How to Paint Hydrangeas with A Filbert Brush

Hey, everyone!

I am highlighting some of my most used brushes, and today, I am going to show you how to paint Hydrangeas with a Filbert brush! The Filbert brush has a unique curved edge bristle perfect for these small petals. I will be working with a couple of different sizes in this tutorial and will show you some other quick tips and techniques along the way.

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Hydrangeas come in many different colors, but my favorites are those purpley-blue, periwinkle ones, so that is what I will be painting in this tutorial. You can choose any colors you’d like! Keep in mind that when painting Hydrangeas, you want to have some contrast. We will be building layers in this painting to get the full effect. Grab 3-4 shades of any color pair and try out a few blooms.

I will tell you this; don’t get discouraged. Painting is like anything in life. If you don’t get it right away, just take time to practice. Some things come to us easier, some things don’t, but the more you practice, the better you’re going to get.

In the video tutorial below, I also go over a few easy strokes for creating petals and leaves that you should try. Playing around with these brushstrokes in your mixed media pad will build your confidence and spark new ideas for creating your own painting.

Painting Easy Hydrangeas with Acrylic Paint

The thing I love about the Filbert is that it’s curved edge makes it so great for painting flowers.

Hydrangeas grow star-shaped blooms that tightly layer over each other to create large round clusters. It is a building process to paint them. This will look messy at first, but as you build layers, you will see just how easy it can be to paint hydrangeas.

Create A Dark Base

To get started, paint a darker base color in a loose circle the size of your hydrangea. I am using Ultra Deep Blue, but you could go darker if you wanted. Maybe you want pink blooms instead. You can start with hot pink or fuchsia.

Add The First Layer Of Petals To Cover The Base

Now we need to cover the whole edge of the dark base. You don’t want any of it showing.

Hydrangeas have a variation of colors inside each petal. I still have some of the deep blue on my brush and grab some Periwinkle, creating an organic blend.

Use the shape of the Filbert brush bristles as the tip of each petal. Press the flat of the brush onto the surface and pull a short stroke.

Cover the whole edge of the circular shape. These don’t have to be perfect starburst shaped blooms. They will have other layers on top of them. You just want to make sure you don’t see a harsh line.

Then, fill in the center with a similar technique. Make sure your brush is leaving the painting surface with each quick stroke. You don’t want to blend the petals away.

If you want to learn more about The Art Of Not Blending, check out my 4 Day Basics In Acrylics Video Series!

Build Layers

We have to create a few different layers to add dimension and create a lush flower. 

I grab some of the Brilliant Purple to layer in with similar brush strokes as above.

Don’t be afraid of your paint. That’s my number one rule. That little bottle is going to last you a while. Don’t be nervous about loading your brush up to make more defined petals.

Painting the Hydrangeas Blossoms

To paint those dainty blossoms, use the curved bristles of the Filbert brush as the outside edge of the petals. Gently press and pull short strokes to a center point. Hydrangea blooms only have 4-5 petals creating their classic star shape.

I don’t rinse my brush between colors. Just continue to add color because it will create those pretty brush strokes with a mixture of paint. Don’t be afraid to layer the blooms and play with your colors as you go.

Just remember to lift your brush off the surface to keep each petal individual. If your brush keeps contact, they will blend together.

You don’t want to make each blossom identical. Paint them a little bigger, smaller, thin, and fat. You want small variations. I like to paint some with the side of my Filbert brush to make them smaller, but still have that easy rounded petal shape.

Add Flower Centers

An easy way to make tiny dots with paint is to use the end of your brush handle! Add a white dot in the center of some of your blossoms.

This is just a quick tutorial showing you a few basic steps to painting my hydrangeas. This is similar to how I painted my Hydrangeas In A Mason Jar painting. You can find that full tutorial HERE.

Watch the Easy Hydrangea painting tutorial

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I hope you enjoyed this easy way to paint hydrangeas! I give credit to the Filbert brush for making this painting simple to create.

Stay Creative,