't

vV":

LANDSCAPE
PAINTING IN

WATERCOLOR
BYZOLTANSZAllB

LANDSCAPE PAINTING
IN

WATERCOLOR

by Zoitan Szabo

The spontaneous medium

color

and color

effects of light

wealth of information

comprehensive

this

over 300

illustrations,
full

contained

plates. Thirty-

and

demonstrations

monochrome

in

enriched by

twenty-four of

page color

step-by-step

over 200

landscape.

in

is

text,

which are
six

water-

of

ideal for capturing the fleeting

is

illustrations viv-

guide the reader through every

idly

phase of painting the landscape.

the author talks about the char-

First,

acteristics of watercolor, the materials

and equipment needed, and the

He then

colors.

describes the techniques

the basic washes, direct painting, drybrush, painting

on wet paper, handling

the painting knife

and suggests ways

of achieving texture

masking

and pattern, using

techniques and

the

razor

blade, and getting unusual effects.

reader learns what to look for

how

environment,
ject,

choose

to

The
his

in

his

sub-

and how to handle both simple

and complex

He

subjects.

is

introduced

to the basics of composition

rela-

tionships of shapes, center of interest,

three dimensionality and perspective,

value and form, white space, the se-

quence

of painting,

Step-by-step

auxiliary illustrations

how

and sketching.

demonstrations and

show the reader

to paint the seasons, trees, forests,

undergrowth, rocks, sand and

ter

(still

and moving),

mist, rain,
sets,

wa-

snow, sky and clouds, sun-

fences, buildings, and people and

animals
tips

soil,

reflections, fog,

for

in

landscape.

the

The book

painter,

also has

which

include

working from photographs, presentation

and

This

selling ideas, plus

book

is

and professional painter

provide, with
illustrations,

more.

sure to appeal to student

its

alike,

handsome

and

will

gallery of

inspiration as well as in-

struction for the watercolor enthusiast.

184 pages. 8 1/4 x

11.

Over 300

tions. 24 full color plates. Index.

General Publishing

illustra-

W^

Barbara

Machan

LANDSCAPE
PAINTING IN

WATERCOLOR

LANDSCAPE
PAINTING IN

WATERCOLOR

BYZOLTANSZABO

WATSON-GUPTILL PUBLICATIONS/NEW YORK

PITMAN PUBLISHING/LONDON
GENERAL PUBLISHING/TORONTO

First

published 1971

in

New York

by Watson-Guptill Publications,

a division of Billboard Publications, Inc.,

One

Astor Plaza,

New York,

N.Y. 10036

ISBN 0-8230-2620-5
Library of Congress Catalog Card

Manufactured

in

Number: 79-141045

U.S.A.

Published in Great Britain 1974 by Sir Isaac Pitman

39 Parker Street, Kingsway, London WC2B 5PB
ISBN 0-273-00842-0

Published

in

Ltd.,

Canada 1974 by General Publishing Company

30 Lesmill Road, Don

ISBN 0-7736-0034-5
First Printing,

Second

& Sons

1971

Printing,

1972

Third Printing, 1973

Fourth Printing, 1974

Mills,

Ontario

Ltd.,

DEDICATION

An

artist

is

a little bit like

and

God. Out

influenced

of the

demands

of

he
creates. Yet, in his role as creator, man is far from
perfect. The creation of even a simple snowflake is
beyond man's capability. To me, as an artist, this
humble little ice crystal symbolizes beauty and simplicity. The purity of a snowflake is the result of all the
colors of the rainbow combining to become the
whitest white. The snowflake responds with extreme
sensitivity to the slightest change in its environment,
taking on the blue tint of the sky, the greens of the
forest, the pink and golden colors of the sun, to offer
the painter a power potential limited only by his
imagination. Therefore,
dedicate this book to a
single little snowflake. A snowflake which fell from
the heavens, like pure love, to make this earth a little
cleaner and my life more beautiful.
his

intellect

by

his

intuition,

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special thanks are

due Coutts Hallmark Cards, Tor-

onto, Ontario, for their cooperation in providing the

publishers with color separations for paintings from

the Painters of Canada Series. In the photography

department,

I'd

thank Tom Beckett, Beckett

Ontario and H. Michael Brauer,

like to

Galleries, Hamilton,

Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

CONTENTS
Dedication, 5

Acknowledgments,
1.

6.

Introducing Watercoior, 11

The Nature of Watercoior, 11

Materials and Equipment, 11

Trees in Landscape, 44

Deciduous Trees, 44
Evergreens and Palm Trees, 45
Forests, 46

7.

The Landscape

at

Your

Feet, 48

Color, 13

Stumps and Moss, 48

Undergrowth, Shrubs, and Weeds, 49
2.

Landscape Painting Techniques, 15

Washes, 15
Conventional or Direct Painting, 16
Basic

Drybrush, 17
Drybrush, 19

Rocks, 50

Sand and

8.

Split

Soil, 51

The Liquid Landscape, 53

on Wet Paper, 19
Painting Knife Techniques, 20

Moving Water, Moving

Texture and Pattern, 22

Fog and Mist, 55

Masking Technique and Using the Razor Blade, 23

Unusual Effects, 24

Rain, 56

Painting

3.

Learning to See the Landscape, 26

Know Your

Environment, 26

Choosing Your Subject, 26

Simple Subjects, 27

Complex

Still

9.

Painting the Sky, 60

Sky and Clouds, 60

Sunsets, 61

Subjects, 28

Landscape Composition, 30

Objects

in

Landscape, 63

Fences, 63

Relationships, 30

Buildings, 64

Center of Interest, 32
Three Dimensions, Perspective, 33
Value and Form, 34
The Value of White Space, 35

People and Animals, 65

Sequence

Photography

of Painting, 36

Reference Sketches, 37

5.

Reflections, 54

Snow, 58

10.
4.

Water and Reflections, 53

11.

Helpful Suggestions, 66

as a Tool, 66
Presentation and Selling Ideas, 66
General Hints, 67

Painting the Seasons, 39

Demonstrations, 69
Spring, 39

Summer, 40
Autumn, 41

Bibliography, 179

Winter, 42

index, 181

CONTENTS

INTRODUCING WATERCOLOR

1.

In

chapter, we'll discuss the characteristics of

this

transparent watercolor and the materials and equip-

ment used by the

watercolorist.

However, thought you should know that they exist

and that they're very interesting to work with, if you
should decide to experiment later on.
I

AND EQUIPMENT

THE NATURE OF WATERCOLOR

MATERIALS

Watercolor differs a great deal from other painting

media because of its transparency. This means that the
bright whiteness of your paper reflects the light
through the thin layer of your paint. Watercolor is at
that is, when
its best when it results in transparency
the paper shows through.

Your watercolor painting will be as permanent and

good as the paint and the paper you use.

as

Paper

mean by good paper? mean 100% pure

handmade, watercolor paper. At first, these papers will seem too expensive, but hope to convince
What do

rag,

Clean Color
is essentia! for transparency and fresh
you put several layers of paint on top of
one another, allowing them to dry in between applications, you'll end up with a muddy color. For example, if you paint a flat yellow wash, let it dry, then
put a blue wash over it, theoretically you'll end up
with a green wash. However, in reality, this green
wash will be a lot dirtier than if you mix and apply the
same amount of yellow and blue pigments in a single
wash. The more layers of paint on the paper, the
chalkier and duller the result will be.

Clean color
painting.

Because of the temperamental

nature of the medium, you need all the material help
you can get to succeed. A good paper is essential. A
cheap paper cannot respond to treatment like a good
one, and your paint and brushes will get only as good
a response as your paper will allow. If you learn on
cheap pulp paper, you'll not only suffer through a
discouraging, slow advance, but you'll also face the
problem that whatever you learn will have to be
relearned again when you graduate to serious paintwhich behaves differently than
ing and good paper
cheap paper. You'll use handmade paper eventually,

you that they're

If

so

this,

my

advice

is

to start with

it.

The many different makes offer a wide choice of

papers. Most of them come in imperial size (22" x 30")

Color Value

Good

not.

watercolor papers are absorbent. Because of

much weaker than they look while

the colors dry

wet. To avoid disappointment in your final color,

exaggerate the value of your wet color by about 20%.
The softer your paper, the more paint it will absorb
and the more you'll have to exaggerate the wet color
to end up with the correct value. This will stop being a

problem once you get used to the paper's behavior.

medium rough (cold

and smooth (hot pressed). The three most
common weights are 72 lb. (thin), 140 lb. (medium),
and 300 lb. (stiff as cardboard). Most good papers are
from Europe. D'Arches, Fabriano, Royal Watercolour
Society, Green, and Whatman (no longer made, but
you can still find it) are all good quality papers. There
are many more, but know from personal experience
and

in

three finishes: rough,

pressed),

that these are reliable makes.

Opaque Watercolor
Watercolor doesn't always have to be transparent, of
it

that

lb.

way

which
about it. Opaque watercolor
is basically the same
covers up what's underneath
as transparent watercolor, but the pigment is usually
coarser, grainier. Egg tempera, gouache or designf^rs'
colors, casein, and the new acrylics are all opaque,
talk

use d'Arches 300

1

course, even though most of us think of

when we

also use their

rough paper most of the time, but
medium rough (cold pressed) paper occasionally.

water-based paints. The uses of opaque watercolors

are so different from transparent watercolors that
don't intend to elaborate on them in this book.
I

Stretching Paper

To prevent a lightweight paper from buckling when

wet, it must.be stretched. The 72 lb. and 140 lb.
weights are thin and require stretching; the heavier
300 lb. paper won't buckle, so it doesn't need to be
stretched. There are wet and dry methods available
for stretching.

INTRODUCING WATERCOLOR

11

stretching starts with wetting the paper thor-

Wet
oughly.

Wipe

or blot

don't rub excess moisture

sponge or soft cloth until the limp, damp

no longer shiny from the water. Lay the paper
stiff board at least 2" larger on all sides than the

have, but an ordinary piece of 1/2" or 3/4" plywood

board cut to about 2" larger than the size of your

17" x 24"

good outdoor

off with a

paper

paper

receive a 1/2 sheet paper, or smaller, and

on

is

water-soluble glue tape (like oldfashioned brown wrapping tape), tape down all four
edges of the sheet, overlapping about 1/4" of the
paper.

