Snake Painting with Watercolors: Step-by-Step Tutorial

In this post, I will share with you the step-by-step process of painting this watercolor piece featuring a snake and flowers.

You are also welcome to watch the YouTube video for a more direct understanding of how I mix colors and layer details.

Table of Contents

Painting Tools

Watercolor Paper: Arches Cold-Pressed Watercolor Paper
Brushes: Escoda Perla #8 / Escoda Versatil #10
Watercolors: Schmincke Horadam 24 Half-Pan Set and White Night

Colors:
Grey-Blue Mist (White Night 562 )
Orange
Burnt Sienna
Ultramarine

1. Sketch

During the sketching stage, the only element I was certain about was the snake.

I knew it would be coiled around something, but I wasn’t sure what, so I focused on defining its overall shape, experimenting with different angles and forms.

At first, I added a moth, but I wasn’t satisfied with the composition. In the end, I decided to include hellebore flowers instead.

2. Transferring the Sketch to Watercolor Paper

Once the sketch was finalized, I used a light table to transfer it onto watercolor paper, ensuring a clean and precise outline. I worked on 300g cold-pressed Arches watercolor paper for this piece.

3. First wash

I created a warm-to-cool gradient, starting with a soft warm tone at the top by mixing Orange + Burnt Sienna + Ultramarine.

As I painted downward, I gradually added more Ultramarine for a cooler color.

Once the base layer was dry, I used slightly more concentrated pigment to add patterns to the snake’s body.

4. Flowers

Before adding more details to the snake, I worked on the hellebore flowers, using soft grays, Ultramarine, and deep blue-gray tones.

This was my first time painting flowers in such dark shades, and I found the experience refreshing. I loved the strong contrast it created, making the composition visually striking.