Cactus Flower Lesson 9

Today I am going back to the flower heads for a bit.

I have added Permanent Alizarin Crimson to the shadow areas of the flower heads. I worked patiently all around the flower heads, softening some edges and leaving the crisp lines at the darkest edges of the shadow shapes. Try experimenting with different reds on your palette. Some reds are cool in temperature, like Alizarin Crimson. This pigment has a hint of blue or purple and it works really well in shadow areas of red objects. Other reds like Winsor Red are more warm in temperature an have a yellow-orange cast to them. The are more appropriately used in areas where the sun or light is shining on an object.

Next, I have used Prussian Blue (very wet) in some more shadow areas. This is a very strong color and should not be used too heavily. It will deaden your painting if it is overused. I like to try to keep my glazes transparent, even when developing strong, dark values.

Cactus Flower Lesson 1

Okay, I must apologize for those of you who have been waiting patiently for a new lesson! It has been very busy with the holidays, guests, events at the Art and Antiques Studio and preparing for new classes coming in January. No more excuses! Here is the beginning of the new lesson!

You can follow along with this lesson each day, and if you like, you can visit my etsy shop and purchase ($5) the drawing and reference photo. I will email the references to you and then you can paint along!

First of all, the drawing must be traced onto the watercolor paper. I like to use a Chunky Graphite Stick from Cheapjoes.com. I scrub a healthy amount of graphite on the back of my drawing, wipe it a little with paper toweling, and then tape one edge of the drawing to my watercolor paper. Trace from the right side of the drawing. Don't press hard or you will leave indentations on your paper and the pigments will puddle into these grooves and cause unsightly marks.

Now, tape your watercolor paper onto a foam core board or gator board that is at least an inch or two larger all the way around. I like to use two-inch Scotch masking tape that is beige. The wide tape allows for good coverage both on the paper (at least one-half inch of tape should cover the edges of your paper) and on the board. Good taping will result in a nice, finished painting that dry very flat. The taped edge also provides a nice gripping area when working with large wet washes.

Candy Dish Lesson 13

Ta Da!!! The finished piece. I am craving chocolate... I'm glad it is almost time for those little trick-or-treaters to visit my house. I may munch on some candy, too!


If you would like to order the reference photo and drawing for this lesson, please visit my etsy online store and click on the Online Class icon. Let me know which lesson you would like. Thanks for visiting.



To learn more about my classes and artwork, please visit my website: http://watercolorworksart.com

Candy Dish Lesson 12

The remainder of work on this piece is just to refine the details in the candy dish, continue with various glazes of wet, transparent colors on the candies and to lift and soften areas that need either lighter values or softer edges.



I used a number six round Silver Black Velvet brush (cheapjoes.com) for the detail areas. I used the colors from the candies and shadows to pull this together. I kept a close eye on the reference photo to indicate where the details were necessary - if they aren't necessary don't put them in!!!

Candy Dish Lesson 10

Today I wanted to paint the chocolate-coated candy. In my painting there is only one! I used Burnt Sienna as an underglaze, then I used VanDyke Brown to glaze over that to create more of a chocolate color and some of the deeper shadows. French Ultramarine Blue was used for the deeper shadows in this candy - but each color was applied after the other glazes had dried.

I also used French Ultramarine Blue and some of the other, previously used colors, to develop the shadow areas around the candies that are in the dish. Be sure to check your photo reference to capture the value, shape and color scheme of each of these little shadow areas. This is a good time to correct some of the candy shapes if they are not quite perfect!

Candy Dish Lesson 8

Here I have glazed the blue candies with a light, wet wash of French Ultramarine Blue to intensify the color!

Things are starting to take shape!


If you would like to paint along with this blog lesson, let me know. To receive an email with the pdf file of the photo reference and drawing for this painting, simply visit my etsy online shop and pay the $5.00 fee and I will send the references to you. Many people like to print off the daily lessons, then paint the project from those sheets.

