Lotus
   
When depicting lotus leaves, try to display their turns and folds. In large areas of ink, the brushwork should be vigorous. Limp strokes are undesirable. Some dry strokes added to large wet strokes appear spirited.
   
There are several ways to depict the flower. White flowers are outlined and coloured. Light green strokes can be added to the ink lines. Red flowers can be painted with rouge or carmine. The colour at the root of a petal is lighter than that at the tip of a petal.
   
You can use ink to depict lotus leaves, and you can also add indigo or herbal green (mixture of indigo and rattan yellow) onto the dry ink strokes. Try to show the distance between the leaves in the foreground and those in the background. When the whole painting is dry, add some grass leaves with dark ink. Lines and broad patches of colour produce an interesting contrast.

Another method to depict lotus leaves -- render the outline and veins with dark ink and before the strokes become dry, apply herbal green to the ink so that the ink shades into the green. White flowers can be set off with large leaves.