River Scene In Watercolor No.6

To see how this painting began, please visit the last few postings.

Here is a detail of the lily pad area so far. This is where I want my focal point to be. To create the focal point I want to have the most detail, the most contrast of values and the most interesting shapes. This will draw the viewer's eye again and again, if I work the piece correctly.

Here I have added some color and a tiny bit more detail. I added Prussian Blue to the mixes on my palette at this point to create deeper values and enhance the glazes that already exist. I think it is important, when applying subsequent glazes, to allow some of the previous applications to show through. In other words, don't completely obliterate the previous layers when applying new glazes of detail. The tiny bits of under-glazes that show through will add sparkle and life to your work.

I have developed a booklet that I use to teach my workshop students how to paint trees. If you are interested, please visit my etsy shop (http://watercolorgirl.etsy.com) and you can purchase the booklet. I will either ship it to you, or if you have high-speed, I can send a pdf file of the booklet via email. Click here to visit my etsy shop.