I’m loving being able to spend time sitting and painting, it does feel like a bit of a guilty pleasure though! I’m sure there are many other things I could and probably should be doing around the house.
I’ve been inspired recently by Linda Kemp’s book ‘watercolour, painting outside the lines’ In this book she explains how she has mastered the techniques of painting negative pictures. She gives very clear instructions on painting the background rather than the detail. I chose to paint trees today as I’ve tried them before and I wanted to see if I had improved at all.
autumnal trees
So far as the colours are concerned, I have a copy of ‘The Watercolour Painter’s Pocket Palette’ by Moira Clinch. Each page gives an amazing breadth of colour possibilities. I wanted to use some autumnal hues and so used burnt umber as my base paint for all three colours, I then added cadmium yellow to one, burnt sienna to another and finally viridian. With each ‘coat’ of paint, I added more colour and less water, so the trees appear to be lighter in the foreground and darker in to the distance.
I do enjoy this technique although it does mean I have to concentrate to make sure I don’t inadvertently paint over some branches. I used this technique when painting the flowers that are the background to my blog.
Brush, Needle & Whisk 
Like the effect, the gradual change of colour is very pleasing, you must be pleased with this.
I am, thanks, although if I squint at the trees they do look bit like alien hands! Think I need to work on their shape.