Tip of the month – May 2005


This month’s tip is a demonstration of a landscape in later summer. The forest surrounding the pond is heavy with the late season foliage.

The technical challenge is to show dense foliage without painting thousands of individual leaves. I mask a few birch tree trunks and spatter droplets Of maskoid for effects of light sparkle.

The first application of color is applied on an evenly wet surface. Winsor Yellow, Permanent Rose, and Winsor Blue are painted wet-in-wet in a circular movement. I am establishing my area of light. This first Wash helps to place an area of focus. It also Serves as a reminder to hold on to the light.

Determining that the light is in the right place, I continue adding more of the same three Colors. Some are mixes. The application is wet-in-wet. The area of light becomes more pronounced.

Alizarin Crimson and Sap Green are added to the limited palette. I am still working wet into wet. At this point, I am still not concerned with details. The maskoid helps me to focus on the subject.

Often in the middle of the painting process, I submerge the dry watercolor into a few inches of cool water and give it a gentle massage with a natural sponge. Color that has become too heavy, lifts and I now can continue wet into wet. This time, I decide to dry the watercolor and add more maskoid to the foliage area to increase the texture. Some of the maskoid is applied with a natural sponge

After adding deeper color, the maskoid foliage becomes visible. It is time to remove the maskoid that was applied at the beginning.

I continue to strengthen the color. The whites are very strong. I remove the remainder of the maskoid. There are areas that are too bright and too detailed. They will need to be adjusted with additional transparent washes of color.

THE GOLDEN HOUR has come into being.

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