Behind The Art: Moonlit Sunflower Watercolor Painting

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In this post, I want to share some of my behind-the-scenes pictures along with my thoughts on my latest painting, Moonlit Sunflower.

This idea has been on my brain for a long time, and I finally completed it. I started this painting in January and slowly worked on it when I had the time.

Moonlit Sunflower Watercolor Painting

This painting combines two of my favorite things, sunflowers and the moon.

The process for this painting was pretty simple: sketch, paint, add details, and make final edits on my computer.

The sketch

The sketch was nothing too fancy, just a guideline. I used a picture of a sunflower I grew one year as a reference for the flower.

Since most of my work is intuitive, I never usually sketch anything out. But I had to with this painting and using masking fluid.

Masking fluid

I wanted to give this painting a unique, bold background, so I used masking fluid to preserve the outline of the sunflower and the moon so I could go to town on it.

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11/25/2025 02:30 am GMT

Of course, you don’t have to use masking fluid, but having it there ensures your outlines will be safe from unwanted color.

If you paint with watercolors often, I recommend having some masking fluid on hand. It can be a lifesaver when you need to preserve whites or outlines.

The background

Behind The Art: Moonlit Sunflower Watercolor Painting

I painted the background with some of my favorite blues (Prussian blue, indigo, etc.) and dropped salt and water to create blooms.

Details

After I finished the background, I peeled off the masking fluid (so satisfying, by the way) and started on the sunflower. It took many layers of watercolor to build it up.

I also used colored pencils and micron pens to add further detail.

Final Edits

After I finished painting and adding details, I scanned the painting onto my computer and made some adjustments with Photoshop. I always do this to ensure it’s perfect to make art prints and greeting cards with.

Here’s the final piece!