Paint A Hibiscus: Step-By-Step Guide For Beginners

Hibiscus flowers are tropical blooms with rich red petals and long stamens loaded with pollen. They are beautiful and distinctive, making them a great subject for artists to practice their watercolour or oil pastel painting techniques. There are many tutorials available online, with some step-by-step guides suggesting you start with the background, while others recommend beginning with the main subject – the flower. Whichever you choose, you'll need to paint the flower's distinctive parts, including its long stamen and red petals, before moving on to the leaves, which have distinctive zig-zag edges.

Start with the main subject

When you are satisfied with the sketch, start painting the flower with a white oil pastel first on the parts where you want to create highlights. This will help you secure those areas, and if you accidentally paint a different colour over them, you can scrape it off.

Now, paint the flower petals with the lightest red you have. You can then add a darker shade of red to the shadowy areas and the parts you want to be slightly darker. You can also add some white streaks using the white oil pastel to create highlights.

For a white hibiscus, you can either leave the paper as it is and paint the shadows, or you can paint the shadows first and then layer on the white petals. Use gouache, an opaque watercolour, for this purpose.

Paint the flower's petals

Painting the petals of a hibiscus flower is a fun and creative process. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you paint the flower petals of a hibiscus beautifully and effectively.

Firstly, decide on the colour of your hibiscus flower. Hibiscus flowers typically have red petals, but they can also be white or any other colour of your choice. If you are painting a red hibiscus, start with the lightest red paint you have and cover all the areas you want to be coloured. If you are painting a white hibiscus, you can either leave the paper as it is or paint a layer of white over the areas you want to be petals.

Next, you can add some depth to your petals. For a red hibiscus, add a darker shade of red to the shadowy areas and the parts you want to be slightly darker. For a white hibiscus, paint the shadows first and then layer on the white petals. You can use light grey paint to create the shadows, and a sponge can help to blur the transition between the yellow centre and the grey shadows.

If you want to add some extra highlights to your petals, you can use a white oil pastel or paint to add some streaks. This will also help to secure the petal areas, so if you accidentally paint a different colour on them, you can scrape it off.

Finally, you can add some finer details to your petals. For a red hibiscus, use a brush loaded with a darker red mix and run it along the outside edge of the petals, creating a wiggly line and allowing it to bleed out. For a white hibiscus, you can gently paint over the grey shadows with a light layer of white paint.

By following these steps and adding your own creative touches, you can paint the flower petals of a hibiscus effectively and capture the beauty of these tropical blooms.

Add shadows and highlights

When painting a hibiscus flower, creating shadows and highlights is an important step in making your artwork look three-dimensional and realistic. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you add shadows and highlights to your hibiscus flower painting:

Begin with Highlights

Before applying any colour, it is a good idea to secure the areas you want to keep as highlights. You can do this by using a white oil pastel or simply leaving those areas of the paper blank. This way, if you accidentally paint over these areas, you can scrape off the colour or easily make corrections.

Paint the Petals

Once you have your highlights secured, you can start painting the flower petals. Begin with the lightest shade of red (which may appear orange) and apply it to the areas of the petals that will be illuminated.

Add Darker Shades

Using a red shade that is a few tones darker than your initial colour, paint the shadowy areas of the petals. These areas will be where the light doesn't fall directly, such as the crevices and folds of the petals.

Enhance with Streaks

To further enhance the three-dimensional effect, add some white streaks to your petals using a white oil pastel or paint. These streaks will reflect light and give the illusion of highlights, adding depth to your painting.

Shadow the Centre

The centre of the hibiscus flower, where the stamen is located, will usually be in shadow. Use a light grey colour to paint this area, blurring the transition between the yellow stamen and the grey shadow with a sponge.

Draw the Outline

After your paint has dried, redraw the outline of your hibiscus flower. This will help sharpen the details and make your flower stand out.

Remember, the shadows and highlights on a hibiscus flower can be deceptive, so it is important to carefully observe the flower's structure and the direction of light. By following these steps and paying attention to the flower's unique characteristics, you can create a beautiful and realistic painting of a hibiscus flower with depth and dimension.

Paint the style and anther

Painting the style and anther of a hibiscus flower is a detailed process that requires precision and a steady hand. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you achieve this:

Painting the Style

The style is the long stalk in the middle of the hibiscus flower. To paint it, start by using a red oil pastel to cover the entire stalk. This will create a base for the highlights and additional details. If you don't have a red oil pastel, you can use a coloured pencil in a light peach or white colour to create the highlights.

Adding Highlights and Details

Once the base colour is applied, you can add highlights and details to the style. Using a light peach or white coloured pencil, carefully draw thin lines or streaks along the stalk to create the illusion of light reflection. This will give your painting a sense of depth and make the style stand out.

Painting the Anther

The anther is the part of the flower that contains the pollen. To paint it, use a small brush or tool to apply yellow dots on the style, representing the pollen-filled anther. You can use yellow paint, gel pens, Posca pens, or any other opaque yellow medium. This will add a vibrant pop of colour to your painting and is an important detail in capturing the beauty of the hibiscus flower.

Final Touches

After painting the anther, take a step back and observe your work. You can add additional highlights to the style using the coloured pencil if needed. It is important to let your painting dry completely before making any final adjustments. This will ensure that you can view your work with fresh eyes and make any necessary changes with a clear perspective.

Complete the background

Now that you've painted the hibiscus flower, it's time to complete the background.

If you're using watercolours, you can start by creating a light heart shape with your red paints, leaving some areas blank to create highlights and aiming for loose points in the middle and rough edges around the outside. Load up your brush with a darker red mix and run it along the outside edge, allowing it to bleed out and create a wiggly line. You can also add touches of red in places to give the flower a more dynamic appearance.

For acrylics on canvas, you can create a colourful background by painting horizontal strokes, blending yellow into orange and then continuing down the canvas with titanium white to create a lighter yellow.

If you're using oil pastels, you can add some blue to the background, but it's up to you whether you want to complete the leaves first. You can also use coloured pencils to add highlights to your pastel flowers.

Remember, you can always refer to online tutorials and videos for more detailed guidance on painting hibiscus flowers with different mediums.

Frequently asked questions