A UNESCO-recognized Ukrainian folk art, taught step by step

Learn the 200‑year‑old Ukrainian art of Petrykivka painting

Paint your first folk poppy in a single afternoon, even if you've never held a brush.

Imagine if you could:

paint bright, joyful folk poppies using a Ukrainian technique recognized by UNESCO, pieces so vivid they look like they came straight from a village artisan's studio.
turn a plain white page into a poppy you can frame, hang beside your front door the way Petrykivka was traditionally painted, or paint onto a card for someone you love.
have a calm, rhythmic creative hobby: the same few brushstrokes, repeated, until your hand moves on its own and your mind finally goes quiet.
create handmade pieces that use a few dollars' worth of paint but look like the folk art people carry home from Ukraine.

You might be thinking this is extremely hard.

Those petals look impossibly precise. Every one perfectly curved. Every one melting from deep red into warm orange. It looks like something only a trained master could pull off.

But what if we told you that you don't need artistic talent, expensive supplies, or any drawing experience?

Here's what most people don't realize.

A Petrykivka poppy isn't drawn. It's built, one simple stroke at a time.

The whole style rests on just four brushstrokes. Press the brush down, lift it away, and a petal appears. Repeat. Another petal. A few more, and you have a poppy.

And here's the part that surprises everyone: you load the brush with two colours at once. As you press and lift, the paint shades the petal for you, from red to orange, all in a single stroke. You don't blend anything. The brush does it.

You load the brush. You press. You lift. And suddenly a poppy is blooming on your page.

A greeting card painted with a folk poppy

A wooden spoon painted with a folk poppy

A wooden Christmas ornament painted with a folk poppy

A framed folk poppy painting by a window

A border of folk poppies, buds and leaves

A folk poppy painting in progress, with brush and paints

"Will my poppy look as beautiful as these, even if I'm not artistic?"

Yes.

You're not sketching. There's no outline, no pencil, no eraser. Petrykivka masters traditionally paint straight onto the paper, and that's how you'll learn it too.

And Petrykivka flowers were never meant to copy nature. They're decorative, joyful and imagined. So there's no "real" poppy yours has to match. Yours only has to be yours.

If you can press a brush down and lift it up again, you can do this.

This course teaches you the three things that matter: how you load the brush, how you press, and how you lift.

Anyone can paint a folk poppy.

Even if you've never held a brush. A clear, step-by-step method that works with basic supplies and zero experience.
Even if folk art looks far too intricate. It isn't. Every detail is the same few strokes, repeated. You just never had someone show you the strokes.
Even if every craft you've tried ended in frustration. You'll practise each stroke on scrap paper first, so by the time you paint your poppy, your hand already knows the move.
Even if you don't consider yourself "artistic." A brush, a few tubes of gouache, some paper, and a little patience. That's it.

The meaning behind the brush

Petrykivka carries four ideas that quietly change how you see your home, your hands, and yourself.

Оберіг

Oberih, a charm for the home

Petrykivka began on the walls of village houses, painted around the windows and doors. In folk belief, the paintings protected the people inside from sorrow and harm. Every poppy you paint carries that wish with it.

Розпис

Rozpys, painted, not drawn

No sketch. No outline. No eraser. The brush touches the paper and the flower begins. You stop planning and start painting.

Котячка

Kotyachka, the brush from a cat

The village masters' most treasured tool is a tiny brush made from cat fur. The older the brush, the more it's "worked in," and the more it's worth. Like the painter, it gets better with practice.

Мак

Mak, the poppy

In Ukrainian folklore the poppy stands for the sun, for lush beauty, and for protection against evil. It's a classic in the Petrykivka garden, and the perfect flower to paint first.

Introducing

The Folk Poppy Masterclass

Петриківський розпис: from a white page to a poppy in bloom.

