Fall watercolor painting; next step

To review: we started with a light pencil sketch and a couple of ink lines,  then painted in the lightest colors:

We used some "negative painting" to define the shape of the orange tree by painting around it with a medium value green.

Now come the dark colors. Add the darks last. You can always make things darker, but in watercolor, you can't make things lighter. Well, unless you use gouche paints, but that's another story. Notice how the dark green makes the orange and the yellow green trees more vibrant.

The very darkest colors give the whole painting a vibrancy and guide your eye around the painting, while a few ink lines define a bit of detail. I used a white jelly pen to add highlights and to give your eye a nice paved pathway, so to say .

Mondays I plan to introduce some common watercolor techniques, so stay tuned!

After the Pencil or Pen Sketch, Adding Color

The hardest thing for me is to remember to paint the lightest brightest colors first. I am so used to

defining what I see by the shadows and lines! However, in watercolor you can't paint light over dark because the pigments are various degrees of transparent.

If you try, you get mud.

Usually the lightest area is the sky, but I don't always paint it first.  Here in the Pacific Northwest, it is often gray, or white. When young children are asked what color is the sky, they often answer, "white".

If your sky is blue and you have oranges and yellows in your sketch, your oranges will turn brown and your yellows will turn green if you paint them over the blue sky.

At this point you are painting loosely, not trying to stay carefully within your pencil lines, or you will get a paint by number look.

You will get nice color blends if you work "wet on wet". For example, the red and orange were added while the yellow was still wet.  Now let it dry.

Once it is dry you can add your middle values. The darker green now gives definition to the bright orange foliage of the tree at left. Anything you want white or nearly white, leave alone until later.

Preparing the Sketch for Color-Pencil or Pen?

Pencil sketch; ink lines determine the composition

Sometimes I use pencil, sometimes I use a black drawing pen. They give a different effect, but honestly, I don't make this decision consciously. Currently I like to start with a pencil drawing.

Do think about composition. You are in charge; you can move things around, leave them out, put in something that pleases you. Think about how your eye will travel over the page. What draws your eye first? Where will the lines in the composition lead your eye?

 Sometimes if I start with a drawing pen and try to add color before the ink has properly dried--and the ink runs! Not what I wanted, but, well, I rather like this effect! (Remember, it's all an experiment!)

Here are some different effects:

Oops! The ink ran! Oh well....

Second try, done first in pencil, then watercolor, then pen.

Lightly sketched in ink, then watercolor pencil