More to come soon on this lesson. Thanks so much for visiting. I love to hear your comments!

Still Life With Cherries Lesson

A New Lesson! It's time to explore a still life painting in watercolor.

I have worked on a drawing and now I am going to trace it onto my watercolor paper.  I used Arches 300 pound cold press paper. I used a Chunky Graphite Stick (from cheapjoes.com) and applied a thick coat of the graphite to the back of my drawing. I used a tissue or piece of paper toweling to gently rub the graphite. This smooths it out and removes any extra crumbs.

I use one piece of masking tape to secure the drawing to the paper. This provides a hinge which keeps the drawing in place, but allows me to lift it occasionally to see that I am capturing everything as I trace. I like to use a ball point pen to trace. I find that I don't have to push hard, it is easier to see what I have traced since the pen is usually a different color than my drawing, and it provides a nice, thin line on the watercolor paper.

Now I use two-inch masking tape and tape all edges of the paper to a foam core base. Be sure that at least 1/2 in of the watercolor paper is covered with tape all around. If you tape less than 1/2 inch, chances are the tape will not hold when you apply the wet washes of color to come.

If you would like to paint along with my blog lessons, you can get the photo references and drawings sent to you by visiting my etsy shop, clicking on the Online Lesson icon, and pay a small fee of $5.00. I will then email to you the photo references and the drawing.

Sunlit Coconuts Lesson 13

Today I am just tweaking the piece. Using many of the colors used previously in this painting, I work around the image touching up areas. I use light washes to push areas to the background, and I used warm washes of yellows or Burnt Sienna to pull things to the foreground.

I again used Prussian Blue to work in some of the finer details, especially around the end of the top coconut. I used a number six round brush with a nice point, pulling and pushing the brush to create varied strokes.

Visit back tomorrow to view the completed painting!

Sunlit Coconuts Lesson 11

Quinicridone Gold becomes my focus color today. I have used it to glaze a gold wash over the coconuts and several other areas of the painting. This wash doesn't have to be terribly strong, but I still saved some of the white areas on the coconuts to show where the sun was hitting directly on the object.

It never ceases to amaze me how valuable one light glaze of a certain color can illuminate a painting! The sun here in Florida is really strong and it casts deep, dark shadows. The contrasts of warm, bright, sunlit areas against cool, blue, soft shadows are really striking. Quinicridone Gold is one of my favorite colors for producing this effect.

Here I have also used Prussian Blue, carefully to develop a few of the deep impressions on the trunk and here and there within the shadows. Prussian is a very intense, staining color, so use it with caution! A little goes a long way!

Sunlit Coconuts Lesson 10

I want to develop more of the darker values now. I have used VanDyke Brown under some of the vines. I washed a stroke of medium value VanDyke Brown under the vine, then immediately softened the lower edge of the wash with a clean, damp brush. This wash flows over several of the vines below and creates the illusion that some of the vines are behind others and in the shadows of the coconuts. Subtle shadows are worked into the vines throughout the piece using VanDyke Brown, Prussian Blue, and French Ultramarine Blue individually.

Again, remember when you are glazing, don't brush too much! Use a light touch on your brush and use very wet pigments. Your brush should just push the puddle of pigment around. If your bristles bend you are pushing too hard.

I have also used greens in some of the vine areas. I added Hooker's Green and Perylene Green to the palette. I added some palm fronds against the sky with Hooker's Green. I also used Prussian Blue around shadows near flowers and around some of the details in the vines. Here and there I dab at the still-wet pigments with a clean, damp brush to soften edges.

Sunlit Coconuts Lesson 8

Today I have added another wash of Aureolin Yellow to the coconuts. By leaving some of the sparkling white of the paper, I can show the crisp light shining on the coconuts. Glazing the yellow over several areas creates a subtle warmth and shower of sunlight to this piece.

