Hi it's Anna Mason and in this video you can check out the way in which I worked in
layers of watercolour to build up the flowers to this gorgeous Hydrangea.
This painting took a long time so here I'm showing you how I painted just a couple of
the flowers, but the same method applied to all of them.
I began with an accurate drawing based on a photo I'd taken where I outlined the edges
of the petals, the more prominent veins on the petals plus the detailed centres to the flowers.
Then I began painting by creating a very watery purple colour that was a match to the lightest
colour I could see in the petal.
I applied it with my larger brush (yes, this is the largest one I use for a painting this
size!), I painted right the way across the petals but not into the flower centres as
they are much more blue.
So for those I used a smaller brush and a pale watery blue colour, applying everywhere
except the lightest white anthers which I left without any paint at all.
With the petals now dry, I did what I always do next and that is to go in with the very
darkest colours - using a thick mix of my darkest grey blue and purple.
I used my small brush so I had plenty of control and I applied this mix into the darkest areas,
watering down a touch where the colour was a fraction lighter and then creating a brighter
blue-purple mix to apply to the next darkest areas.
As these dark areas were mostly in shadow, applying them meant I was also defining the
edge of the petals which is why I wanted to use the small brush and a steady hand to get
a crisp edge.
I then used my tiny brush and some thick pink-purple paint to add some of the darker details
around the flower centres.
Having worked on the darker tones, I had the light and dark ends of the flower's tonal
range in place which made it easier to now work on the midtones.
I began with the lighter midtones and used a watery pink-purple mix to apply another
layer to the petals - this time using a stippling technique to leave little gaps through to
the paler colour underneath and help create the visual texture in the petals.
Then I used a slightly thicker more blue-purple mix to work into the darker midtone areas
- again this had the effect of defining the edges of lots of the petals so I needed to
use a steady hand to create a crisp line as I worked around them.
Next I used a more muted mix with grey in it to work on the mid midtones in the petals,
again stippling with my brush to create the kind of mottled texture there.
Before I darkened up the petals any more it was time to add the darker details to the
centre with some thicker dark blue paint and my tiny brush, again working around and leaving
gaps for the lightest colours there.
Once those darker details were painted in it was easier to tell where else in the petals
needed to be darker and I began a round of tonal adjustments, beginning by applying another
layer to the darkest tone areas, then adding another layer to some of the lighter tones.
Before finishing up by working on the midtones some more.
This is the same process I went through to paint all the flowers in this gorgeous Hydrangea
bloom, varying the colours a little in each to match what I could see in my reference photo.
A video class teaching you how to paint this Hydrangea, including what colours
and brush techniques to use is available now in my online School.
If you've enjoyed this video, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and share it with your friends
If you'd like to take one of my full length video classes FOR FREE, hop over to AnnaMasonArt.com
where you'll find even more resources to help you pick up your brush and paint the way you've
always wanted to.
Remember, you won't improve your painting unless you MAKE the time to paint.
So be sure to schedule in some me-time this week and paint something YOU love.
Thanks so much for watching and I'll see you soon with more tips for creating watercolours
with 'wow'.