Fall Glow!

Fall Glow

Watercolor 11" x 15" Mats to 16" x 20"

My watercolor above, Fall Glow, is another in a series of paintings using the auturmn palette I discussed in earlier blogs.  This painting was done from a photo taken in the North Carolina side of the Great Smoky Mountains. 

In order to paint the foliage with consistency across the tree area, I masked off the large trees trunks before painting.  However, I did not mask the split rail fence in the foreground. 

I also painted the sky from the top to the ground level in a pale wash of Phathalo Blue adding clean water as I drew the color down to the horizon.  This allowed a little bit of blue sky to show through some of the tree foliage and the color became also white as it reached the horizon.

I placed a wash of color in for my background trees first and then used a deerfoot stipler to dab in foliage using several shades of yellow, orange, red, and even some green.  Once the background foliage was dry, I removed the masking and painted the tree trunks.

Watercolor tip:

Some of the tree trunks and branches were painted using a "secret" technique.  Some of the smaller trunks and branches were painted by applying paint to the edge of a piece of mat board and pressing into the dry foliage.  This allows for a quick application of paint and a consistent fine line. 

Happy Painting and Happy Halloween!

Karen

How to Paint Rust!

How to Paint a Rusty Hinge Using Sand Texturization

One of my favorite things in watercolor painting is using different "things" to create texture.  In this instance, sand is used to give the appearance of rust.  This is the technique I used in my painting above.  Below are the steps involved:

• Sketch the hinge.

• Begin with a flat wash applied to a damp surface and let it dry thoroughly. This needs to be the base color of the iron. I use a mixture of indigo (sepia and ultramarine mixed together) and burnt sienna.

• Over the dry base color, stroke on a varied wash of yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and touches of indigo.

• Sprinkle sand over the wet wash.

• DRY COMPLETELY.

• Remove the sand by brushing off with either your hand or an old toothbrush.

• Add details using a wet on dry technique. A wet on wet technique will “dissolve” your texturization.

• Spattering can be used to add texture as well as scraping paint off with the craft knife.

Watercolor tip:
Do not try to peek at your painting under the sand UNTIL the paint drys! 

Happy Painting!
Karen








Brush Stokes - Answer to Reader Questions

I have had inquiries from several readers about how to get started in watercolor painting; but was unable to respond personally because they failed to provide an email address.   

Early blog entries will provide some tips on setting up a palette, supplies needed, paper to use, etc. as well as providing  instructions on specific pictures.  

Also, you can find instructions on a new site I have recently joined, VideoJug pages.  Here is the link to that site:  http://pages.videojug.com/users/BrushStrokesbyKC

Please feel free to email questions and provide me with an email address if you would like a personal response.

Happy Painting!
Karen

Pumpkins for Sale

Pumpkins for Sale
Watercolor 11" x 15" Mats to 16" x 20"

Seasonal Palette - Part III
My watercolor above, Pumpkins for Sale, is another example of the autumn seasonal palette.  A limited palette was used with these colors being mixed together to create the various shades in the pumpkins.
 
The colors used to paint the above painting were:

• Cadmium Red
• Cadmium Yellow
• Sepia
• Payne’s Grey
• Burnt Sienna
• Sap Green
• Phthalo Blue

Steps involved in painting a pumpkins:

1. Apply clean water to the pumpkin working around the stem.
2. Apply a wash to yellow first to the entire pumpkin surface.
3. Drop in shades of orange (mixed from the red and yellow), burnt sienna, sap green, and sepia.
4. Add the deeper colors where one pumpkins touches another.
5. Add drops of sepia, gray, sap green, etc. to indicate dirt and other imperfections in the pumpkin surface.
6. This is my favorite part of painting the pumpkins - letting the colors blend together.
7. Be certain to leave some of the underlying yellow showing for highlights.  And spot of unpainted painted can be left as well to indicate reflected light.

Watercolor Tip
Each pumpkin must be painted separately and must be dry before the adjacent pumpkins can be painted.  If not, the colors will run together and the pumpkins will look like one big blog! 

Don't rush this painting by not following the "watercolor tip" or you will be disappointed.