2+ hours of step-by-step video across 15+ lessons

1
Module 1: The living tradition
Where the Petrykivka poppy comes from
The village, the women and the 200-year story behind Ukraine's most joyful folk art.
- How a small village in central Ukraine turned painted cottage walls into an art form recognized by UNESCO in 2013
- Why the women of Petrykivka painted around their windows and doors, and what the flowers and birds were believed to protect
- Why the poppy is the perfect first flower: one bold shape, a handful of repeated strokes, instant colour
- How to read a Petrykivka composition (largest elements first, fine details last) so you can design your own
2
Module 2: Your Petrykivka toolkit
Materials and setup
Your complete shopping list and workspace setup for about $30.
- The shopping list with exact product links: everything you need for your first 10+ poppies
- Kotyachka vs synthetic brush: why you don't need a cat-hair brush to start, and when it's worth getting one
- Gouache 101: why this bright, opaque paint is the right choice for folk colour
- How to set up your painting station at any desk or kitchen table in 10 minutes
3
Module 3: The four strokes
The alphabet of Petrykivka
Master the four strokes before you paint your first poppy. Everything else is built from these.
- The comb stroke (hrebinchyk): press, then lift into a fine wisp, the stroke behind every rounded petal
- The seed stroke (zerniatko): start light, end with full pressure, perfect for jagged poppy leaves
- The nut stroke (horishok): the small rounded stroke for buds and the poppy's centre
- The transitional stroke: two colours on one brush, so every petal shades itself from red to orange
- Fingertip painting: dots and berries made with no brush at all
4
Module 4: The Petrykivka poppy
Form and petals
The heart of the course. This is where a few strokes become a poppy opening on your page.
- The open, front-facing poppy: the foundational flower you learn first and return to again and again
- Building the petals stroke by stroke, so the flower looks full and round without a single outline
- The dark heart: the green seed pod, the feathery dark fringe and the ring of black and cream dots that make a poppy unmistakable
- The poppy bud: a two-colour bud cupped in green, on a gently nodding stem
5
Module 5: Bringing the poppy to life
Leaves and composition
Leaves, buds and fine flourishes: the touches that make people stop and look.
- Feathery, jagged leaves built from seed strokes, on stems that curve and connect
- Fine finishing lines: curling tendrils, wisps and dot trails that give Petrykivka its light, lacy look
- Arranging leaves, buds and tendrils around your poppy so the whole piece feels balanced and alive
- Composing your piece: a single stem for a card, a bouquet for a frame, a border for a box lid

You've seen what's inside. Five modules. A complete system for learning, painting and mastering the folk poppy at home.

The full price for this course is $97.

You're not going to pay that today. And the reason is simple.

This is the founding group for this course. We want 50 people to go through it first. We want to read your emails, see your poppies, and find out where you get stuck and where you surprise yourself.

That feedback is worth more to us right now than charging full price. Honestly, we also need to find out if we can answer 50 inboxes without getting red gouache all over the keyboard.

So for this first group, the price is dramatically lower. Once those 50 spots fill, this page comes down and the full price goes live.

Normally ~~$97~~

Now only $47

One-time payment. Lifetime access.

Unlock permanent access now

90-day money-back guarantee

Secure checkout

P.S. Founding-student pricing ends the moment the 50 founding spots are filled. After that, the course goes to its full price of $97.

Try it risk-free

You don't have to make the final decision now.

Get access to the full course. Get your supplies. Learn the four strokes. Paint your first folk poppy. Watch your work grow with every new flower.

If you don't love it, email info@simplesketchschool.com within 90 days for a full refund, processed within 24 hours. No questions asked.

But wait, there's more

Order today and you also get:

Bonus 1$47 value

The Kotyachka Guide: how to make your own cat-hair brush

The brush Petrykivka masters treasure most isn't sold in art shops. It's made at home, from a little of the household cat's fur. This guide shows you exactly how, plus where to buy one if you don't have a cat.

Why village masters swear by cat fur: the spring that lets one tiny brush paint both bold strokes and hair-thin lines
Which fur makes the best brush, and the traditional rule that surprises every cat owner
Step by step: lining up the hairs, tips with tips, and tying your brush to a stick with simple string
Gathering fur gently: why a tiny amount is all you need and your cat feels nothing, plus the best places to buy a ready-made kotyachka

Bonus 2$37 value

Paint It on Anything: cards, ornaments, spoons and boxes

Petrykivka was never only for paper. It moved from cottage walls onto wood, ceramics and everyday objects. This guide shows you how to take your poppy off the page and onto things you'll use and give.

How to prepare wood, card stock and ornaments so the paint grips and the colours stay bright
How to scale your poppy down to fit small and round surfaces: a spoon handle, a bauble, a box lid
Sealing and varnishing your pieces so they last for years
A dozen gift ideas, from greeting cards to recipe boxes, that people will keep forever

Bonus 3$27 value

The Folk Colour Guide: the Petrykivka palette

The right colours are what make a Petrykivka piece look like the real thing. This guide gives you the traditional palette and the two-colour pairings that make the transitional stroke sing.

The traditional Petrykivka palette, and why the classic pieces are painted on a white background
The best two-colour brush loads for poppy petals, leaves and berries, shown side by side
Mixing gouache to the right consistency so your strokes glide instead of drag
The dramatic black-background style that took off in the 20th century, and why purists still prefer white

Here's everything you get:

5 core modules$139
The Kotyachka Guide$47
Paint It on Anything$37
The Folk Colour Guide$27
Total value$250

Normally ~~$97~~

Now only $47

One-time payment. Lifetime access.