Using

paper. The wider remaining part of the tape sticks to

the board. After the paper dries and shrinks you'll
have a tight, flat, workable surface to paint on.

except that you don't wet

the paper. Lay the dry paper on the board as before.
Use a wide masking tape instead of the water-soluble
glue tape for mounting the edges to the board. Now
you can either wet the paper or you can just start
painting on it (which, of course, means wetting it
anyway). While it's wet, the paper may buckle a bit,

Dry stretching

is

similar,

is

fine.

is

size;

it

will

have
you want to stretch your
will

enough room for the tape if

paper. You could paint a coat or two of shellac or
varnish on your board to make it water-repellent.
Easel

An

easel

have.

is

Any

not essential, but

a very handy thing to

and has an adjustable

it's

easel that's sturdy

surface that can stay horizontal

right) will

for a

do the

good watercolor

easel,

(flat)

many

job. After
I

or vertical (up-

years of searching

designed

my own(C

D).

but after drying it will be flat again.

I've devised a stretching frame that's quick and
efficient, if you don't mind losing 1/2" of your paper

on

all

sides

(/A,

6).

Water Carrier

Drawing Board

To be able to use your paper, you must have a hard

surface under it. A regular drawing board is good to

12

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

you go painting, advise you to carry your own

water supply. Very often you'll end up in a spot where
there is no water or where the water is dirty. Make
sure that your water carrier holds enough water to use

When

IN

WATERCOLOR

it

freely.

use

a plastic

milk jug with

handle. Class

dangerous should
they break. While painting, use a plastic food container with a wide top for your water.
bottles are not only clumsy, but

Watercolor Paints

To do

justice to

good

if

all

right to start with

made by reputable manufacturers. They're

expensive than artists' quality paints, though not

they're

less

as

you need good

quality paper,

paints. Students' quality paints are

permanent and not

paper.

as easy to

recommend

naturally

maneuver on the
quality paints

artists'

if

you can possibly afford them. They'll last longer and

help you enjoy better results sooner.
suggest you
buy just a few tubes of good artists' quality colors.
I

Brushes, Knives, Palette

paper and paint, you also need good

prefer a round No. 10
and a round No. 5, long hair, pure sable brush, but a
sabeline of the same size is acceptable and a lot less
expensive. One flat 1" oxhair brush and a flat, wide
In addition to

brushes and

palette or painting knife

ways.

prefer Winsor
This

is

my

& Newton

artists'

quality paints.

palette of proven colors, suited to

particular needs. I've

Cadmium lemon

noted the ones

my

find essential.

pale (essential)

is

an excellent tool for

The

knife should

be flexible and very

thin.

Before you can use it, you'll have to scrape off the
protective lacquer that the manufacturer puts on the
blade. After the bare metal is clean of the lacquer, stab
the blade into a lemon, leaving it in overnight. The

Any kind

because the moist consistency of the paint lends itself

to immediate response at the touch of a moist brush.

bristle,

special touches that are impossible to achieve in other

Most watercolorists prefer tubes

pans.

background brush, made of either oxhair or

acid in the

in

palette knife.

are also necessary.

As far as the makes go, the British Winsor & Newton

and the American Grumbacher are the leading names
in watercolors. You can buy the same quality paint in
tubes or

lemon

juice will

make

the metal

more

receptive to watercolor. (See Painting Knife Tech-

niques

in

Chapter

2 for further details.)

from your local art

good. However, a white enamel
butcher's tray, or even an ordinary white porcelain
plate, will serve the purpose. It's necessary for the
palette to be white so you can see the washes you mix
before you apply them to your painting.
Finally, add an ordinary pocket knife and a razor
blade to the preceding, and you're ready to paint!
of white mixing palette

supply dealer

is

Cadmium orange
Cadmium

Experiment

scarlet

To help you

Vermilion (essential)

experience the behavior of

do these comparison washes.
strong wash of cadmium lemon. After it dries,
actually

transparent watercolor,
Alizarin crimson (essential)

Apply

Brown madder

Now do the
same experiment in reverse. Paint the blue wash first.
Let it dry and apply the yellow wash. Both times be
quick with the second wash so as not to lift up the first
layer of paint. Finally, mix the same two colors together and paint the mixture on in a single wash. Try to
keep your wash about the same density as the pre-

(essential)

Cobalt blue

French ultramarine blue (essential)

Antwerp blue
Winsor (phthalocyanine) or Thalo blue

but transparent wash of Winsor or

Prussian blue overlapping the yellow.

Manganese blue
Cerulean blue

paint a strong

vious green overlapping washes.

(essential)
If

Hooker's green dark

Yellow ochre (essential)

you compare the three greens which

you'll

cleanest color will be the

single wash.

Burnt sienna (essential)

Any two

will result,

not the same hue. The

notice that they're

one

that

you painted

colors will be duller

applied separately, brighter

in a

if

in a

they're

combined wash.

Sepia dark (essential)

Davy's gray

Charcoal gray
Payne's gray

The permanency of these paints is good (watercolor is

more lasting than oil paint). Their chemical composition is simple: water-based glue (gum arable) and
finely ground pigment. Detailed information is available if you write to the manufacturers.

COLOR
We're all aware of the importance of color in everyday life. But as a painter, you must be more than
aware; you must know how to use color.
Using Color

worth the learning process involved to be able to

a tool to create effects, moods, and
abstract qualities which can turn your work into a
It's

use color as

INTRODUCING WATERCOLOR

13

personal, inventive statement. For example, in

sum-

complementary

each

colors, they'll either neutralize

nature tends to impose one

pervasive color on our minds, we have to invent
colors and accents to Jiven up a landscape. A green
forest looks dull if you use only one green all over

other or create a dirty, third color wash, regardless of

how clean the original two colors were. Used separately, side by side, they'll heighten each other's

you start with an orange undermass of varied greens over it,

You can read volumes on color, but if you remember two rules, you won't be far from everything that

mer or

in

winter,

when

your painting. But

if

coating and paint

impact.

First, good taste keeps down

you use; second, never use any

the books could say.

allowing the orange to sparkle through, you'll create a

Doing the same thing with a rich blue

all

undertone

color unless you have a

feeling of heat.

create a calm, cool impression.

will

Painting a portrait
pleasing; but strong,

scheme can be
sunny, orange highlights on the

in a

the

number

of colors

good reason

to.

natural color

cheek can brighten the head and turn it into a

dramatic eye catcher. The same highlight in blue
could suggest calm silence; in red, dangerous ex-

Experimenting With Colors

nate

pectations, etc.

complement each other or to contrast

in some exciting way that will elimidrabness. A single orange bloom can have a

Use colors

to

with each other

powerful effect

in a large

of leaves, but will lose

Selecting Colors

background

Before you start painting, decide what colors you're

going to need. You almost never need all the colors
on your palette for any one painting. Three to six
colors are plenty for most paintings. To aid you in
making a choice, make yourself a color wheel {A).

is

blue-gray background area

its

if the same
by the bright, setting

effectiveness

yellow-green,

lit

sun.
If

you're uncertain as to what color to use

on

in a

small piece of paper and hold

given

over
Don't be hesitant to paint the same
subject several times in different color combinations.
Avoid placing strong, vibrating colors next to each
other
unless you're searching for an extremely
spot, paint

it

the area for a

it

test.

powerful impact.

^
W

REP
OT5AN&E

G-T?EEN

If a strange color drops onto your painting, take a

second look before you anxiously erase it. It may be
the very touch that will give an unusual quality in your
painting. Make color accidents work for you as they
occur, in whatever form they happen. But whatever
you do with color, make certain that the result is both
imaginative and purposeful.
Paint a simple sketch using the drawing below (6) as
a basic layout. Limit your palette to only three colors,
using your color wheel. For example: burnt sienna,
Antwerp blue, and cadmium lemon. Take advantage
of all the hues you can get by combining different

values of these three colors.

same subject using

Do

a different

several versions of the

three colors each time.

in front of you until you remember every

it
shade of every hue, and its location in relationship to
every other hue.

Keep

You can see

that the

wheel

is

divided into

warm and

cool colors. Try to keep your picture predominantly

either

warm

or cool, depending on the light condi-

harmony.
you connect any three colors on the wheel with a
line, forming a triangle as shown in A, you'll have an
interesting color combination that can form the basic
tions of your subject. This will assure color
If

color choice for a successful painting.

Opposite each color on your color wheel is its

complementary. If you mix equal amounts of two

14

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

-vv^v^-'^v-^^.Ky

w.

LANDSCAPE PAINTING TECHNIQUES

2.

great

variety

of

techniques

is

available

to

the

cover the conventional ones, such as wash and drybrush, as well as

the not-so-conventional ones.
watercolorist.

BASIC

In

this chapter,

we'll

WASHES

up the excess paint, allowing the whole wash to

remain even. Avoid touching the drying paint or
adding more paint to correct a mistake; this will cause
"freak spots" and ruin your even wash.
If you want to arrive at an extremely dark, flat wash,
make sure that you use enough pigment. (Remember:
pick

watercolor dries

number

ways you
can apply fluid paint is limited only by your own
imagination. However, there are some basic washes
which are important for a beginner to learn. Without
perfecting these washes first, you may find watercolor
an uncontrollable headache!
In

transparent watercolor, the

Flat

of

lighter.)

To make sure

of the strength

your pigment, paint a brushful on a piece of test

paper, let it dry, and decide if it's what you want. Only
practice will give you the experience you need.
of

Graded Wash
Another fundamental wash is a graded wash (6). Use
technique when you want your wash to graduate
from dark to light (or vice versa) as it moves down the
paper. The approach is similar to that of the flat wash.
The difference is that you start at the top with the
darkest pigment, if you're going from dark to light,
and add a little more water to each new brushful of
paint, reducing the strength of the pigment as you go.
The secret of a graded wash is knowing how much
water to add to get the result you want. Again,
this

Wash

Let's start with the most basic wash, the flat or even
tone wash {A). The even tone of this wash is its most
important quality.

Mix enough paint

in a utensil (a cup or a drinking

you've covered the entire surface.
Don't wet your paper. Place your paper so that it
slopes slightly toward you. Using a soft and comfortably wide brush, apply the paint with sure and
speedy horizontal strokes, starting from the top of
your paper. Allow the paint to collect in a slight pool

glass) to last until

practice!

lot!

at the bottom of each stroke; then overlap this pool

and bring the color down with the next stroke. Don't

leave the pool of paint too long before the next

brushstroke carries

it further. If left too long, it can

hard edge.
After you reach the bottom of the area to be
covered by the wash, squeeze the moisture out of
your brush and gently drag it along, touching the pool

form

at

the bottom of the

last

stroke.