Happy Painting!
Karen

Sleepy Hollow: Seasonal Palette - Part II

Sleepy Hollow

Watercolor 9" x 12" Mats to 14" x 16"

Seasonal Palette - Part II

Last week I discussed the autumn seasonal palette and displayed a painting that used "traditional" colors associated with autumn.  I used the same seasonal palette to paint my watercolor above, Sleepy Hollow.  Titled so--- because I think one could see a headless horseman ride by any moment!  :) 

See my watercolor tip from last week:

Watercolor Tip:

Color sets the mood for the painting! This is true no matter what season or subject matter. Remember this when selecting the colors used in your painting.

Color definitely set the dark and somber mood for this painting.  However, I still used colors from my seasonal palette: 

• Sepia
• Paynes' Gray
• Cadmium Yellow
• Cadmium Red
• Burnt Sienna
• Sap Green
• Phthalo Blue

I created the sky first in this painting.....using very little blue and mostly gray with a drop of yellow and burnt sienna.  I wanted the sky to look dark and foreboding, not clear, bright and cheery as the one last week. 

After the sky dried, I put in the distant hills and the large, dark mass of trees/hedges.  The trees were painted using mostly gray and sepia.  I misted the trees with a light spray of water to help the trees blend into the sky.

The grasses were laid in next using clean water first and then dropping in a weak wash of gray also dropping in a weak wash of yellow and orange.  The orange was mixed from my red and yellow.  After this wash dries, dry brush in some grasses with a foliage brush.

The pumpkins were painted last.  

Watercolor tip:
Leave the pumpkins mostly white dropping in only light washes of yellow and orange.  This will make the pumpkins look as though they are washed in moonlight!

Happy Fall and Happy Painting!
Karen








Autumn - The Seasonal Palette

Harvest
5" x 7", Mats to 10" x 12"

AUTUMN - The Seasonal Palette
Depending on the weather and climate, autumnal trees can be either brilliantly colored or neutral and understated. Brilliant fall colors can be spectacular when with paired with a bright blue sky.


Autumn Palette Colors:
• Cadmium Red
• Alizarin Crimson
• Cadmium Yellow
• Sepia
• Payne’s Grey
• Burnt Sienna
• Sap Green
• Phthalo Blue


Basic Leaf Color is made from the following colors:
• Cadmium Red
• Cadmium Yellow
• Sepia

Redder Leaves are mixed from:
• Cadmium Red
• Cadmium Yellow
• Burnt Sienna


Distant Trees are mixed from:
• Cadmium Yellow
• Burnt Sienna


Deep Colored Leaves and Shadows are mixed from:
• Alizarin Crimson
• Phthalo Blue


Dark Green Tones are mixed from:
• Sap Green
• Payne’s Grey
• Sepia


Muted Green Tones are mixed from:
• Sap Green
• Sepia


Painting Trees:
The foliage on any tree is usually multi-colored, visible as tiny flecks of color and tone that represent the leaves. The palest flecks are the highlights – reflections caused by the bright light on the leaves, darker flecks are the shadows on the underside of the foliage. A helpful technique for capturing the effect of broken color in foliage is a manner of applying color. Instead of mixing red and yellow to create orange, try dabbing separate dots of color red and yellow onto the picture. The two colors merge in the eye of the viewer to create a vibrant orange. Dabbing on color also creates an impression of movement.

Word of caution: leave some spaces white to keep the painting from looking messy.


Using the colors in the autumn palette, brilliant or quiet autumn scenes can be created. Depending on the amount of colors mixed, the colors can tend to be bright vivid colors or shades of brown or gray.

Painting the Autumn Sky:
A bright wash of Phthalo Blue will make a nice contrast with brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows to indicate a clear, bright and sunny autumn day. However, a diluted wash of Phthalo Blue with a little Burnt Sienna will subdue the color and blend well with clouds and leaves of shades of brown and gray.


Watercolor Tip:
Color sets the mood for the painting! This is true no matter what season or subject matter. Remember this when selecting the colors used in your painting.


Happy Painting!
Karen Cooke