Mountain Stream - Part 2 - Rocks!

Rocks!

I love to paint rocks!  Rocks are a nice mix of several different colors ranging from deep brown to gray and even green and orange!  Rocks reflect and absorb light and color from the surrounding water and landscape. 

Rocks can be scratched in by dropping color/colors into the rock area and using a piece of credit card to scrape the color into the desired shape.  Scraping with a credit card leaves areas of white paper showing through and mixes the different colors in a very pleasing way on the paper. 

Rocks can also be painted in.  To paint in the rock, completely wet the rock shape with clean water and a clean round brush.  While still wet, drop in several different colors which will blend as the water pushes the pigment around and dries.  It will dry in an uneven color pattern and made excellent rocks!

I like to use both methods to create rocks in the same painting.  This adds interest and makes the total group of rocks much more interesting and realistic. 

Watercolor Tip:

Wait for the rock to dry before painting the one next to it.  Like painting the petals of a flower, they must be done separately or the colors will mix and you will not have distinctive, individual rocks.  I like to alternate every other one when painting rocks and work across the page.  When I get across the page, I start again on the same side of the page where I started painting the ones I skipped.  I am left handed and work from right to left so I don't drag my arm across the wet paint.  Right handed artists will want to work from left to right across the page. 

Next blog……how to paint water!

Happy Painting!
Karen