Hi Everyone,
I have been teaching landscape painting at Tresillian Arts Centre, Nedlands, W.A. Unfortunately the term has been cut short because of the Covid-19 Virus. These painting demonstrations are for the people in my class but if you can benefit from them at all please do. At this unsettling and horrible time I think it will help to be kept motivated. I always find painting is the best way to relax and lose yourself in what you are creating.
Materials needed; 300gsm rough Watercolour paper. A5, Masking tape to tape around the edges, A board, Masking fluid,. Stick, Hake brush, Pointed round brush Size 8 or what you have., Rigger brush. French Ultramarine paint, Burnt Siena, Cobalt Blue, Alizarin Crimson. Tissues, Spray bottle
I have used the same materials for all three paintings.
!. Using a stick so you don’t mess up your good brushes loosely mask out your tree and branches. Starting off thicker and becoming finer.
2. Leave to dry. Could take at least 1/2 hour. Don’t dry with the hairdryer. It will bake to your paper.
3. Paint a wash of Cobalt Blue over the whole of the painting. Leave to dry thoroughly.
4. Remove Masking Fluid. This can be done with your finger by rubbing.
5. Start painting your branches, leaving some whites of the paper at the top. Use a watery wash first of all the colours mixed together. Add darker tones, more pigment to certain areas. Do this wet on wet. You may want to tackle an area at a time.
Keep building up your tonal values, less water.. Use French Ultramarine, Burnt Sienna and Alizarin Crimson mixed together to get a variety of colours. Variety is important.
Don’t fiddle! Sorry I couldn’t help myself. .
This painting I sprayed the paper with my water bottle first. I added watery washes of blue colour with a round brush conscious of leaving some whites. While it was still damp I added a mixture of colours, French Ultramarine, Alizarin Crimson and Burnt Sienna making sure there was more pigment, less water than the first watery wash of blue.
When this was completely dry I painted in the branches using a round brush held right at the end so the strokes were not structured and straight. Start wider and tapering the branches to finer lines at the end. A fine rigger can be used to achieve very fine lines. I then started on the leaves. I sprayed first. A round brush loaded with paint on its side. I used the point to indicate a few leaves here and there. A quick splatter of paint to add some different marks. At the end I put a little wash over the right and left hand corner of the painting so it wasn’t so bitty.
I wet the whole of the painting and flooded in some pale watery colour. I moved the painting around so it all blended together and mopped up the edges near the tape. Leave to dry completely.
I then painted in the branches and leaves one area at a time. Very random, scruffy marks like our Australian bush is. I splattered a few marks to add a variety of marks.
I really hope this has been of some help to you. Happy Painting.
Please stay safe and healthy everyone.
Stephanie Boyle xo