How to Add White Daisies to Acrylic Paintings

Learn how to paint small white daisies with acrylic paint using simple layering, undertones, and loose brushstrokes for a soft floral look.

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Sometimes it’s the smallest details that bring a painting to life!

In this colorful floral field painting from a recent Tribe tutorial, those tiny white daisies help soften the bold colors while adding movement, contrast, and balance throughout the piece.

And the best part? They don’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.

One thing I love about painting flowers loosely is that it gives your painting personality and movement without making you feel pressured to paint every single petal perfectly.

Step 1: Paint the Daisy Centers

Before adding any petals, I like to start with the centers of the flowers.

One simple trick that makes a huge difference is mixing a little white into your yellow paint. The white helps make the yellow more opaque and less transparent, allowing those tiny daisy centers to stand out against the colorful background.

For these flowers, I used a #2 Round Brush because it gives me enough control to create small, delicate shapes while still keeping things loose and painterly.

Don’t worry about making perfect circles. I actually prefer slightly oval-shaped centers because they feel a little more natural once the petals are added.

Watch Step 1 in Action:

Step 2: Add a Blue-Green Undertone

Before painting the white petals, I like to add a soft blue-green undertone underneath them.

If you’ve painted white flowers with me before, you know I rarely paint straight white directly onto the canvas. That little bit of color underneath creates instant depth and shadow without a lot of extra work.

Using your brush, loosely lay in where the petals will go. Don’t worry about being super specific or making every flower identical. The goal is simply to create a foundation for the white paint that will come later.

It may look a little strange at first, but trust the process!

Watch Step 2 in Action:

Step 3: Layer on the White Petals

Now for the fun part!

Using bright white paint and your #2 Round Brush, begin layering petals over the blue-green undertone.

I like to switch the way I hold my brush as I work. Sometimes I’ll use the point of the brush to create sharper petals, and other times I’ll turn it slightly to make softer, wider strokes.

Don’t feel like every petal has to be perfectly shaped. Some can be longer, some shorter, and some flowers can even look a little unfinished. That variety helps the flowers feel natural and loose.

You may still see some of that blue-green undertone peeking through around the petals, and that’s exactly what you want. When you step back from the painting, those darker areas create natural shadows and help the flower centers stand out without a lot of extra work.

Sometimes I even pick up a little yellow from the center while painting the petals, and that’s okay too! Those small color variations help the flowers feel more natural and painterly.

When you step back from the painting, all those simple layers work together beautifully.

Watch Step 3 in Action:

Small Details Can Change the Entire Painting

These little daisies may not be the focal point of the painting, but they add so much charm and softness throughout the landscape.

That’s something I love so much about floral paintings. Tiny details sprinkled throughout can guide the eye, break up bold areas of color, and make the entire piece feel more balanced and joyful.

And the best part is… loose, expressive flowers are often much easier than trying to paint everything perfectly.

Want to Keep Learning?

Inside Tribe, we love exploring colorful florals, loose painting techniques, and simple tips like these that help artists build confidence one brushstroke at a time.

And while Tribe isn’t always open, it’s such a fun place to experiment, try new techniques, and grow your confidence when it is.

If you want to be the first to know when it opens again, click here to join the email list so you don’t miss the next time Tribe opens.

I’d love to see what you create! Post a picture and share what you learned on The Social Easel Facebook Page!

Stay creative and happy painting!