The

thirsty

brush

will

Streaky

To

Wash

get a streaky

wash

(C), start

by covering your wash

area with clear water. While the paper

is still

saturated

and dripping wet, put a heavily loaded brushful of

pigment where you want it to be darkest. Quickly tilt
the paper to a vertical position (dark on top) and let
the paint run into the wet area. To stop the running
pigment, lay the paper in a horizontal position and let
it

dry this way.

LANDSCAPE PAINTING TECHNIQUES

15

you apply proven methods and take the least number

of chances, considering the temperamental medium
you're trying to tame. The English were the
master watercolor as we know it, developing

first

to

prac-

procedure
direct painting
to control the
wildness of the medium. (See demonstration, pp. 73tical

75.)

Pencil

Drawing

drawing {A) to establish your

composition. Use a good quality HB pencil with a light
touch. An HB is soft enough to leave a good line with
Start off with a pencil

little

pressure, yet

You can use

rubber).

it

erase easily with a soft eraser.

will

gum

art

or a

kneaded eraser (dough

prefer the latter because

Wet-in-Wet

particles to clean up; besides, art

mention wet-in-wet washes (D) only briefly, because Painting on Wet Paper (p. 19) will give you a
more detailed idea of the process. If you want a
blurred edge on a wash, wet your paper with clear
water or a light color wash and apply your final wash
while your paper is still wet. The wetter the paper is,
the more the second brushstroke will blur. Timing is

and accidentally cause

I'll

it

doesn't leave

gum

can get dirty

smear mark.

extremely important, plus the correct consistency of

the paint in your brush. Hold your paper horizontally,
unless you want the paint to run.

Tracing
If

you're a beginner, and

drawing

ability, a

tool (6).

It

if

you're not sure of your

sheet of tracing paper

has to be

at least as large as

is

helpful

your painting

Draw on the
you would on the watercolor paper.

surface (your sheet of watercolor paper).

tracing paper as
It's

not necessary to erase the mistakes, just ignore

them.
with your drawing, you're
onto the watercolor paper. Cover the

After you're finished

ready to trace
Practice

Apply them one

Practice these basic washes.

on scrap paper

of any kind.

the paper quality. This

much

easier

it is

on cheap pulp
paper

will

will

Make

at a

time

sure that you vary

demonstrate to you how

wash on good paper than
the washes as large as your

to control a

stock.

Make

permit.

CONVENTIONAL OR DIRECT PAINTING

Direct painting

is

the watercolor

method

best

known

most people. It's a proven way to face an empty

sheet of paper with the greatest likelihood of ending
up with a respectable picture. With direct painting,
to

16

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

it

back of the tracing paper with tightly scribbled crissTo spread

cross lines, using a 4B or 6B graphite pencil.

the graphite more evenly, smear it with a ball of

-absorbent cotton until the graphite is dense enough

when you trace through it

from the opposite side. Then turn the drawing rightside up. Fasten it over your future painting by the top
corners with small pieces of masking tape. This way,
you can check your drawing while you work, just by
lifting the lower corners for observation. After this,
proceed to transfer your drawing onto the watercolor
to leave a strong impression

detect strokes as afterthoughts. They spoil the unity of

the whole effort. Try to finish your painting with the
first

washes. Blend them while the paint

The more

is

still

wet.

you apply on top of one

another, letting them dry in between, the dirtier and
chalkier your colors will end up.
On pp. 73-75, demonstrate this direct method in a
painting which did in the Canadian Rockies. The day
was moody and the cloud conditions were changing
chose the direct method to give
so rapidly that
myself a chance to make small changes midstream.
layers of paint

paper.

DRYBRUSH
Painting

Now

you're ready to paint. Your drawing has organand divided the painting into various color areas
to allow you to work on several areas simultaneously.
This is necessary so that you'll be able to let one spot
dry while you're painting another (C).
ized

Drybrush doesn't mean that the brush is actually dry.

stroke is made by a comfortably moist soft
hair brush. The rougher your paper is, the better the
result will be. Don't wet your paper. Hold your brush
at a low angle, almost parallel with the painting
surface. Drag it across the paper with a light touch.
The paint should cover only the tops of the little
lumps on the irregular paper surface {A).
It's very important that you don't saturate your
brush with paint, but have it just wet enough to leave
the desired mark. One way to check this is to shake
your brush gently before you touch the paper; if the
paint stays in your brush, it's not too wet; if some of it
drops off, you have too much moisture in your brush.
This fundamental (but tricky) brushstroke can be

A drybrush

maneuvered differently, depending on the type of

brush you use. (See demonstration, pp. 85-87)

As you paint an area that borders on an already

is still wet, encourage your new
wash to flow into the other, here and there, as the two
touch. This seemingly careless stroke will add a great
deal of spontaneity and freshness to your work.
The important thing is to visualize the finished
painting and complete each area as you go, without
overemphasizing the unimportant details. In the heat
of painting, the temptation is great to stay with one
spot too long and work it to death. Only experience
will enforce good judgment and eliminate hesitation.
If
you feel that you've missed some sparkles or
highlights, scratch them out with a razor blade or a
sharp scraping tool of some kind. (See Masking Technique and Using the Razor Blade, p. 23.)
After your painting is finished and completely dry,
erase the remaining pencil lines. You'll probably
notice that most of them have blended into the paint,
but an odd one survives here and there. Use your
eraser lightly, being careful not to rub out the paint.
On a good watercolor, you should never be able to
painted space which

i-

Round,

-/

,-'

Soft Brush

A round,

soft

irregular

on both

brush

will

leave a mark which

sides (B). For the

most

belly of the brush instead of the point.

pressure you apply

will

determine how

is

slightly

part, use the

The amount
full

of

or light the

tone of your brushstroke will be. Try a few practical

examples: treetrunks, wood textures, moss, rocks,
breeze patterns on a distant water surface, etc. (f).

LANDSCAPE PAINTING TECHNIQUES

17

Flat,

Soft Brush

flat,

soft

Knife Strokes

brush

will

leave straight edges on both

wide, even

drybrush stroke
(C). If you press a little harder on one edge, holding
the other edge in the air, your stroke will be sharp
where your brush edge touched the paper and irregular where it didn't (D). Some examples of where to use
flat brush would be for large, rough surfaces, such as
aged boards, driftwood, etc. (C).
sides, creating a

strip of

Illustration E

18

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

arrive at "drybrush"'
first

stroke was

made

by loading the knife with paint (without letting it drip)

and dragging it across the paper at a low angle, and
with an even motion, as

if it were a flat brush. The

wet paint area on dry paper and
use the knife to drag some of the wet paint onto the
nearby dry surface, wiggling the knife and letting it
create lacy, uneven edges. Examples of when to use
this technique would be for foliage, the grass covered

other way

edge

iKfl!^?i^f?l^'S?

shows two ways to

The

effects with a painting knife.

is

to leave a

of a distant

hill,

etc. (H).

Split

Moist Paper

Drybrush

drybrush stroke is simply a drybrush stroke

made with any soft brush after you've divided the hair
"into several uneven clumps.
First, load your brush with paint as you would for
the drybrush technique. Then, before touching the
paper, separate the hair into clumps with any pointed
object. A brush handle will do, or a pocketknife blade.
To achieve a more irregular effect, press the neck of
the brush firmly against your palette. When you lift
the brush, the hair will spring back partially but will

split

stay split, leaving several points for

PAINTING

you

to

work

After the shine disappears from the surface of the

paper,

we

call

it

moist

(6).

The sheet

is still

inside, but the freshly applied paint will

more slowly and more

consistency of your paint

particularly

gently,
is

quite wet

spread

not drippy, but

a little
if

the

fairly thick.

Objects painted on moist paper will remain identifiable, but still blurred and without sharp details.

with.

ON WET PAPER

Watercolor behaves unlike any other medium when

you apply it to wet paper. The amount of water
absorbed into the paper and the consistency of the
paint on your brush will determine the result of each
brushstroke. You can apply water to your paper by
soaking it in a sink or bathtub or by sponging or
brushing the water on. Let's identify three degrees of
wetness in your paper: saturated, moist, and damp.
(See demonstration, pp. 76-78.)

Damp Paper
Saturated Paper
is

saturated

wet paper that has been drying is still cool to the

exactly when you
it's damp (C). Your timing
apply a stroke
is critical at this point, and you must
proceed with caution; freak, fuzzy runs will creep in
minutes after you look away. Humidity in the air,
temperature, and the make of your paper will all
affect the behavior of your paint and the time your
If

when

no longer able to absorb

(A). You can tell when this point has been
reached because the surface of the paper will become
shiny. When the paper is in this condition, the action
of the paint is the most temperamental. If paint
touches the dripping wet surface, the color will flow
as gravity forces it. This means that if you want the
paint to run in a particular direction, tilt your paper.
If you want the paint to spread evenly, keep your
surface in a horizontal position. If your brush is
heavily loaded with strong paint, the spreading can be
very rapid and violent. The first time it happens, it will
seem as if you've released an uncontrollable genie.
This effect is very useful for soft hints of form, but you
Paper
water

it's

touch,

painting

will

take to dry.

shouldn't attempt to create fine definitions at this

stage of wetness.

freak

touch can disrupt your well-controlled

painting, particularly at this

damp

stage.

call this a

"backrun" (D and f). This happens if one part of your

surface is still damp, but the spot next to it is already
dry. Put a healthy brushful of paint on the dry area;
slowly the water from the new brushstroke will creep
into the damp area, pulling the pigment off the newly
in an irregular fashion, until all the
used up or the moving color reaches a

painted surface
excess water

is

LANDSCAPE PAINTING TECHNIQUES

19

dry spot. This floating pigment collects, forming a

hard edge, where the water stopped spreading. Be-

ware of
it

this, for it's

very difficult to correct.

Of course,

can also be caused on purpose and can create very

and unusual effects.

free

Treating the Blade

Before you can use this unlikely tool for watercolor,

you must treat it so that water will stay on the blade.
This means removing all water-repellent material from
the surface. If this is not done, the water-diluted paint
will bead and roll off.
if
your knife is new, it's usually covered with
lacquer. First, you must scrape the lacquer off with a
razor blade or with fine sandpaper. After this scraping,
the exposed bare metal still isn't ready to paint with
because of the greasy surface quality of the steel. To
remove all traces of grease, you must use some kind of
acid solution. One good method is to reach for your
vinegar bottle and soak your knife blade in it for a few
hours. A lemon is also good: stab the blade of your
knife into it and leave it for twenty-four hours. After
this, your blade is ready to paint with.
Don't be horrified if the shiny new blade appears
corroded when you remove it from the solution; it
won't harm the knife.

