See the Beauty: An Ink-and-Watercolor Floral That Pulled Me Back Into Drawing

I've been leaning into watercolor lately, but this little project did something I didn't expect: it pulled me back into drawing. I followed a tutorial from Maren (@marenaART) — a pretty ink-and-watercolor floral that would make a lovely card someday — and I fell for the whole process.

It starts in pencil. Just loose shapes, working out where the flowers want to sit before any ink is involved. There's something low-pressure about pencil — it's all erasable, all just figuring it out.

Then comes the ink, which is decidedly not erasable. That used to scare me. This time I leaned in and let the lines be what they were.

I loved this stage more than I expected — the linework alone felt finished enough to frame.

But then the part that challenges me: color. Here's a true thing about me — I'm a planner. I like knowing where things are going. That's part of why I love drawing so much; you can map it out, control the line, take your time. Watercolor is the opposite of that. The water does what it wants, the washes bloom where they please, and you have to let go a little.

That doesn't come naturally to me. Laying in these soft washes — buttery yellows, dusty pinks, a cool blue-grey daisy — meant sitting with a little discomfort and trusting it would come together. The ink lines help; they hold the whole thing steady while the color gets to be looser than I'd usually allow. It's a learning curve, and I'm leaning into it on purpose.

I took my time with this one. No rushing to "done." And somewhere in there it felt right to letter a little reminder along the side: see the beauty. Good advice for a painting, and honestly for most days.

Here's how it turned out. I really liked this one — and I love that it's the kind of piece I could turn into cards down the road.

Pencil, ink, wash, and a few quiet words. A really good day at the table. More to come.