Loose Watercolor Secrets: Paint a Hydrangea in a Loose, Intuitive style with Angela Fehr 

I learned that what you don't paint is more important than what you do (the light area in the center) Thank you for this

What struck me is that you can do a loose painting using a structured approach. Great!

I need to remember to allow myself and the painting time to speak and be heard!

The restraint you paint with is incredible. One of my favorite lessons I’ve watched of yours. 🩷

First, of a couple of things I learned that will definitely help me: how to soften the “border” between hard and soft edges! Ugh, do I ever struggle with that! Another thing I appreciate is that you show your palette, as you work, this reminds me to not be fearful of using lots of rich, juicy color! Thirdly, I always enjoy your Verbal suggestions, instructions, wisdom! So inspiring! Thanks Angela!

Hi, Angela! You are wonderful. I loved watching you use that triangular brush.

A year since my comment and yet I continue to learn from your work, this hydrangea specifically. I have HUGE issues in layering, building, light to dark, patience really. Watching this--again was a real eye-opener. You're truly an astounding watercolorist, Angela. I never know what your painting subject is until the end when it all pulls together. Watching you create has forever been one of my marvels. I look forward to the day when I "let go" and discover what my style truly is. I suspect loose, absolutely! Frances (Fanna) Turano Denver, CO

Yes ... the most important idea for me was: "take your time". I want to learn to listen to my painting and take a rest from it until I know what's next. Angela, you are an amazing teacher and so inspirational. You make me realize that my best work is done when I am not rushing. Thank you for all the wonderfulness you put into the world. xo

using negative space to define shapes. I'm a newcomer to watercolour, so exciting

I have a confession to make. I didn't think I would get much from this video because I tend to work quite tight. I was very mistaken. I learned a great deal that I hope will help me loosen up my floral paintings a bit. I struggle with backgrounds, but I have seen how you use the background as swathes of gentle colour with small areas of negative space helping to define shapes. The result you achieved was beautiful. I suppose the ultimate thing I learned was not to be self-limiting. Thinking, "I work tight" or "I work loose" especially when we are at that delicate time when we are no longer complete beginners but have moved into the stage of attempting to discover our personal style. Thank you for all the help this video has given me.

how important working large to small can be - lovely example of using just enough detail without overworking.

I love that you started so soft and then put down bits of color and water and let them make the petals. I noticed you went around the painting and added bits of color and detail and then added a negative bit here and there. Then back to soft Detail and in the end it did look loose and flowing and it seems so easy and effortless when you do it. I am excited to try It. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

this is BEAUTIFUL thank you for sharing , if I could come close to this , I'de be in heaven

Most valuable lesson of this tutorial was that loose florals seem like quick paintings, but actually take time, pausing and really looking before seeing where it is logical to put the next stroke on the paper. Thank you so much!

Incredible demo, Angela. I held my breath as you courageously veered into the very center. SO brave! Thank you for sharing one of my most favorite flowers. You are great with negative painting. I've learned much over the last 12 months. Thank you.

I loved your intuitive approach and your insight about when to stop.

Hi Angela I've been following your lessons for years.Going back when your kids could be heard playing in the background lol. Loved this lesson the way you left the lights in the centre and how your petals just popped by using darker colour heat job

I really do struggle with knowing when to quit, knowing how I have overworked a painting. But today I have learned some hints as to when I should look to see if I am overworking it by stepping back as you shared. Also to stop just before I think I should. I love how you have used negative painting and I have started using that and I'm enjoying the process of learning how to do it more loose and free. Even after all of the years since you've done this video you continue to teach thank you so much.

I learned to leave the center of this group of blossoms loose, or untouched, until I’m sure of what I’m seeing. And, less is more-an on-going struggle! (I tend to gravitate towards detail, always.)

I immediately saw floral petals come to life when you applied the negative painting around your edges. Beautiful!

What I learned is to let the painting lead you. I could see some petals develop before you defined them. For the first time I could visualize the painting before any detail was added. Very enlightening. Thank you Angela. I would love to see you develop this painting further in a week or two. Excellent lesson!

I love the way the lighter colours first then the darker colours on top , especially the greens give what would be in photography the "orton effect" , a sort of soft out of focus appearance

I really appreciate you saying not to rush. To take breaks. I don't have time to paint much so when I do, I feel like I need to paint for hours! Your insights will help me next time. Thanks!

Thank you. I learned to see the petal edges from the organic way the paint develops them vs me trying to create them myself.