I glazed some yellows onto vine areas above and below the coconuts. Vary the edges for interest and depth.

You can paint along with this lesson if you would like. To get the pdf file of the reference photo and the drawing, go to my etsy online store, click on the Online Class icon, and let me know you would like the coconuts lesson. For $5.00 you get the drawing and references, and you can follow along with the lesson as we go.

Sunlit Coconuts Lesson 3

The next big wash will be on the coconuts. I have puddled some clear water onto the areas of the coconuts that I will be adding pigment to. Allow the puddled water to soak in just a little to sink into the paper. This will give you more time to add colors and tip the paper, which will blend the pigments. I want to use a rather strong concoction of Aureolin Yellow and a little New Gamboge, here and there.  Since the paper is already wet it will dilute the pigments. I drop some yellows into the wetted areas of the paper. The bottom coconut is in a little more shadow, so the colors will appear cooler. I use the same wet-in-wet method to drop in some yellows with the addition of Permanent Sap Green. Again, I have used the same method to add some greens to the coconut on the very lower left of the picture. I have also added some yellows to the palm tree trunk at the right.
Don't brush too much. Put your brush down and pick up the board. Tip it back and forth and allow the water and pigments to blend with gravity. Don't let them blend too much, as this takes away the effect of the soft edges of color transitions.

Sunlit Coconuts Lesson 2

When I start a painting I generally look for the largest and simplest washes first. Here I have used French Ultramarine Blue and created a flat wash in some of the areas where the sky shows through behind the plant. Mix up a puddle of pigment and water and test it on a scrap piece of watercolor paper to see if your mixture will provide the correct value. I like to use a value chart number 1 through 6 to help me define and establish the values in a painting - the lights and darks. I really believe that if you have a nice composition and a good range in values you will have a successful painting. Use some of the French Ultramarine puddle to glaze in the shadow area of the tree trunk at right also.

Lemons Lesson Number 4

Today you will use the colors that you used in the previous application, but wet them so they are not quite so strong. We will paint these colors directly into the glass bowl where they are reflected.

Be sparing; use a light touch. It is better to start out too light, especially when you are doing this for the first time.

As you get more comfortable with glazing colors and where to put the colors in reflected objects, you can be more direct with color. For now, put in delicate color in just a few areas. Remember, the glass is reflecting what is around it, and it is sitting on a white plate, so there will be a lot of light in the glass bowl.

Lemons Lesson Number 1

Today is the beginning of a new lesson. These lemons, or limes, were in a glass bowl at the Art and Antique Studio Gallery, where I work and teach. I'm not sure if they were green lemons or ripe limes, so I'll just call them lemons for now. The principles we will use for this painting will work either way.

If you would like to paint along with this lesson, for five dollars you can go to my etsy webstore and order the photo reference and drawing by clicking on the online class icon. Once your payment clears, I will send you the photo and drawing via email. Several people have said they printed out the lesson each day, and then they had the whole plan before they started. It has been fun to see the pieces that people have produced from my blog lessons!

Okay, now to get started…
The first thing I did was prepare a drawing from my photo references.

I used graphite to coat the back of my drawing and then I taped it on one edge to a 10 by 14-inch piece of Arches 140 pound cold press paper.


Next, I masked the areas in the bowl and plate where I wanted to protect the white of the paper. It is very important to apply masking thoughtfully. Whatever marks you use with the masking fluid will remain when you lift the masking later in the painting process.

Arches Study Workshop 4

Here you can see that I have worked in lots of variation in the values which begins to show the forms and depth of my subject. I use clear water to soften edges, where necessary.

A variety in soft and crisp edges adds texture variety and detail to your work. Soft edges give your viewer's eyes resting places as they look around the painting.



I am leaving the green and floral areas white for now so that I can paint them in later. The flowers will become the focal point of my finished piece.

The arches can work as directional lines to draw the viewer's eye to the flowers. The most detail will be saved for the floral area.