Enough

Just

Paint

You can use the same paint consistency as you'd use

with a brush. The condition of your paper
wet or

dry

will affect

the paint consistency just as

color applied with

amount

to recognize the right

It's

very annoying to pick up a

the blade, carefully carry

you

huge blob

affects

of paint on the knife.

good load of paint on

to your painting, and, as

it

the knife to apply a

tilt

it

brush. Learn, by experimenting,

handsome

stroke, see a

onto your paper. If this

should happen, grab a tissue and blot up the mess.
Wait a few minutes for it to dry, and apply a new
stroke
this time, with less paint on your knife.
of surplus paint

fall

PAINTING KNIFE TECHNIQUES

Strokes

Some

most unexpected effects in watercolor

painting come from the clever use of a painting knife.
A knife of any size or shape is acceptable as long as
you like the feel of it and can use it effectively. My
of the

preference is the type of knife shown

demonstration, pp. 88-90.)

in

A. (See

If

you hold the knife

at a

high angle and use the blunt

side of the tip in a scraping motion, you'll create a

branch-like line
slight,

(6); a

slow

movement

will

produce

knuckly, irregular line that's also excellent for

branches.

Hold the knife the same way, but move it fast, with a
sweeping motion, and it will give you a tall, weed-like
line(C).

With

just a little paint

sharp edge of your

on the blade, you can use the

to create a hairline that's

impossible to imitate with a brush (D).
For a loose, drybrush effect that's very useful for
tip

bark, rocks, etc., use the

drag

it

flat

back of the blade and

with the metal pressed against the paper

To give

a lacy

edge

to a freshly painted

(f).

clump

of

drag the wet paint outward in a wiggly

movement with the flat back of the blade, pressing

foliage,

hard{F).

These knifestrokes

20

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

all

work

best

on dry paper.

Wet Paper
The knifestrokes discussed above will blur on damp
paper and will be a disaster on saturated paper, as the
paint will all rush off your blade as soon as you touch
the wet surface.

However, there's one extremely beautiful and

deli-

cate touch that can be applied only on wet paper.

Begin to paint on your paper with the brush in a wet-

in-wet style (see Painting on Wet Paper, p. 19). When

you're satisfied with the touches of color, reach for
your painting knife before the paint starts to dry. Press
the sharp edge of your knife tip firmly into the wet
surface and

draw

the line

will

LANDSCAPE PAINTING TECHNIQUES

21

a line with

it

(C).

At

first,

seem

invisible;

then

it

will start to

come

to

life as a

darker version of the color underneath {H). The

reason is that as the metal scrapes the paper where the
blade touches the surface, the wet paint is attracted

and gushes into the crack, which acts as

trapping a heavy concentration of pigment.

you suggest grain direction in your first wash with the

tip of your brush handle. Finish the details with
drybrush strokes. Bricks and shingles can be approached in the same way.

a blotter,

Just one warning: control this line very firmly,

because it cannot be removed. It's final. think you'll
agree, however, that the result is worth the care and
I

the

involved.

risk

TEXTURE

AND PATTERN

Knowing how to paint surface textures and patterns

means the difference between monotony and rich
design. (See demonstration, pp. 79-81.)

Texture

Nature

in

Nature

full

is

of texture: the bark

of a rock (A), the

and on.

waving distant

In the final analysis,

on

the surfacf
could go on

a tree,

grass;

everything has texture.

more about closeup surfaces than distant

surfaces, because the detail on them is more detectable and must be handled with greater care. The
older the texture, the more layers of wash you can
We'll talk

afford and should apply.

to lose sparkle

when you

However, watercolor tends

paint layer over layer; the

Textile
Textile usually has an

form

uneven

surface, not only in

Wrinkles and folds must be

design but

in

painted

before any pattern or texture

in

When you

as well.

is

indicated.

paint the pattern or texture of textiles,

it's

best to follow the natural flow of the fabric (C).

The last and final

wash in most cases is done with a drybrush. Again, you
must allow the paint to dry between each application
or the washes will blend just as if they were applied

more washes, the

dirtier the color.

together.

-sa

Practice

them. The experience that

Mechanical patterns are man-made. They're more

organized, and the newer they are, the more difficult
is
to make them look interesting (bricks, roof,
lumber, stucco, metal, textile, etc.). Don't be too
literal in your handling of new surfaces. Paint a little
it

but hint, don't overwork it. Wood surfaces,

such as barn boards (6), can be very richly handled if

22

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

Necessary

Unusual surfaces require unusual handling. For example, the fluffy head of a bullrush, the surface of a
seashell, a dirty windowpane, the fur of any animal, a
there's no set way to approach any of
single leaf

Man-Made Texture

detail

is

IN

WATERCOLOR

more common types

painting the

you'll gain

of texture will help

you devise

new methods, new techniques, new approaches.

Remember: it's not the way you paint, it's the result
that matters. The more difficult the surface seems, the
will require. Above all,
more study and planning
it

don't allow texture to destroy form.

plement, not take over, your painting.

It

must com-

MASKING TECHNIQUE AND

Maskoid

USING THE RAZOR BLADE

Maskoid

You can use any ingenious trick to achieve the right

effects. The result justifies the means. The important
point

use your technical tools with

to

is

efficiency. Don't let

must use

worked on one or two

paintings.

One

that

know

because you

crutches

as

skill

them become gimmicks

and
you

they've

of your tools

is

purpose is to take advantage of the purity

and to retain it
when this would
be impossible any other way.
Occasionally, you'll paint a subject of extreme
masking;

its

of white paper

contrast (solid birch against a dark

hill,

white

sails

against a dark sky, the bright crest of rolling surf, etc.).

To capture the drama

of such contrasts,

you must

separate the light area from the darker area directly

next to

it

while you work. Here are

commonly used by watercolor

few ways that are

do this. (See

painters to

with

f6)

is

brush.

gray liquid latex which can be appliea

a
It

dries fast

which can be peeled

and forms

off after

waterproof film

use or rubbed off with a

rubber cement, or

soft eraser, a ball of soft

a ball of

dry Maskoid.

Proceed with the background painting as before;

will completely seal the paper surface
and will repel the water with the paint in it. The
advantage of Maskoid is that it can be applied on
irregular edges more freely than masking tape. Its
disadvantage is its strong clinging quality which can
easily tear the surface of a soft paper during removal.
the Maskoid

Remember: the darker the value next to the white

(masked) area, the greater its dramatic impact will be.
After you remove the masking material from the dry
painting, you can complete whatever modeling is
necessary to finish the white area.

demonstration, pp. 82-84.)

Masking Tape
Transparent adhesive tape and masking tape (A) are
very useful
lay
it

in

masking out long narrow shapes.

First,

the tape over the area you want to mask and press

down

with

a light

touch. Cut off the unnecessary

pieces of tape with a very sharp knife.

(I

use a small

X-acto knife.) Apply light pressure while you cut, just

enough

to cut

through the tape without damaging the

surface of the paper. After peeling off the surplus

tape, lay a sheet of thin

paper over the

now

masked area and rub your thumbnail over the

cleanly
tissue.

.Ml.

This will insure that the edges of the tape cling to the

paper and that paint will not creep under the tape to
form ragged, unclean edges.
Paint the

background

right over the tape, ignoring

it

When the paint is dry, peel off the tape,

exposing the white paper underneath. Remove the
tape cautiously, because it sometimes has a tendency
completely.

to cling to the

paper and tear the surface.

Rubber Cement
Rubber cement

(C)

is

looser and

slightly

more

unpredictable masking medium. When you apply it, it

will seem to cover the area completely, but after
drying it exposes small areas of the paper. This allows
the paint to leave irregular touches that will survive
after

you remove the rubber cement. Knowing

this,

LANDSCAPE PAINTING TECHNIQUES

23

you must experiment with its use to understand

exactly when and how to apply it. To remove the
rubber cement from the finished dry painting, use a
ball of dry rubber cement. Rub the ball against the
masking cement, avoiding the painted surface directly
next to

it.

Paraffin or

Wax

white wax crayon (D)

masking agent. Painting in
the area to be masked out has to be done in advance
to the last detail, because complete removal of the
wax, at least to the extent that the paper would accept
water freely, is impossible. You must visualize how the
painting will look after completion and prejudge the
amount of detail you want to survive after you apply

stick of paraffin or children's

also serves as an excellent

the dark paint next to the masked spot.

After the light area is painted in detail and is
completely dry, rub the wax over it vigorously and

generously. Follow the edge of the area carefully. The

wax will form a misty, translucent layer of waterrepellent coating. Now you're ready to complete the
rest of the painting in the manner previously

Hold the razor blade firmly, press it hard, and

scrape through the paint, exposing a white line with
only one move if possible, over the same area. If you

want

to scrape off a larger area

sparkle on distant water

(F)

for example, to get

hold the blade per-

pendicular to the paper surface and touch

Move

it

with the

and forth with a

strong scraping motion until you have the desired
effect. Dust the morsels of paper off and clean the
cutting edge.

firmly back

it

surface bv rubbing with

a light

eraser.

described.
After your painting dries, put three or four layers of
absorbent tissue (Kleenex) over the waxed area. Then

melt and blot the wax into the tissue with a medium
hot iron. Press lightly. Repeat this with fresh tissues
until all the wax has been removed. White school

crayon
remain

is

best

when you want

specifically with paraffin, can

stration

the masked out area to

on masking out,
be found in the demon-

really white. Further details

on

pp. 82-84.

UNUSUAL EFFECTS
I'll

attempt to describe some additional unusual

fects

which

suit

me

consider, but don't accept

Chisel
I

Shaped

purposely

Bristle

left

ef-

personally. These are for you to

them unconditionally.

Brush

the use of a chisel shaped bristle brush

because, although it's not comfind it very effective. It's made by

(A) to this section

monly used,
Grumbacher and
I

Razor Blade

and

1".

