FOAM ROLLER TULIPS
Bold and expressive tulips created using a foam roller and black acrylic paint.
Bold, Loose & Full of Character!
I love finding new ways to loosen up drawing and painting, and one of my absolute favourites is using a foam roller and black acrylic paint to create bold, expressive tulips. My students recently gave this technique a go, and they loved it!
There’s something so freeing about rolling on the paint in sweeping, fluid motions, letting the foam create those soft, organic petal shapes. No overthinking—just pure, expressive mark-making! By using black acrylic, we focused purely on shape and movement, without getting caught up in colour too soon.
Loosen up your painting with this fun foam roller technique!
Then came the real magic! Once dry, we brought the tulips to life with vibrant watercolour washes. The black roller shapes acted as a fantastic base, allowing the watercolour to flow beautifully over the surface, sinking into the textured edges and creating stunning effects. The contrast between the strong black forms and the delicate, glowing colour made for paintings bursting with energy and character.
It’s such a fun, liberating way to work—perfect for getting out of that detail-obsessed mindset! If you’ve never tried painting flowers like this, grab a foam roller and give it a go. You’ll love the results!
Happy painting!
Link to my favourite foam roller for this exercise