Unlock permanent access now

90-day money-back guarantee

Secure checkout

P.S. Founding-student pricing ends the moment the 50 founding spots are filled. After that, the course goes to its full price of $97.

One last thing...

Order today and you also get:

Mega bonus$79 value

The Petrykivka Flower Library: 10 folk flowers to paint stroke by stroke

A visual reference guide with step-by-step stroke diagrams for 10 traditional Petrykivka flowers and motifs, so the poppy is only the beginning.

10 traditional motifs (including cornflowers, sunflowers, tulips, roses, daisies and kalyna berries), ranked by difficulty so you start with the ones you can nail first time
Step-by-step stroke-order diagrams for each flower, so you never have to guess what comes next
Each flower shown in two colourways so you can see exactly how the palette changes the mood
3 complete poppy compositions: poppy with wheat, poppy with kalyna berries, and poppy with a little bird, the Petrykivka symbol of light and happiness

Students usually ask

Do I need any experience with painting or drawing?

None at all. There's no drawing in Petrykivka. You'll start with single strokes on scrap paper and build up from there, one lesson at a time.

How much does everything cost to get started?

About $30 for everything you need for your first 10+ poppies. You may already own some of it.

Will you tell me which materials to buy and where to get them?

Yes. Module 2 gives you the full shopping list with exact product links, plus budget swaps.

What materials do I need for my first painting?

A small set of gouache paints, one or two round brushes, some smooth paper and a jar of water. That's it.

Do I need a cat-hair brush?

No. A good synthetic round brush works beautifully for learning. The kotyachka is a lovely next step, and Bonus 1 shows you how to make or buy one when you're ready.

I don't have a cat. Can I still do this?

Absolutely. You can buy a ready-made kotyachka, or use a synthetic brush for everything in the course.

Can I do this in a small apartment?

Yes. All you need is a corner of a table. Gouache cleans up with water, and there's no smell.

Will this work with materials available in my country?

Yes. Gouache, round brushes and paper are sold everywhere. The shopping list includes options for the US, Canada, the UK, Europe and Australia.

How much time does a painting take?

Your first poppy takes about an afternoon, including stroke practice. Once your hand knows the strokes, each new poppy comes together much faster.

How long until my work looks like the beautiful pieces I see online?

Your first poppy will already look like Petrykivka. The masters' intricate pieces come from years of practice, but every one of them is built from the same four strokes you'll learn in Module 3.

I'm not artistic at all. Can I still do this?

Yes. Petrykivka is built on repetition, not talent. If you can press a brush down and lift it, you can paint a poppy.

What if my first painting doesn't turn out well?

Paint another one. Each poppy takes minutes once you know the strokes, and every one comes out better than the last. If you decide it isn't for you, the 90-day guarantee has you covered.

Is this the authentic tradition?

Yes. You'll learn the traditional Petrykivka strokes, motifs and palette, and Module 1 covers the history and meaning behind them.

What's the refund policy?

90 days, no questions asked. Email info@simplesketchschool.com and you'll get a full refund within 24 hours.

How is the content delivered?

Instantly online. Watch on your phone, tablet or computer, as many times as you like.

Is it safe to purchase online?

Yes. Payments are processed through a secure, encrypted checkout. We never see or store your card details.

Is gouache safe?

Choose paints labelled non-toxic (the shopping list only includes those). Wash your hands after painting, and as with any paint, keep it away from food and young children.

Have a specific question?

Email info@simplesketchschool.com and you'll hear back within 24 hours.

Here's everything you get:

5 core modules$139
The Kotyachka Guide$47
Paint It on Anything$37
The Folk Colour Guide$27
The Petrykivka Flower Library (10 flowers)$79
Total value$329

Normally ~~$97~~

Now only $47

One-time payment. Lifetime access.

Unlock permanent access now

90-day money-back guarantee

Secure checkout

P.S. Founding-student pricing ends the moment the 50 founding spots are filled. After that, the course goes to its full price of $97.

Imagine if you could:

You might be thinking this is extremely hard.

Here's what most people don't realize.

"Will my poppy look as beautiful as these, even if I'm not artistic?"

Anyone can paint a folk poppy.

The meaning behind the brush

The Folk Poppy Masterclass

Module 1: The living tradition

Module 2: Your Petrykivka toolkit

Module 3: The four strokes

Module 4: The Petrykivka poppy

Module 5: Bringing the poppy to life

The full price for this course is $97.

Try it risk-free

But wait, there's more

The Kotyachka Guide: how to make your own cat-hair brush

Paint It on Anything: cards, ornaments, spoons and boxes

The Folk Colour Guide: the Petrykivka palette

Here's everything you get:

One last thing...

The Petrykivka Flower Library: 10 folk flowers to paint stroke by stroke

Students usually ask

Here's everything you get: