BetterDayBooksSpring2025

BETTER DAY BOOKS • 17 BRUSHES •Medium/large brush for petals, stem and leaves (6, 8) • Small brush for details (3) COLOR PALETTE TIP Inspiration is everywhere—artwork, books, nature—explore your interests and see what motivates you to create something amazing. 64 Rose 1. Paint the rose petals with a light wash of pink. Allow some areas to be lighter and some to be darker to create interest and depth. Keep the center area white so we can fill it in later. Let dry. 2. Paint loose brushstrokes in a darker shade of pink to add detail; make sure to follow the shape of the strokes you have already painted. Let dry. 3. Paint yellow and orange brushstrokes to create the flower center. Then paint the green stemand leaves. Let dry. 4. Use a smaller brush to create brown detailed linework on the flower center. Add dark green details on the leaves and a dark green shadow on the left side of the stem. add detai ls on dry wet on dry wet on dry wet on dry wet on dry add detai ls on dry 65 BRUSHES •Medium brush for body (4, 6) • Small brush for details (3) COLOR PALETTE FUN TECHNIQUE—SALT: Sprinkle salt onto an area of wet paint. Allow paper to dry completely. Then lightly brush away the salt with your finger. You’ll be left with interesting bursts and star textures! 106 S eaTur t le 1. Working one segment at a time, coat the shell with a layer of water. Drop in blues, greens and yellows, and coax the water where you want it to go with your brush. Repeat this with each segment. Make sure to leave the areas in between the segments white. Let dry. 2. Paint each segment on the outer edge of the shell in light blue. Let dry. 3. Paint the legs and head in blue. Do one piece at a time, startingwith the leg below the head. Concentrate the darkest shade of blue where the legmeets the shell. Repeat this for the remaining legs and head. Let dry. 4. Using the blues, paint little spots on the legs and head to create texture. Paint the eye black and leave a white area for the highlight. wet on dry wet on dry wet on wet wet on dry 107 Daffodil 1. Wet each petal with a coat of water. Drop yellow in at the inner and outer edges of the petals. Let the color bleed into themiddle. 2. Paint the center areas of the flower in red and orange. 3. Nowwe start adding details. Using a darker yellow, add curved brushstrokes following the shape of the petals. For the center, use thin curved brushstrokes in dark orange to add definition to the shape. Paint the stamen dark brown and the leaves and stemgreen. 4. Further, add detail to the petals. Using burnt sienna, addmore curved brushstrokes following the shape of the petals. Add detail to the stemand leaves in dark green. wet on dry wet on dry wet on wet wet on dry 61 50 beautiful motifs in each book that can be painted in 30 minutes or less Illustrated steps make it easy for visual learners to succeed Color swatches, detailed instructions, and patterns for every tutorial ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sara Berrenson is a watercolor author and artist who has a rapidly growing licensing program, including gift, home décor, stationery, greeting cards, fabrics, and more. She has designed for globally-recognized brands, including Trader Joe’s and Mattel. Her items can be found at West Elm, Pottery Barn Kids, Target, HomeGoods, Nordstrom Rack, Bed Bath & Beyond, HSN, and specialty gift stores. When not painting in her studio, Sara can be found taking photographs at the flower mart or scouring flea markets for antique furniture and vintage finds. Learn more @saraberrenson on Instagram.