It's

it

comes

The limited use of a razor blade (f) can also be an

effective way to expose white touches in a dark
background. These crisp touches of white will add
sparkle and snap to your painting. But don't overdo it.
Your painting has to be bone dry and the razor blade

wet-in-wet technique.

very sharp.

create exciting results

24

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

in

three sizes: 1/4", 1/2",

the best brush (as far as I'm concerned) for

Its

firm bristles give fast results

on wet or dry paper, because

it

picks

up more paint

than a soft hair brush. really prefer to use it on wet

paper because it can pick up thick pigment and
spread it on a wide area very fast, allowing me to
1

in

rapid sequence.

Brush Handle Point

The top

of your brush

handle

(6)

an extremely

is

useful tool in defining dark lines while the paint

wet. Immediately after you apply your Vvash,

is still

draw

into

with your brush handle point with a firm, wellcontrolled pressure. The sharp point will scrape into
it

the surface of the wet paper, damaging its fibers

enough to create a blotting condition. The wet paint
rush into this crack, allowing the water to soak in
but trapping the pigment on the surface. This more
concentrated amount of pigment will appear darker
will

after

it

dries.

One

warning: you must be dead accurate, because

final. There is no way to correct

you make a mistake. You may also use a small
twig or any sharp instrument instead of the tip of your

these scraped lines are

them

if

brush handle.

Squeezed Pigment
another effective touch and
a pocketknife is
the best tool to apply it with. The grainier and darker
the paint is the better it will look. It can be applied

Squeezed pigment
is

(C)

is

simple to apply. The dull point of

when

shine.

You can

dark area

still

is

moist, just after

also create the

desired area after

dry by rewetting

it's

it's

lost its

same condition over the

it.

Spread clean

water over the area with light pressure from a clean,

soft brush. When the paint is in a moist condition,
hold the dull point of your pocketknife at a low angle,
(Make sure the angle of the blade

pressing very firmly.

is low or you can easily tear the surface of the paper.)

Squeeze the paint off the area it touches. A light tone

of the color

it

has just

removed

will

off (D)

can be

very effective way to

be

left.

Wiping Off
Wiping paint

achieve transparency after you've gone too dark.

Grainy pigments lend themselves better to this effect.
After your painting is dry, rewet the area that you
want to make lighter. The more often you go over the

same area with

wet brush, the more

it

will

disturb

When

you feel
the pigment is loose enough, quickly blot it up with a
very absorbent tissue, using a fresh, clean piece each
time to avoid carrying the paint back onto the painting. This same method works equally well on a wide
area or on a thin hairline. Only your wetting brush will
the paint on. the surface of the paper.

The point of a fine bristle brush lends itself to

wiping back fine lines (twigs, weeds, wires, etc.) and a
wide, soft brush is best on a large surface.
You should constantly look for unusual effects. If
you paint a lot, chances are that you'll stumble onto
accidental touches that can make instant improvements in your watercolor painting skill. Learn to
recognize these accidental effects, because they'll
help you create your own personal style.

differ.

LANDSCAPE PAINTING TECHNIQUES

25

LEARNING TO SEE THE LANDSCAPE

3.

The

first

thing the landscape painter must

the

do

is

The most important advice

learn

and to beconne

can offer

is

this:

either

personality.

landscapes or keenly observe the

details of unfamiliar ones, and stick to the decisions
that are the results of this observation.

KNOW YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Local Conditions

to see his subject

landscape

acquainted with the many facets of

intimately

Familiarizing yourself with the area you

paint

is

as essential to a

necessary technical

In fact,

A palm tree
palm trees don't grow

part of this

place;

skill.

good painting

skill.

in

the

in a

as

it's

its

intend to
having the

fundamental

snow

looks out of

snow. If you're painting in unfamiliar

your sense of observation controls what you

in

life

ful painting.

obeyed

of

balance of
in a

seasons influence every area

to place; the four

success-

(See demonstration, pp. 70-72.)

conditions have such a special set of qualities that

advise you not to add to their natural details.

how

of familiarity of

environment and

conditions is of fundamental importance to a

successful landscape painting. Conflicting elements
of

Harmony
of

How-

you can safely leave out anything from a foggy

scene that you do not wish to use in your painting
fog eliminates distant objects anyway!
ever,

The combination

To insure

in a

tion makes an enormous difference in the vegetation.

The almost constant presence of high winds on a
mountain peak will twist, torture, and even break a
tree which would survive at a lower altitude. Foggy

paint

The harmony

create the

nature, will also have to be truly

in

territory,
will

these factors, which

of your surroundings goes

hand with the need to be familiar with local

conditions. Atmospheric conditions differ from place
hand

different way; a valley differs from a mountain; eleva-

or will not paint. The character of the vegetation and

the rock formations, the animal life, the colors, the
all
behavior of water and sky, the kind of structures

are determined by locale and climate.

A thorough knowledge

enough

climate cold

for

try to paint familiar

this

harmony

realistic or

of natural elements, regardless

how "designy"

your painting may

be, don't improvise details unless you're certain that

the invented element could exist in the environment
of your painting. Keep everything in its place and
related to one another. For example, bulrushes are a

very fascinating part of the landscape in most parts of

North America, but they only grow in swampy, waterif you put them on a
you would create an impossible

saturated areas. Consequently,

high, rocky ledge,

combination

(A).

You would allow an uneasy, un-

natural condition to spoil your painting.

not only offend the senses of a knowledgeable

viewer but will quickly give away the painter's lack of
experience as well.
will

CHOOSING YOUR SUBJECT

The

first

and most important necessity for any painter

(landscape painters in particular) is to learn to see.

This sounds like an easy task, but it involves more than
just opening your eyes. It means seeing beauty hidden
or camouflaged by interfering clutter. For example, if

you walk in the forest you're conscious of trees,

and the color of ferns around you. To see a
little violet tucked away behind a stump you must
make an effort. You must stop and carefully look. And
when you spot something like this, you must recog-

foliage,

as a potential painting subject. Just look;

nize

it

is all

around you

if

you look

for

it.

beauty

(See demonstration,

pp. 169-171.)

Discriminate

Never paint anything exactly as it appears in front of

A painter should not be merely a poor substitute
for a camera. Evaluate everything and try to visualize
the finished painting before you start. Decide in
you.

26

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

advance what you want to leave out, what you want to

paint, and where you want to paint it. Your creative
mind, not your eyes, must control your decisions.
Nature tends to look very complex to the eyes. Let's
It's up to the artist to be
it, nature is complex!
discriminating, to judge how much of the scene in
front of him should be part of his painting and how
much should be eliminated. Complexity by itself is not
wrong. It is wrong, however, to accept it merely
face

because

there.

it's

Simplify
in the

beginning, you'll find

make

part of nature will

it

difficult to

know what

a particular painting a

good

one. To help you see the main forms, here's a helpful

suggestion: when in doubt, squint hard. Only the

important elements will be visible, making it easier for

you to judge if you're looking at a good potential
subject or not. Squinting simplifies forms to their basic
structure, and these are the core of your painting.

Commit Yourself

painting

the

mood,

is

like a tape:

it

plays back the personality,

of the. artist. Unless you're just exercising,

don't start a painting

the subject.

if

you're not really excited about

you're excited, your flying

If

mood

will

help you create a painting with impact and will give

you a much greater sense of achievement than if you
just paint a pretty picture.

Drawing

SIMPLE SUBJECTS

attention to

When you

drawing with

When
face a simple subject that you want to

paint, the first thing

you must do

is

observe

it

care-

Study the intricate little details in form as well as

in color. Analyze the number of colors you'll need for
your palette and stay with them. Imagine that no other
colors exist. This limited use of color will permit you to
pay more attention to form, value, and composition.
(See demonstration, pp. 172-174.)

fully.

you paint simple subject matter, pay careful

good drawing.

don't

mean

necessarily

mean pay
before you paint;
attention to the correct proportions and the drawing
quality of every little detail that you consider important. The grass blades next to a stump, for example,
a pencil

on an extreme closeup, will destroy your painting if

thrown in as a confused pattern (C).
Draw them with a carefully controlled brush, composing each one of them to complement the total

they're merely

impact of your painting

(D).

Detail

To

illustrate

single,

what

dried-up

mean,

let's

take a few examples.

Queen Anne's lace

stuck

in

the heavy

snow {A) is the first example. The many tones of

browns and grays on the delicate stems of this delightful little weed can only be seen from very close
up, but you must render the subject accurately even at

the cost of slight exaggeration

in a

quiet pool of water (6)

in color.
is

floating leaf

the second example.

way
submerged, including its
shiny sparkles. In this case,
wiped back the background after held a paper cutout of the shape of the
Painstakingly observe the form of the leaf and the
it

looks where

it's

partially

leaf tightly to

the surface of the dry paint of the water.

LEARNING TO

SEE

THE LANDSCAPE

27

Don't Overwork the Subject Matter

have emphasized the importance of carefully drawn
must warn you of a very
real danger: don't overdo it. The line between a welldone, detailed but fresh rendering and an overworked painting is very thin. You must use your own
I

details in this section, but

know when to stop. Your own artistic

and creative discipline must be the judge. Simple

discretion to
taste

much

subjects don't take too

physical time.

If

you're

one do it over several times

you get one just right. Don't keep

not satisfied with the

first

if necessary, until
the bad ones. Bad paintings have the habit of showing
up from nowhere to embarrass you should you be-

come

an accomplished painter!

COMPLEX SUBJECTS
is able to render a complex subject on
an organized manner, he shows a mature
discipline that can only be achieved through a con-

When

an

artist

a painting in

To do this, you need a

and imaginative approach. (See dem-

scious period of evolution.

positive, daring,

onstration, pp. 175-177.)

Simplifying
Simplifying
practical

is

way

essential.

to

do

As

I've

mentioned before, one

this, particularly in

the beginning,

through squinting eyes. The

blur which results from your squinting eliminates the
clutter and emphasizes the essential. This method is
extremely helpful in allowing you to analyze your
composition; it insures that you capture not the pretty
clutter but the real substance of the scene before you.
Let's take a few examples: the lush interior of a
forest; bouncing reflections in a lazily moving body of
is

to observe the subject

water; a crowd of people; the colorful texture of

hunk

of rock.

Technical
involved

Any

skill is

in

of these could arouse your interest.

do justice to the problems

them which can only be acquired

essential to

painting

through practice.
Very often you'll find a charming, pattern-like, busy
subject without a real center of interest. In this case.

28

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

add your own center of interest. Let's use the examabove to illustrate what
mean: a small, misty
opening through the forest {A); a floating water lily in
reflecting water (6); a child sitting on its father's
shoulder in the crowd (C); a sharp crack in the rock
ples

these devices would serve the purpose of

adding a center of interest to an otherwise dispersed
(D).

