Class instruction....

Our last June class was Monday night!  Everyone has come so far in 4 weeks!  

I wanted to finish off our project from Monday night so that you would have some ideas on how to finish off your painting.

1.  I washed a light wash of yellow ochre, green and blues onto the background.  

2.  After that was dry, I sketched out a few twigs and leaves and painting another wash AROUND the twigs and leaves (painting negatively!  You can do it!)  

3.  After that dried, I sketched MORE twigs and leaves and repeated step 2.

4.  I painted the main leaves with a light wash of hooker's green, burnt umber and yellow ochre.  After that was dry, I painted in some of the veins on the leaves negatively.

5.  At the very end, I painted a very dark wash of Payne's Gray  into my power points....the darkest darks of the painting. All of the small shapes around the edges of the leaves.  Place your pigment in the corner and then soften it out with water on your brush.

6.  Last of all, after the painting dried, I lifted out small circles of color to create a "light-dappled" look on the leaves.  With a  clean brush and clean water, place a drop on the paper, work it in a small circle and then dab it with a tissue.  The paint should lift off in a small soft, circle.

Don't forget to add some shadows on the leaves when you think an upper leaf might cast a shadow on a lower leaf.

You can lightly lift some veins in a lower leaf by using clean water on the leaf.  Draw your leaf vein pattern with clean water and then dab it.  The paint should lift lightly wherever you put the water.

Thanks for everything, ladies!  You have all done a great job and I really enjoyed teaching you!  I'll let you know if I'll hold any more classes this summer.