Love the loose calm way you demonstrated. Going from light to dark and letting the paint tell you where the petals and shapes are. I look forward to trying a loose floral. Thanks for the inspiration Angela

you gave a few fine practical example of how to build up the major shapes and then go in and sculpture the subject by achieving edge variation, I specially liked the sequence when you painted a green hard edge to create a pink petal, and than went back there with more of the pink color, added it to the dry pink petal and gave the paint direction to bleed into the green wet color and gain a soft and beautiful transition there. It is something I needed to see, as I was wondering how it was done, Tackling edges is something I am struggling with . This demo gave me a few light bulb moments, it show me a ways to go further in a specific painting where I got kind of stuck, thank you Angela for yet another beautiful and highly helpful film.

Planning even though it’s loose! Beautiful!

I believe this method of large to small is quintessential artistry. Bringing out the artist’s eye. Thank you😘

I liked how you showed how you can squint to see the light and darks. I’d heard that said before but you actually blurring as a visual, made me squint and it really does help see the darks and lights. I think this will help me a lot in my paintings. Thank you so much for sharing all this. You are amazing!

I also love your summary at the end

I am a perfectionist, so the loose style can prove to be a challenge. Your comments about staying relaxed and taking breaks was well needed for this gal. Love your style, looking forward to seeing more.

Amazing how you create beauty from a blank page. I’m finally seeing what you’re seeing.

I watched this again & picked up what I missed before. It was valuable to recognize that if you are getting tense or anxious, that’s a sign for a break. It was also helpful to know not to rush, you don’t do everything before the paper dries.

It is very helpful to learn about shadows & their importance in giving depth & definition. Thank you very much.

Wow!!! If you do more to this piece at a later date, it would be great if you showed us a glimpse of it too.

There were a couple of things you said that hit me. The first was how you let the painting talk to you. I guess that falls in the don't rush category. The other thing you said was that we must be able to adapt when things turn in an unexpected direction. Thats good advise for life too!

I enjoyed watching how you manipulated the brush to make the different subtle petal shapes..the first dark green you applied really made that petal come to life! Learning so much from these Friday night paint classes....thanks.

I always appreciate seeing how to use unique brushes and what they can do .

As this is my first time to see water colour being painted, thank you for explaining what you are doing for me to attempt just one flower for now.

Angela, the biggest thing I took from this lesson was less is more in the beginning! Stop! And look! Don't rush in and keep the first wash light. I've heard this before but so glad you reminded me a, and the tip about printing your picture in black and white, that's something I intend to do. It helps to see the contrast. Thanks, Angela. A great lesson! Joanne

I love the way you picked out the detail with negative painting

Enjoyed the video very much. Wasn’t able to paint along. Not feeling well this evening. I listening to the blank paper video and that’s the way I’ve always felt about sketching. I want to paint or get started. I definitely need to spend time figuring out the painting. Loose painting I think is my style. Just need to learn how. Thanks so much.

It's very beautiful Angela. Great tips. I appreciate your methods making it possible for everyone to paint. Thank you.

This painting is beautiful the way it is

How lovely to find a bright, summery subject in my watercolour tutorial feed, in amongst all the autumn & snow exercises! It’s summer here in Australia, and I find I have to search hard (or go backwards) to get YT tuition that fits what’s happening here in landscapes and botanicals. Thanks for choosing a little something for us Down Under! Xx

Really enjoyed this lesson on hydrangeas. I've always avoided painting them as they looked so complicated. Now I plan on having a go later on today. Thank you Angela. I really look forward to the Friday emails and lessons. You asked if there was anything we'd like you to paint. Well personally I would like to do some vegetables but have failed miserably so far so some advice would be great. The other thing I'd like to paint but have had little success thus far is garden birds. Don't know if anyone else would like these two subjects covered?

Taking time to build color and shape. This is the biggest lesson I need to learn. Your video shows that patience pays off. Thank you.

Loved it!! I especially liked how you brought out the shapes with negative painting!,

It was helpful how you demonstrated the use of values in this painting. Thanks.

So beautiful! Thank you, Angela!

I enjoy watching your loose painting. Being very new to watercolor, I’m finding “loose” to be difficult. Your paintings are so beautiful and I can see the picture even though it is just suggested. As I try to use this technique, I end up adding more and more detail until the suggestion is gone and the picture is detailed. Your tutorial is very encouraging and I will continue to practice and try to relax more. Thanks for the tips!

I loved this. I learned to work from the outside in on a loose floral planting. I’ve done the other way round and this dictates the outer petals. Thank you Angela. You’re an inspiration.

I think the negative painting and subtle lines to pull out flowers is something major I am learning

So valuable to watch you do the negative painting and to do the various layers. Loved this painting!

I appreciated the insight into how to pick up on when it's time to take a break. I also enjoyed watching you use. That brush.

I learned to take me time, look for shapes, & limit palette. Thank you.

Thank you, Angela! This video gave me some good instructions. I like very much your loose way of painting.