All

scene and focusing the eye on

a specific point.

fere with the unit of your composition. They can easily

creep into your work in the heat of creation. Stop
frequently while you paint and check the unity of the

whole

painting.

you're satisfied that the painting

If

needs more work, continue up

spot, then look again.
Don't

Work When

to the next uncertain

You're Tired

Don't work on complicated paintings

Detail Studies
tired.

Prepare a few detail studies before you plunge into

the finished work.
skillfully

they

Keep

in

mind

that details,

however

may be rendered, should never

inter-

They need more

than other subjects.

when

you're

of your concentrated

energy
tend to

When

you're tired, you'll

be impatient and you won't be able to achieve as

good a result as when in a refreshed frame of mind.

LEARNING TO

SEE

THE LANDSCAPE

29

LANDSCAPE COMPOSITION

4.

a landscape is basically the same as composing any other subject. The picture space must be
arranged according to the same principles of relation-

Composing

and perspective

ships, balance,

that

govern

all

com-

position.

RELATIONSHIPS
a painting is made up of relationships
between objects and the space that surrounds them.
Setting up these relationships by combining forms and
spaces to produce a harmonious unit is what composition is all about. Composition involves the orderly
placing of forms, shapes, and spaces so that they look
and feel pleasant. You cannot throw together X
number of objects in a hodgepodge and expect it to
be pleasing. You must exercise judgment in placing

Fundamentally,

these elements. (See demonstration, pp. 91-93.)

Space is that area in your painting that objects don't

occupy. It's as important as form, for the two together
make a composition healthy. Space is negative form;
objects are positive form. You can use the space

between objects

as a flat surface (A) or as the illusion

of space in depth (6).

Avoid apparent holes

way

to

but

in

do

in

your composition. The best

by arranging areas not symmetrically

is
the killer of composition. Don't place important objects in the geometric center of your painting. There are visual
centers which are points of proven magnetism to our
sense of vision, and they're the points which give our
this

Space

is

harmony. Monotony

esthetic sense the

most

satisfaction.

Four of these

points are very easy to find, regardless of the dimensions of your painting.

Imagine two

vertical

dividing your painting into three even spaces.

same

horizontally.

lines

Do

The four points where the

the

lines

cross are the strongest attention points (C).

Value

The value

degree of darkness or
You can't measure it; it's a matter of judgment. Developing the ability
to recognize good tone balance can result in many
simple compositions in black and white, with two or
of an object

is

its

lightness in relation to other objects.

three extra tones (different grays).

object looks dark or light only

if

you

dark or light

relate

it

to

some

other value. Holding this light-dark relationship in a

composition is what is meant by holding a picture in
key. The simpler the subject, usually the better the

30

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

cannot overemphasize the importance of

tonal arrangement sketches of every
subject. Give these sketches much thought and planning, until you can no longer improve on your
composition.
Light next to dark creates a dramatic effect. More
white suggests a happy mood; black injects mystery
and drama. Dark gray (moonlight, for example) indicates a romantic quality; while light gray can form a
pleasant background' for other tones, giving a landpicture.

doing

scape

basic

warm,

rainy

mood

(D).

through various elements to the center of interest. By

rhythm, mean rhythm of line or space or similarity of
I

contrast in values.

The same

rule applies to pictorial

composition as to all good organization: a single

theme should be complemented by subordinate elements.

Harmony
Harmony is the artistic balance which results when
you place everything with regard to its proper rhythm
and relationship within your picture area. Never allow
your composition to fly apart. Never permit monotonous repetition. A good composition should have a
variety of textures. In the final analysis, a

position
senses.

must "feel"

To sum up:

and always

listen to

esthetically

try to

develop

good com-

correct

good

to

your

artistic taste

it.

Repetition

well-painted, fresh watercolor

is an exciting thing to
but even a technically skilled artist can ruin a
painting if he allows monotonous elements to creep

look

Rhythm
Rhythm helps the eye follow the order of the composition. A good use of rhythm can give your painting
not only harmony but a sense of movement as well.
An element repeated without a change of shape or
size is monotonous. You can create good rhythm in
seemingly monotonous subjects by purposely varying
the size and position of the repeated elements

When two

or

more forms

they should differ

position should

in size,

at,

into his composition. Repetition is one of the biggest

dangers to preserving spontaneity in a painting. The
human mind tends to organize everything to death.
Take, for example, a dozen trees. If planted by man,
they'll most likely be in a mechanical order of some

(f).

are of a similar shape,

and vice

versa.

Your com-

lead the eye freely from point to

Never allow the eye to become trapped in a

good rhythm, order, and balance.
The theme of your composition should surround
your center of interest, not detract from it. A wellplanned rhythm will lead the eye unconsciously
point.

corner; create

.^s^-HV
mty\\i\\\.%v.-^

LANDSCAPE COMPOSITION

31

nature manages to grow

number of trees in an uneven, more natural,
and more pleasing disorder (B). In a painting, a toosort {A). In contrast to this,

the same

rhythm is monotonous,
and much less pleasant than the more disordered
order found in nature. Even if natural objects are
stringent kind of organized

dull,

accidentally
artist

in

perfect,

monotonous rhythm, the

must move them around and shuffle them into

natural, easy-to-look-at composition.

Sameness of Direction
Another danger is too many forms running in the
same direction. Too many verticals or too many
horizontals give away a poor artist's uncertainty every
time. You'll find opportunities to use your imagination when nature doesn't supply you with complementary forms. For instance, in a panoramic scene
of rolling farmland continuing up to the horizon (C),
you may see a challenge in color or in the play of
interesting patterns. However, you're conscious of the
monotony, and you want to do something to break it.
Since

all

the

lines

run

in

horizontal

direction,

complement them with some vertical object or objects (D). The soothing relief this creative move offers
to the senses should

be obvious to you

the examples given here.

as

you look

at

center of interest should

almost never be in the

geometric center of the picture. The strength of this
most important element of your painting can and will
determine the degree of impact of your composition.
It can be an object, a person, or even a touch of color.
(See demonstration, pp. 94-96.)

Object

You

as

Center of Interest

most likely select an object for the center of

because a particular object is often the very
reason that an idea was born in your mind in the first
place. The strength of this object can be measured by
will

interest,

the relationship between

it,

as the

center of interest,

and the rest of your painting. Take a tiny feather

caught in a farm fence, for example. If you paint this
accidental little touch as just another detail, far

enough

in

distance not to

demand much

attention,

survive only as a

bring

it

up close

(A)

accidental touch of color can also liven up

painting and create your center of interest. For ex-

ample,

if

you're painting a gray and

lifeless rotting

stump will probably be your center of

interest. Your grayish subtlety in color will cause the
strong form of the old tree to occupy a place of
importance. But if you decide to paint a fungus on the
side of the stump in a bright orange color, this touch
of brightness will be strong enough to relegate the
tree stump to a place of secondary importance. Using
color in this way must be natural
an essential,
related part of the rest of your painting. You cannot
use it as a crutch to rescue an otherwise weak work.
You have to plan it as part of your painting from the
stump,

this

beginning to insure the unity of the picture.

it

mere incident. However, if you

and make it the most important
part of your painting, subduing everything else, you'll
create a powerful center of interest out of an otherwise insignificant object. You can have a good idea for
a painting, but its success depends on the center of
interest. For an example of the importance of a strong
center of interest, see the raven beating his wings
against the misty morning sky in B.
will

Color as Center of Interest

An

Location of Center of Picture

The location

your center of interest is as important

it
will be. Because it is the
strongest element in your composition, the center of
interest must occupy the choicest location. The four
as

for

the choice of what

visual (esthetic) attention points (see Relationships, p.

30) are strong locations,

good
Remember:

but they're not

location for the center of interest.

center of interest rules the rest of your painting.

as a

the

The second

is

the horizon or eye level.

he third

is

the

vanishing point.

There are three vanishing points in every view. Your

eye viewpoint is one of the vanishing points. Two of
the vanishing points of every object will fall on the eye
level line, but not necessarily within your picture area.
The third one (your eye viewpoint) will be either

above or below the eye

the object
ing

is

placed

may have

(6).

level line,

depending on how
one paint-

Several objects in

different vanishing points, but the eye

level will always

be the same.

Planes of a Painting

To make your painting appear three dimensional, use

perspective in color and tone as well as in line. To
simplify the problem, divide the

'-mi^

depth of your paint-

ing into three easy-to-identify units. Let's call

them

middleground, and background. Pay

careful attention to the measureable distance from
your eyes to the furthest object from you. They're

foreground,

essential to an accurate, believable representation of

any scene. If you emphasize one at the expense of the

other two, you'll be able to create dramatic effects.
Simplify the thousands of intricate values {degrees
of darkness) to light, medium, and dark values. Don't
confuse color with value. Any color will appear lighter
jn the distance than close up.
Contrast

Emphasis

The degree

You can add more importance to the foreground,

middleground, or background by painting each either
very light or very dark but

in

strong contrast to the

other two areas. Emphasizing the foreground (C) is

the most natural approach, because of its nearness.

We're more aware of details simply because we can

them clearly. When you accentuate the middleground (D), you give the impression of changing
light conditions caused by moving cloud patches. By
accentuating the background (f), you're running the
see

risk of

painting too

much

detail.

Control your value

and color perspective.

34

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

WATERCOLOR

moods can be

is

entirely at

created with

with subtle, hardly noticeable

doubt, small thumbnail sketches
will help you decide in which direction to go. Remember: the greater the contrast you create between
your dark and light values, the more dramatic the
strong
tones.

contrast

If

you're

or

in

result will be.

VALUE AND FORM

When
talking

IN

of contrast in your painting

your command. Various

artist talks about values in his painting, he's

about the tone, the strength, the lightness or

an

darkness of

his colors,

much

as

he might

talk

about

Form
appear three dimen-

the blacks, whites, and grays in a photograph.

way objects are painted to

sional on a two dimensional surface
the

is

the result of

correct values. (See demonstration, pp. 100-102.)

