How to Paint Hydrangea: Beginner Watercolor Pencils Tutorial

How to Paint Hydrangea: An Experiment With Watercolor Pencils. This is a Pre-Beginner Level Watercolor Painting Tutorial with next-to-professional results.

 

My very first experiments with watercolor painting were with watercolor pencils. They seemed a safer alternative than pot of paint with the potential to drip and slide all over the paper.

Well, as time passed, I realized the pencils limit you as far as color variations go, but they are indeed a safe learning experience. You have more control with where the color goes. So if you’re a little afraid of the blooming effect of regular watercolor paints, try pencils to get the feel of watercolor painting.

We guarantee you won’t stay with pencils, but it is a great place to start. And economical.

 

 

How to Paint Hydrangea With Watercolor Pencils

We are going to paint hydrangea on 3.5″ squares of watercolor paper. These squares can be used on greeting cards, for journaling, altering a composition book cover, or as a little card tied to a gift bag.

 

What You Need:

• Watercolor pencils*
• Round artist paint brush*
• Watercolor paper* 
• Gray graphite tracing paper*
• Jar of water, paper towel blotter, dull pencil for tracing

 

(Items with * are affiliate links.)

 

Instructions:

1. Mark the watercolor paper into 3.5″ squares. Tear the edges. One way to tear (deckle) watercolor paper is to make a gentle line with a ruler and straight knife, fold on the line, and then tear. Another way is to score the tear line, then use this ruler* to tear the edge. Sometimes I sand this torn edge lightly to get a more natural look.
2. If this is your first time painting, you may want to use our printable outline. Fill in this form and ask for “Watercolor Pencil Hydrangea Pattern.”
3. Transfer the pattern to the squares with gray graphite paper and a dull pencil. Don’t make the lines too dark, because they can show through a thin layer of paint. If you haven’t used graphite paper, here’s some instructions.
4. Trace over the transferred lines with watercolor pencil.
5. Dip your round watercolor brush in water, dab extra water off on the paper towel blotter, and – breathe – wet the paper over the watercolor pencil design. Stay within the outer edges of your pattern with the watered brush.
6. Use your pretty hydrangea paintings on greeting cards, for your smash book or journal, or as a tiny card tied on a gift bag.

 

 

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