Northern Woods Watercolor

Start with these reference images:

Start at the top of the page with blue hues, adding water as you progress down the page. Indicate the horizon line with some burnt sienna and yellow ochre. Look at your value study and leave the light values by adding water in that area. Let dry.

Now add the evergreen tree, paying attention to the negative and positive shapes that you will be creating. Use yellow and blue hues: lighter values in the background, more intense as you come forward. Anchor the tree shapes with shadows. Shadows tell the viewer if the land is flat or rough. Soften edges in the background. Let dry.

Our last wash will consist of putting in the foreground trees. The trunks of the trees are thicker at the base. Then take the side of a credit card and scratch out the light side of the tree. Add branches and twigs. Darken your foreground value to lead the viewer's eye into the picture plane.

Itasca State Park Watercolor

Start with these reference images:

Our first wash is going to consist of putting in the local hues in the composition. Starting with the background, indicate the sky area and continue along the foreground foliage.
Continue down the page indicating the water areas and the land areas. Using ultramarine blue and burnt sienna, show the rock area. While the pigment is still wet, lay a piece of wax paper over the pigment and let dry. When you remove the wax paper you will have some interesting textures.

Now we will be using our middle range values - same colors as above, but more pigments and less water. Show some tree forms and shapes in the background area. Paint the evergreen tree in the foreground and add some grasses. Paint negatively on some of the rock forms, softening the edges as you go. Glaze over the water while leaving some areas of your first wash showing through. Let dry.

Our last wash will consist of our darker values (use sparingly). Indicate a couple of tree forms in the far background, and show a shadow side to the evergreen tree. Use a credit card to scratch out some grasses growing in the water and on land. Using a scrubber brush, bring back some of the light on the top of the rocks. Show a reflection in the water from the evergreen tree.

Willow Tree Watercolor

Start with these reference images:

Starting at the top of the page work your way down with the local hues. Indicate the water with the sky color. Keep your values light. Let dry.

Indicate the background trees with a darker value. Start to sculpt out the pine trees on the left and the willow tree on the right. Show a reflection in the water of the trunks and go over the water with a darker value, letting some of the original wash show through. Let dry.

Using your dark values now go in and accent your dark areas, referring to your value study. Show a shadow on the ground from your light source. Use a credit card to show some grassy areas in the foreground and on the pine trees. Darken your values in the water also - soften the edges.

Grand Marais Watercolor

Start with these reference images:

Start painting background to foreground on the composition. Using a blue hue indicate the top of the sky. Come down adding water to your brush and a slight amount of red or pink. Come down to the horizon line. Let dry.

Start to show the tree shapes using your value study to indicate your light values. Show the local hue of the foreground with different colors. While the pigment is still wet, apply saran wrap or wax paper. Let dry.

When you remove your wax or saran paper you will see some nice textures that the papers created. Using your middle values now, indicate your shapes from your value study with mid-values hues - similar colors, but darker values. Let dry.

Show a horizon line with a darker value than the sky. Carry down that color trying not to cover up all of your first wash. Using your dark values bring out those dark shapes with a variety of colors. Using a rigger brush show some dead branches and some brush.

Roses Watercolor

Start with these reference images:

For this painting we will be doing a wet into wet technique. Wet the entire paper with clean water. If you are working on a board you will have to staple, tape, or bulldog clip your piece of paper to the board.

Start to drop on local color in the areas where your roses will be placed - let your colors mingle and mix on their own. Use a variety of shapes and sizes. Show a placement of where the vase will be placed. While the pigment is still wet use a piece of a credit card and start to carve out shapes, using your value study as a reference. Let dry.

Using middle values start to build up the roses and leaves, indicating their shapes by their values. Show stems in the glass vase, soften the edges while the pigments are still wet. Let dry.

The last wash will be using our darkest values. One of the roses should be larger than the other to be the center of interest. Place your darkest dark next to your lightest value to make that flower stand out. Add some interest by adding detail to the leaves.

Winter Stream Watercolor

Start with these reference images:

Begin painting the background sky area with a light value. Continue into the foliage area, watching your negative shapes (the sky) as well as your positive shapes (the trees). Make interesting shapes. Show where the bridge will go by leaving white for the snow on top of the railings. While the pigment is still wet use a credit card and scratch out some trees in the background. Indicate the area of the stream using a similar palette as the background. Start to show snow drifts.

We will now be using our middle values, similar colors but darker values. Show a shadow side of the left snow area in the foreground. Develop the bridge area. Break up the background by adding some darker shapes.

Using our darkest values on the value scale, go over the water area with darks, doing some line work on top to show some movement in the water. Put some dark trees in the background. Using a rigger brush show some branches on the trees. Soften edges where the water meets the snow.