Learning new things...

Art class went great last night!  I thought that I'd post the step by step instructions for our exercise that we did last night and I would strongly encourage you to practice repainting it at least once this week.  Go over your watercolor terms at least once as well.  If you want to improve, you need to practice! (and don't leave your brushes in the water!)  ;)

Poppy painting instructions

 Wash 1 – wet entire page and quickly lay down soft light colors in yellows, greens, blues and purples.

Colors I used…alizarin crimson and French ultramarine blue (combined make purple) hooker's green, yellow ochre and burnt umber brown.   Lightly touch the watered down red (alizarin crimson and a touch of burnt umber mixed on the palette) onto the poppies.  Touch a tiny bit of new gamboge yellow or any yellow onto the outer edges of some of the petals.  Don't overwork this stage and allow the colors to softly run into each other.

Dry your painting thoroughly

Step 2 – flower petals.  Wet one entirepetal at a time and touch in alizarin crimson mixed with a tiny bit of brown to tone down the red…touch the color into the inside edges of the petals and allow the color to flow out.  Alternate petals and don't paint next to petals that are wet.

Step 3 – wet the entire area of one of the taller purple flowers and drop in layers of purples and blues in different shades.  Allow the paint to mix on the page and don't overwork this stage!  Do this to both of the tall flowers one at a time. Add a touch of salt while the flower is still wet to get some texture.  (just a touch!)

Step 4 – strengthen your grass blades with hooker's green mixed with a tiny touch of brown to get that moss color, and paint some yellow grass blades.  Paint the buds with yellow and green with a tiny touch of blue on the underside.

Step 5 – if you want to strengthen your poppy's colors you can wait until the petals are dry and add another layer of red to the petals.  Wet one petal at a time and touch in the red at the inner points. 

Step 6 – There will be little triangles in you grass at the bottom that you can paint with a darker green.  This is called negative painting and it gives depth to your grass at the bottom and makes your lighter grass pieces stand out.  With a small brush, just paint those little spaces wherever they show up.