How to Paint a Basket of Red Geraniums

How to paint a basket of red geraniums using craft acrylics.  Easy step by step lesson anyone can do.

How to paint a basket of red geraniums with craft acrylics one stroke at a time. This is a full on painting you can create on a canvas or signs, you can change out the flowers if you like.

(this is a blast from the past, one of the very first painting tutorials I recorded, so please bear with all the nuances that may be rough around the edges.)

This post focuses on the leaves and flowers but the video shows you how to paint the basket or you can go directly to the Paint a Basket in Acrylics tutorial.

I traced around some actual geranium leaves as a pattern.

Starting with a 3/4 inch flat brush double load with a dark green, a celery green and a touch of citron.
The full supply list is included at the end of this post.

Start on the chisel edge of your brush at the V opening of the leaf.

Start your stroke by pressing the brush and wiggling along the outer edge of the leaf, pivoting the brush as you do. (this is where seeing the video will help you a lot, video is posted at the end of this lesson)

You can flip the brush and go from the other side as well.

No need for perfection, if you don’t like it the first time around go over it again. As you can see below, mine is far from perfect but it all works.  Loosen up and embrace the little nuances that makes it unique.

For the flowers draw in the stems with thinned down paint and a liner brush, ignore the curly cues, I was goofing around.

Now, let’s paint the geranium flowers.
With a filbert brush and some burgundy colored paint dab in some buds in a dome shape.

Keep adding little flowers, some half flowers some full four of five petal flowers. Do not fill it all in, you want some of the background showing. Don’t forget the little buds draping down.

Dab on some brighter red in the center then add in some white to highlight. (you can also use an orange or yellow to highlight instead of white)

Dot in some flower centers and add a bit of green to the draping buds.

Put it all together to create a basket full of geraniums.  Mine is a little wonky but you get the picture.

Supply List:

Brushes
Donna Dewberry One Stroke set
Filbert brush
Paint: Either Plaid FolkArt or Decoart Americana
Thistle (dark green)
Celery (a lighter green)
Citron (a neon green)
Berry Wine (burgundy)
Alazarin (a red)
Wicker White or Titanium White
Burnt Umber
Burnt Sienna
Raw Sienna
Tan

https://youtu.be/JvFkb2BX3HU

Happy Painting!

Please enjoy and share!