1. Painting prep

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-     Apply a coat of textured gesso to the board and allow it to dry

-     Add a second coat, let it dry, then sand smooth

-     Print out the floral outline, shade the back, then retrace the lines to transfer the image (or draw it freehand)

-     Refine the linework with pencil

-     Seal the drawing with a thin layer of clear textured gesso

2. Background painting

-     Mix a soft champagne cream colour

-     Add a small amount of gloss medium to keep the paint translucent

-     Apply evenly over the background so the texture still shows through

-     Allow the background to dry completely

3. How to paint peonies with acrylics

-     Mix the darkest petal tones using Titanium White, Scarlet Red, and a touch of Purple

-     Block in the petals starting from the darkest areas

-     Gradually build lighter tones as you move outward

-     Work from dark to light to give the flower depth and form

4. Flower centre and greenery

-     Mix Raw Sienna with Titanium White for the flower centre

-     Add small stamens using Cadmium Yellow

-     Create a muted sage green using Hooker’s Green, Titanium White, and Raw Sienna

-     Paint the leaves and stems, keeping the tones soft and earthy

5. How to apply gold leaf

-     Paint gold leaf sizing onto selected decorative areas

-     Allow the sizing to dry until tacky

-     Carefully apply gold leaf sheets using gloves

-     Press gently and remove excess leaf

-     Seal the gold leaf with a matte medium to mute the shine and protect it

-     Allow to dry fully

6. Art Nouveau outlines

-     Use a rigger brush to add flowing outlines

-     Outline leaves with watered-down Hooker’s Green

-     Outline gold areas using Raw Sienna

-     Outline petals with a soft light grey

-     Focus on outlining major forms rather than every petal

8. Final details

-     Use a graphite pencil for fine details where paint feels too heavy

-     Seal the entire piece with gloss varnish to restore colour depth and gold highlights

-     Let everything dry completely before handling