Painting in

One

Color

about values, and to prevent becoming

confused too soon by multiple colors, paint a little
sketch with only one color. Think before you paint
each stroke. Make sure the distant objects appear
lighter than the close ones. Objects in sunlight should

To

learn

be more detailed, more carefully defined, than

shaded ones. A good color to use might be Payne's
gray. Copying from a black and white photograph
could help you get started.
Painting in

Two

Colors

your sketch, paint the same

Add burnt sienna to your
Payne's gray. You can use the colors separately or mix
them. The combined washes will give you a dark,
greenish color. Don't let color confuse you. As you
apply your washes, don't think in terms of color, but
and
think of them as grays
in terms of value
If

you

feel satisfied with

thing

with two colors.

you'll

be able to achieve

good

result easily.

Painting in Three Colors

Now

same picture with three colors on your

Manganese blue might be a good choice for

paint the

palette.

your third color. Now that you're using three colors,

you'll find the control of values a little more demanding. Remember that warm colors appear closer
than cool ones. Think of a pale blue mountain, for
example; it's pale blue only when you're far away. As

perhaps
you move closer to it, it warms up in color
even to a rich brown rock color. If you're able to
control your values, you'll achieve a sense of distance,
a feeling of three dimensions in your painting. (See
Three Dimensions, Perspective, p. 33, for further

relationship to each other, as well as to the background, shows carefully considered values. While
painted the birch trunks with their ragged peelings,
1

constantly tried to
solid,

young

make

the trunks feel round and

while the bark peelings had to feel thin. The

trees in the middleground are a pleasant

contrast; they lead your eyes into the massive, distant

forest,

where value becomes

especially

important.

Because of the distance, the form of the total forest

more apparent than the forms of individual trees.

is

THE VALUE OF WHITE SPACE

details.)

One

Visualizing
It

most unexpected demands of watercolor

beginner is understanding the importance of
white space. (See demonstration, pp. 103-105.)

takes experience and

skill,

to give form to everything

treetrunk can be painted

but above

you

flat

knowledge,
example, a
can be painted
all

paint. For

(D) or

it

round, and rugged (f). The treetrunk in f has

good form; the treetrunk in D hasn't. As you paint any
object, keep the form in mind. Don't paint the front of
an object only; try to paint the solidity or the look of
solidity of the object. "Think form while you work" is
solid,

good

rule to

go

by.

the demonstration on pp. 100-102,

show the
sequence in which painted a clump of lovely birches
In

in

of the

for a

Form

the snow. Their forms are

fairly strong, yet their

White Space
in

is

Paper

true transparent watercolor, a white space

negative quality, because white space

is

is

not painted.

is never used because it's opaque and less

than white paper. Train your mind to accept
the challenge in planning your painting around these
white areas of clean paper. It's the white paper that
allows the colors to look brilliant, because the reflective quality of the paper bounces the light through the

White paint
brilliant

thin

layer of

paint and produces the sensation of

LANDSCAPE COMPOSITION

35

watercolor painting. The thicker, the

is, the less the white light of
the reflecting paper will be. Since you're trying to take
full advantage of the transparent nature of watercolor,
allowing opacity would be an imperfection.

translucency

in a

more opaque

Plan

the paint

Ahead

In transparent watercolor, the ultimate

purity

in

is

your white paper; it's the most brilliant value that you
have at your command. Wherever you leave white
space, make sure it's thoughtfully planned to be an
integral part of your composition. Intelligent use of

pure space

rare virtue

is

even among the best

Pure space creates extreme contrast

with dark hues. It adds drama and clean freshness to
your work. The more daring you are with it, the better
watercolorists.

the result

will be.

Mood
With the wet-in-wet technique, you have the most
subtle and intimate blending of color and pure white
at

your command. The use of color next to white

creates varying

moods

in

spite of the fact that the

never changes (A). For example, a bright

group of trees in the fall, painted with a generous
amount of white around it (6), will make the space
appear warm in tone and will indicate a happy and
white

itself

relaxed disposition.

painted

area will look

mood

If

in a dull, gray,

the

same group

mood

wintry

more somber and

of trees

(C),

is

the white

cool, adding to the

of your subject.

Try to visualize a closeup of

mass of

lush, drying

weeds in the fall looking bright and sunny. You can

add more snap to the brightness of this sketch if you
scrape one or two white lines to indicate shiny
highlights on those weeds (D). Remember: this must
be done after the paper is completely dry.
White space is a psychological aid in the hands of a
skilled artist. It can keep you excited while you paint.
It

suggests clean freshness. Brave use of

of the

unexpected

to your painting.

it

adds

From

touch

com-

pletely vignetted effect to a tiny, sparkly star in the

dark sky, white paper

is

yours to use.

SEQUENCE OF PAINTING
The sequence or order

of application of elements in

help you
it can
emphasize or underplay certain parts of your composition. There are different approaches available to
the painter; shall mention a few.

your painting

is

important, because

Center of Interest

My own

preference is to start with the center of

and then go on to the next important

interest {A)

36

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

element, then the next and the next, until reach the
least important touches at the end. The most significant part of my composition is the center of interest.
I

This

must be painted with the greatest

care.

Because

the less significant parts are related to the already

interest

existing

wrong area

is

point,

the risk of overplaying the

eliminated.

Correcting Dry Painting

Occasionally,

Light to

Dark

Another proven method

is

to paint

from

light

value to

conventional approach, because of the transparent quality of watercolor, and

involves the least amount of risk.
dark

This

(B).

is

you'll

some

miss

details.

After

your

you may want to correct the

problem on the dry painting. Analyze the area where
you want to add more wash. If you have to rewet the
paper, use a soft haired, wide brush which is perfectly
clean. Apply a wash of clean water quickly and gently.
Make sure the wet area is a lot wider than you want
your new wash to run, unless you wish the color to
seep all the way to the edge of the dry spot.
painting

finished,

is

a safe,

REFERENCE SKETCHES
To achieve
must

high level of perfection

strive to

be more than

be

strive to

a painter.

painter

are reflected in his work.

a tool to

communicate

He

is

in

painting,

you

craftsman; you must

one whose emotions

uses his technical

to his viewers

skill

through

as

their

visual sense.

Sketching Helps You Choose

When you face nature as a landscape painter, you can,

and probably will, experience many emotions at the
same

time.

You may

find

it

difficult to distinguish

the

scene which has greatest impact on you. One of the

ways to crystallize your thoughts is to make reference
sketches. These little decision-makers can be small but
they should show their purpose clearly in the variety

Dark to Light

of their treatment.

Dark to

light (C)

is

the opposite method. The danger

work is constantly with you, because

keep touching, and occasionally go over,

of ruining your

you have to

already successfully rendered details as you apply

more washes. The

sparkle and freshness of the dark to

sequence, however, gives a very satisfying result.

Don't be afraid to touch already dry, dark washes;
just make sure you're quick with your brushstrokes
and never go back immediately fpr a second touch.
The first wash over dry paint loosens the pigment but
doesn't move it. The second touch of the brush will
smear the loose pigment.
light

For example, take this simple scene: close to you a

tree leans over a cold trout stream rushing

handsome

around shiny, dark rocks; you can see the deep, rich
on the opposite bank. You may
see the light changing under the rushing clouds which

colors of vegetation

hide the sun's direct light. It's quite possible that the
clouds will move away momentarily and allow bright
sunshine to light up some parts of your subject. If you
like these changing conditions, you may decide to do
several reference sketches to see

which would make

the best painting to represent your feeling {A, B, C,

andD).

LANDSCAPE COMPOSITION

37

sketching Captures the

You may do

little

sketches, but

and

if

mood

if

Moment

pencil or ink drawings as reference

you want

conditions allow,

try

to

do

them,

real justice to

using paint. Create

color

drawing; establish composition and

tone values. But don't attempt to capture unnecessary
details, as this is a time consuming part of the painting
procedure. Speed is the most important thing in
reference sketching. It's important to make sure that
as well as a

the excitement which triggered your painting a particular subject will not diminish or weaken before your
painting

is

finished. This quality of excitement will

work the value that comes from its

being the fruit of your own feeling.
Quite often these reference sketches will have so

give your final

much charm and

freshness that you

may

find

it

hard,

if

not impossible, to transfer this quality to your finished

work. You should not be discouraged, however,

because chances are that your painting will still have
more of your personality in it than if you hadn't had
that extremely successful first rough sketch to work
from.

Keep Sketches Loose

You may find your reference sketches so enjoyable to
do that you'll tend not to try larger paintings. If this
happens, you could end up with small sketches which
are overworked,

because you'll inevitably attempt

which are only possible in larger scale paintings, if you find yourself trapped in this kind of
frustration, paint a few larger pieces of work to loosen
up again. After all, the reason for reference sketches is
to improve the quality of your paintings, not to
substitute for them.
Speed is the greatest value of these reference
sketches. The short painting time will allow you to
details

capture short-lived subjects such as sunsets, rainbows,

moving waves, etc. Use them often; their value is
certain.

38

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

PAINTING THE SEASONS

5.

The four

distinctly different faces of tfie

landscape are

the four seasons. Each season offers a different

challenge and requires a different approach; each has

seen

in

unique personality

and mood.

when

is reborn;
boost also! Color
is the key note for spring. Climate has a lot to do with
the vigor of spring. Generally speaking, spring shows

think of spring as the time

Flowers

nature

the urge to paint seems to get a

little

up with the greatest impact

areas

in

where snow

is

in a

mass

(B),

should be treated as
tion

SPRING
I

Masses of Green
either

on

a color

trees or

area

unless they're very close.

on the ground,

with
If

little

defini-

they're very close,

they form the center of interest, and the details must

be carefully controlled (C). Fresh greens can be either
friend or foe. Overexaggerating an area of brilliant

new green foliage is a sure way to kill a good painting.

Consciously avoid this tendency and listen to your
good

taste.

part of winter. This includes the largest geographical

part of

North America, and

is

the spring I'm most

familiar with. (See demonstration, pp. 157-159.)

Color

A keen eye

that sees subtleties

is

very important to a

painter. Spring offers subtleties in great

abundance,

but you have to be able to spot them. associate fresh,

clean colors with spring; new shoots, outbursts of
I

color,

buds

(A),

and

all

color that appear only

spring landscape

The

transfer

is

is

very

the million shades of fresh

in

the springtime.

much

so subtle that at

like
first

one
you

An

early

of late winter.
really

have to

The tree buds begin to have a livelier

color as the snow starts to melt. Then the dry weeds
and grass show touches of green. After the buds turn
into flowers, and then into leaves, you must be on
your toes not be be overwhelmed by the bright
colors. The fresh brilliance of spring hues can easily
turn your painting into a "pretty," commercial looksearch for

it.

ing effort.

