I felt it needed more depth so I mixed ultramarine and brown ochre to make a grey-blue and laid a broken wash behind the leaves on a diagonal line as I wanted to keep some feeling of open space in part of it. I dropped some purple into the foreground to bring it forward. The masking was removed, then I painted the fruits. I gave the apples some red tones as they looked isolated. I sprayed some areas lightly with water so some colour bled into the surroundings. The final job is to put in fine details like the stems and the ends of the berries. I also added some darker details to some leaves. I could probably have continued with details - but this is a sketch and I didn`t want it to lose its freshness. Now why don`t you have a go at your own version?
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I picked these on my usual dog walk in order to paint. The first job is to decide how to arrange them. I chose to leave out the jug, and some of the berries. I wanted it to appear as if it were outside, where I had first seen them. I sketched a few different ways and decided on a close view. STEP ONE: Lightly pencil in where things are - no details, no shading. All you need is to know where things are. I have used masking fluid on the Elderberries as they will get lost otherwise. You don`t need to do this - it`s a personal choice. STEP TWO: Mix up a very pale clean wash. I have used yellow ochre on the lower half and cerulean on the top half and blended them in. I have used a big brush and washed across the whole painting, apart from the apples, which I want to be very pale. I have laid a piece of white paper on the painting to show the difference. This helps give the painting some depth and suggests there is something `behind` the plants. STEP THREE: With watercolour, you paint the lightest colours first. I began with a lemony yellow on the apples, leaving a white highlight to help give the 3D effect. I let the yellow pool in the side furthest from the highlight to accentuate this. Then I used a pale warmer yellow on the leaves (see the right side of the first photo) and also suggested some leaves behind with dabs of yellow.
STEP FOUR: I usually mix my own greens. I began with a yellowy mix of Gamboge Yellow and Cobalt Blue to paint the big leaves on the apple branches. I then added some more blue and dropped it in to give a suggestion of veins and shadows on these leaves. (See centre photo). Then more water and blue to give shadowy `leaves` in the distance. STEP FIVE. The leaves on the rose hips and the Hawthorn were different greens so I mixed one from gamboge and ultramarine, and another from viridian and burnt sienna for those, and painted them in the same method, dropping some suggestions of leaves behind. The next job is to leave to dry - I`ll complete this next week. Please feel free to try this in your own style. I would love to see the results! I`ve just read a heated discussion on a Watercolour site where I learned that many people are unaware of the basic properties / issues with watercolours. In my classes I alway begin by talking about the materials so if you are interested, here`s what I use and recommend. PAINTS: I began with cheap watercolour and was frustrated at the muddy sludge I created. A tutor told me to buy some proper paint - she recommended Winsor and Newton Cotman - and the difference was amazing. I now ask my students to get a small box of these. They can be refilled from tubes (the cheapest way) or you can buy new `half-pans` (the little paint tablets) at art shops. However - the first thing is to throw away the white! I have no idea why they give you white. It`s semi-transparent for starters so the most it will do is make the paint a bit chalky. I ask them to buy a Violet or Purple instead. BRUSHES: You need 3 to start with - thick, thin and medium. I use synthetic because I don`t like fur farming. They should come to a point and hold their shape when wet. PAPER: Watercolour paper comes in 3 surface types: Smooth, which is called HP (Hot Pressed), Medium, called NOT or CP (just to confuse you), and Rough - happily known as Rough. Start with the Medium one. Some watercolour paper disintegrates when wet. It`s not you - it`s the greedy manufacturers! If the surface starts to `pill` and lumps come off, it`s rubbish paper. Try different sorts and find ones that suit you. I use blocks (glued on 4 sides) as they don`t need stretching to stop them buckling when wet. So now you`re ready to start. Get single colours mixed in a palette or plate. Wet the paper to make the paint flow and play. Drop colours into wet areas and dry ones. Drop one colour into another on the paper. See how they flow. You will get happy bits and `meh` bits. The white daisies were made by painting the areas around them then adding a touch of shadow when dry. See how one stands out because of the contrast around it? Just learn to use the brush and have fun. |
AuthorI`m Claire; an old-style community artist who believes that everyone`s got a tale to tell and a picture to paint. Archives
July 2018
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