How to draw watercolor poinsettia Christmas flower in Procreate

How to draw a realistic watercolor Christmas Poinsettia in Procreate | tutorial

ByYulia Derbisheva March 30, 2023July 1, 2026

The poinsettia is one of the most striking holiday flowers — bold, festive, and instantly recognizable. It’s perfect for Christmas cards, seasonal decor, or even printed as a standalone poster for the holidays.

It might look intricate at first glance, but this is actually a wonderfully simple illustration to paint. I’ve taught this exact tutorial many times, and every single person who’s followed along has ended up with a beautiful result — so don’t let the look of it intimidate you. This one is great for beginners too.

Digital watercolor combines the beauty of traditional painting with the flexibility of modern tools. With Procreate and the right brushes, you can recreate the flow and texture of real watercolor without the mess — perfect for creating festive art, designing holiday cards, or even selling your creations online.

In this step-by-step video, I’ll show you how to paint a poinsettia using my Soft Watercolor Procreate Brushes, designed to mimic the flow, texture, and softness of real watercolor paint.

What you’ll learn in this tutorial

Painting the petals — laying down the petal shapes with smooth, beautiful color transitions, from the deep red base to softer, warmer tones.
Painting the leaves — adding the green foliage that frames the flower.
The flower’s center — painting the small clustered stamens at the heart of the poinsettia.
Adding detail — drawing in the veins on both the petals and the leaves for a more realistic, finished look.
Adding contrast — deepening the darkest areas to give the illustration more depth and make the colors pop.

About the brushes

This tutorial uses my own Soft Watercolor Procreate Brushes. I’m a watercolor artist myself, and I built these brushes from my own hand-painted textures — so they behave like real watercolor: soft edges, natural color blending, and the kind of texture you simply can’t get from a default Procreate brush.