketch the branches lightly in pencil
- Keep rubbing out and sketching until you are happy with your design
- If you are not confident to draw freehand you can go over your design’s outline with permanent marker put thinner paper on top and trace it
- When you are happy with your design you can go over the outline in black or brown marker or paint, if you have time to let it dry
- Using a permanent marker to colour in the branch is quicker and easier to paint over
- If you would like your branches to have more texture then paint is better but make sure it is properly dry before you add the petals
- Remember that cherry blossom branches are quite gnarly so don’t be afraid of untidy edges
- When the branches are dry, carefully paint in the petals with a fine paintbrush, cotton bud or finger tip in pink or white for cherry blossom
- Cherry blossoms traditionally have five petals but they don’t have to all be exactly the same size
- Try to make sure you have a variety of different sized blossoms to make it more realistic
- Where they are forked branches, add a little bud of pink
- Leave your painting to dry thoroughly before adding the darker centres to the blossoms
- You might need to go over the light colour of the petals as the branches show through
- You can then paint a darker colour on the middle part of the petals with a fine paintbrush or cotton bud
- When the centres are dry then you can add in the black centres with paint or permanent marker
- Your painting is now complete!
- Leave to dry and then put it in a frame