Thanks for great information. I painted a way too tight hydrangea. Now it will be fun to do a loose one and compare.

Altogether an awesome lesson! The subtlety of the whole is just beautiful!!!

Gorgeous. Totally gorgeous.

Loved this! Really concentrating on relationship of large and small and moving the eye through the painting.

I really liked the way you demonstrated the negative space and keep it soft.

Lighten up, loosen up, give myself time to ponder..I really like your Hydrangea

I love watching you. I have so much to learn!

I always need more coaching on follow-up use of water for softening and blending out!

Amazing, how you bring the beautiful flowers come alive, love it!

Your advice on finding the petal in the color/ finding the shape and putting down a brush stroke to accent that shape is probably the best advice I have gotten over the weeks that I have been watching videos to try to learn watercolors. Thanks so much!

I like how the flowers grew out of larger shape. I'm not a fan of Hydrangeas but I like these. I will try something like this very soon. Thank you

Angela I love how in your guidance to painting you express your Thought process! So helpful especially for a loose paining… Loved this tutorial…

Gorgeous. Love the way you painted this Hydrangea.

This is lovely!! Excellent instruction as well!! Thank you Angela:)

I love that. I liked the delicate colours and the way the flowers just seem to appear . I am still finding value difficult so this really helps. Thank you.

Thank you Angela! I've been looking for this lesson. Starting from light to dark. Staying loose.

I love your loose style! I can’t wait to try it! You showed us to take your time and look at the painting before you put your paint down.

Nice work on the softness of your petals without making sharp edges and still defining your flowers 💐. When I paint a loose floral, I hope to achieve such beautiful effect. Thank you Angela.

I think that you are a great teacher. The tips are good and I like doing just the edges to make flowers pop out. Have worked in oils and pen & ink so this world of watercolors is new to me. Keep it up!

I love your loose style!

Appreciated the detail, explanations, speed and descriptions of what works.

Great use of large shape and negative painting to see the flower early!

I love the way you use the triangular brush. I've seen it used before, but nothing like you did So easy to make those flower shapes and suggested shapes. Thanks for all your informative videos!

The colours were beautiful. I liked the way you did the petal shapes. Very subtle but the opposing curves and the dot in the centre tells the viewer what type of flower it is.

I loved watching how you found the petal shapes. I want to practice that. The colors are nice and I liked seeing how they were friends.

Thank you! Great tutorial!

Amazing demo. Watching you show how to do a wet on wet, without getting mud, has given me more confidence and has got me trying more ideas. Love what you do.

I loved the negative painting and how you let the painting lead you instead of letting the photo do it. Thanks. I would also like to see other subjects painted in this way. Florals aren’t my favorite since so many people do them. But I really liked how you did this demo. Thank you again. I actually want to try this myself and use the side of my brush more!

I'm so glad to see you using Bright Rose more, it's such a beautiful pink. Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers but I'm scared to paint them, maybe now I'll be more courageous ;)

Interesting, Angela. I dreamt about hydrangeas this week, in a slightly different color palette, but thought I might try to paint what I dreamed, and then you do this video! Now, I will have to try it! This was fun. Thanks. I think I will try to make a loose painting. The colors in my dream were more deep blues, red violets and light pinks. We shall see! Thanks for the inspiration!

Really beautiful.....thank you for this lesson Angela!!!! :-)

ahhhh....lovely....

I learned how slowly and lightly you may need to progress. I loved how the petals developed themselves. Makes sense to go from the outside, in. Can’t wait to see the final result. Will be viewing your other videos. Thank you.

Angela love your paintings thank you

Hydrangeas are my favorite flower. Thanks for sharing this video!

I also liked the way you gave points in creating a good painting. Outstanding video!

Thank you!!! I love the softness

What great instructor you are, so glad I found you!

Finally ! An actual advanced, step by step, wet on wet tutorial. I learned the importance of applications in blending in order to build the composition using this technique. My subjects are different but the principle of this style of application will be invaluable. Thank you very much for sharing this skill set with us.

Love to see more watercolor florals. Watched this many times. Reminds me of Jean Haines and I have all her books and the latest one is on its way to me right now. Thank you for sharing. OOXXOO Linda

Most helpful for me was finding in one video suggested fixes for all of things I really struggle with! Starting too dark, not softening edges, painting too tight so that it looks like paint by number, using too many colors, and not STOPPING before I wreck the whole thing. Thank you so much!

I enjoy watching your techniques it's fun too thank you.

Angela I have only just begun to follow you and I am loving your style of teaching and enthusiasm to boost us beginners to believe we can do this. I am amazed at how your brushstrokes result in the delicate hint of petals and leaves I see them so clearly when I step back ...I cannot wait to try this will probably watch this at least another couple of times before I dare. Thank you so much