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.