May time
Take a walk in late Spring. Capture the cow parsley with masking fluid techniques to reveal the bright white of the paper.
Unify the painting with an under wash of colour wet on wet and add detailing on top.
You will need
Watercolours:
Transparent yellow
Ultramarine blue
Winsor blue (green shade)
Alizarin crimson
Burnt sienna
Brushes:
Size 8 10 and rigger
Watercolour paper:
A3 size 140lb NOT (a slight texture)
Masking fluid and applicator
Old toothbrush and paper clip
B pencil
Reference photograph
Stage 2
Step 3
Mix a mid shade of green (Transparent yellow and Ultramarine) and cut in above the cow parsley wet on dry using a number 8 brush. While damp add stronger and more varied green mixes.A touch of Burnt Sienna to a strong blue- green mix gives a rich shade.
Keep the paint moving and leave areas of the background showing through to suggests glints of sunlight on the foliage. Draw paint upwards to introduce branches.
Step 4
Introduce main trunk and branches using a mix of Ultramarine and Burnt Sienna. Leave gaps for the boughs of the trees.
When dry apply a yellow - green mix wet on dry on the underside of each bough. Add broader areas and stipple on colour. Soften hard edges with a damp brush and diffuse.
Step 5
Increase the strength of tone in the lower shaded areas of the boughs of the tree.
Step 6
Add fine branches using a rigger or fine brush. Rewet the area in the middle ground and add more strength of colour.
Step 7
Mix a blue green shade of Winsor blue (green shade) with Transparent yellow and another pool of this colour with Burnt sienna added.
Introduce patches of colour in the foreground wet on dry and diffuse. Whilst areas are still wet add more strength of colour.Using the second green mix add stems for the cow parsley.
Add shadow to the path using a dilute pool of mauve ( Alizarin crimson plus Ultramarine with a touch of yellow .)
When dry add a stronger mix.