Spring Fever

want to point out the emotional value of spring

The smell of fresh spring air and the song of
birds have a strong influence on human emotions. A
landscape painter is no exception. This excitement
adds new vigor to a painter's enthusiasm. Take advantage of it. When you feel the need for a fresh
spring walk in the country, take your paints and
brushes with you. There's an excellent chance that
1

fever.

PAINTING THE SEASONS

39

come back with some exciting sketches that

you didn't even realize you had in you. Dress warmly,
to make sure any physical discomfort will not discourage you from staying as long as you feel like

you'll

painting.

SUMMER
Summer

time of maturing. The heat of the sun

is

summer landscape. This heat, and the

summer sun, is a real problem for a

causes a lush

brightness of the

watercolor painter. Avoid painting in direct sun if

possible. Find a shady spot, and make sure the shade
won't move off you before you're finished with your
sketch. (See demonstration, pp. 160-162.)

Avoid Direct Sunlight

Here are some

sun.

direct

of the reasons that

First,

you should avoid

you're working on

wh

te

paper,

and the glaring whiteness will blind you while you

paint and will distort your sense of values. Second,
the heat from direct sun dries your paint on the
warm paper almost as soon as your brush touches
this limitation prevents you from taking adit

vantage of
colorist.

than
will

the techniques available to a waterthe sun's light is brighter

finally,
indoor lighting in which your painting
all

And

any
be viewed

sun,

loud

the colors

but the same colors

in

subdued

will

look dull

become

will

in direct

bright and

because you used more

lighting

paint to cover the glaring white paper.

Sunglasses

Using sunglasses

is

trick

that

myself avoid. In

theory, distortion that colored glasses cause applies

not only to your subject but to the colors you paint

with as well. In practice, however, it's a different story.
While you will be able to mix greens as greens, blues

you won't be able to control the subtle,

inbetween shades to your satisfaction when wearing

as blues, etc.,

sunglasses.

Monotony
Monotony
Most

trees

another danger during the summer.

have lush green foliage that can look

is

A creative mind
Look for the touches that add
to your painting: flowers (A),

uninteresting to the untrained eye.

has to improvise a
variety

and

little.

interest

rocks (B), houses, tree bark, discolored leaves, strongly sunlit spots (C), puddles (D),
are but a few details that can have a prominent place
in your summer landscape.
Summer sky is a very powerful element (see Painting Skies in Chapter 9). White fluffy cumulus clouds or
colorful

objects,

enormous thunderheads

40

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

will

always add powerful

impact to an otherwise plain

sound

summer

landscape.

thunder is a little bit in all

of us. When you paint a thunderstorm in summer
should reflect this tense alertness. This dramatic
it
quality is essential; it's what makes a work of art out
of a doodle. Don't be afraid to reflect your own disposition in your painting. A cool, breezy day or a hot,
muggy afternoon should play back these very conditions to the viewer. Using warm colors will make your
painting look hot; cool colors will appear fresher.
Consciously select your colors to complement the
weather conditions. A painting of summer rain should
child's fright at the

of

have the same silent, thirst-quenching quality that the

rain drops have as they kiss the flower petals and roll
into tiny, sparkling beads before soaking into the soil.
In

summer

landscape, play

down monotony and

exaggerate the exciting.

prefer gray, cloudy conditions to sunshine.

element to otherwise overwhelming color. Gray skies

can very successfully be blended with the colorful
foliage by permitting the sky and the foliage to flow
into one another as you apply both simultaneously.
Lack of contrast

calm

mood

landscape.

is

the best

method

of insuring the

gray sky contributes to an

Weeds and

autumn

ripe vegetables are also strong

fall

(A). In

farm

country, the fields offer fascinating color patterns,

while the busy activity of animal

life

enhances the

impact of autumn painting.

Reflecting Water
I'd like to

bring to your attention the importance of

reflecting water in the

AUTUMN
With the outburst of autumn, a landscape painter
problem to that of summer paint-

faces the opposite

Instead of

contributing factors to the colors of

fall (6). If you handle it right,

an unusual way, it will add strength to
your work. Too many people, however, including
some competent painters, feel that they must have
water in their autumn paintings at any cost. Avoid
falling into this rut. It could dull your thinking and

preferably

ing.

The

subtle lighting of a gray day introduces a calming

monotony, everything

is

filled

with

excitement. The bright reds of maple trees, the brilliant yellows of birches, an infinite number of shades

glowing color, all demand self-control from a

If you paint a brightly colored autumn scene
exactly as it is, you'll most likely end up with a garish
looking sketch. Too much color is the danger in
a fall landscape. (See demonstration, pp. 163-165.)
of

painter.

make you

in

lose interest.

Too much

of a

good thing

is

simply too much!

Late fall has a calm beauty that seems to influence
most subjects. Some leftover color is all that reminds
us of the fiery brilliance that blinded us only a few
weeks before. Play up these little insignificant color

Light Conditions
Light conditions play a very important role, as well.
Sunshine opposes gray, overcast, or rainy days. When
you paint in brilliant sunshine, use one clean pigment
to get maximum brilliance out of your washes. Use

your paint lavishly. Remember that watercolor looks

much denser when wet than after it dries. Fight for
color unity in your painting. Look for color accents.
Take advantage of reflections. Observe how much
brighter the light colors and

darks are during or after

how much deeper

the

a rainfall.

PAINTING THE SEASONS

41

However

spots (C).

they are, they'll look very

tiny

you contrast them against subtle surroundings. The brilliant colors of autumn are shortlived, so don't hesitate too long to capture them.
strong

if

WINTER
The clean beauty of white snow makes a star performer out of a humble blade of grass. This is the time of
year

when

significant

feel justice

members

is

being served to the

of nature's

kingdom

after

giants have had their grandstand play. (See

in-

the

demon-

stration, pp. 166-168.)

Characteristics of

Snow

In the winter, form, design, and composition

become

extremely important. Colors are subtle and few. Take

full advantage of the white paper, but don't labor
under the false impression that snow is pure white; it
isn't. White snow reflects other hues much more
vividly than any other color. On a sunny day it looks
blue, particularly in the shadows, as it reflects the blue
sky above. No matter how quiet or obvious these
because these are the
reflections may be, find them
touches that add life to a winter landscape.
The drama of white against other colors constantly
challenges the artist. Study a single snowflake (A). It's
crystallized water. The beauty of this tiny particle of
winter's building material should remain in the back
of your mind as you paint snow. After all, any amount

snow on the ground, on the heavily packed

branches, or on the roof is made up of billions of
these little crystals (B). Try to get out of the city to see

of

winter

snow

at its best.

to feel the

Make

warmth

blizzard to winter

is

manhole in the waist-deep

snow as you stand in it.
like thunder to summer. It

of the

makes man feel insignificant in front of nature's

power. To paint such an experience, to capture this
feeling of isolation, you have to work vigorously. Only
immediate objects will be defined, depending on how
iMS^iim^

heavy the snowfall was.

Carefully observe the snow on the ground: is it
darker or lighter in tone than the sky above it? It varies
depending on the weather conditions. Snowdrifts fC)
are fascinating forms and add interest to an otherwise
weak subject. Study each one with care. The light that
defines their form can be either very subtle or very
severe and should be painted with care.

Blowing Snow

You can

paint blowing

snow

(D) very effectively as

your background, ignoring the mist

of drifting snow. After it's dry, repeatedly wipe the
pigment back from the area where the wind-blown
snow appears with a firm brush and clean water.
Avoid hard edges. Continue these light wiping touchfollows.

42

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

Paint

the tissue. With each wipe, imitate the direction of the

can be obtained by an ice-melting blower plugged

into your car's lighter, or the car heater, or by a

blowing snow.

bonfire.

65, blotting

up the loose pigment

after

each stroke of

watercolor is difficult
because of the temperature problem. Try to paint in a
sheltered spot. You can use chemicals in the water to
Technically, winter painting

in

avoid freezing. Alcohol and a few drops of glycerin

diluted in water acts as an antifreeze. Too much
glycerin, however, may prevent drying completely.

Heating

facilities

heat you need to

The necessary
overcome the problem of freezing

are the best solution.

Whatever problems or
painting

in

the winter

will

slight

discomforts you face

fade into obscurity after you

experience the rewards which result from taking

home a little piece of winter in your painting. At any
cost, try to do your sketches on the spot, for the subtle
beauty of winter is too difficult to paint from memory.
(See Snow in Chapter 8 for further details on painting
the winter landscape.)

PAINTING THE SEASONS

43

TREES IN LANDSCAPE

6.

element of most landscapes is trees. Trees

locality and each species should be
studied as a distinctly unique form.
will discuss
deciduous trees, evergreens, and palm trees in this
basic

differ

according to

chapter.

Foliage

The

foliage of a

deciduous tree

(B)

could be compared

to an umbrella, or to several small umbrellas.

upper side

of the foliage

is

light,

The

the lower, or inner,

of a deciduous tree (A) starts with a large

below ground level, which most often
spreads out as far as the crown or branch structure of
the tree. A deciduous tree has a heavy trunk, covered
with protective bark. The trunk divides into branches
which get thinner and smaller the further they are
from the trunk, ending up in a mass of fine, lacy twigs
where the leaves grow. The mass of leaves on the top
is referred to as the foliage, because of its unified

is darker. The branches are partially hidden here

and there by concentrated clumps of leaves. Toward
the outer edges, at the top, you can't distinguish the
twigs from the leaves.
One of the most common mistakes a landscape
painter makes in the beginning is in trying to paint the
foliage leaf by leaf. This approach is, naturally, wrong.
You don't really see leaves with your eyes; your eyes
see only units of color masses. It's your mind that tells
say, squint
you they're leaves, if you doubt what
gently as you look at a tree. Always believe your eyes.
Your eyes are a much better judge of the visual reality
of objects than your mind is.
A tree and its foliage is a three dimensional object;
you must paint it that way if you expect it to look
believable. It has to be correct in perspective. It has to
show its weight. You can achieve this with the help of
correct value and color.
Each tree has a character, a personality, of its own.
Study each specimen and try to give back this character in your painting. A young tree looks different from

appearance.

an adult of

side

DECIDUOUS TREES
most commonly known trees.
a shedding type of
foliage and changes its appearance from season to

Deciduous

trees are the

A deciduous

tree

is

one which has

offering the landscape painter a new experience with each change. (See demonstration, pp.

season,

151-153.)

Roots, Trunk, Branches

The anatomy
root system

44

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

its

own

kind.

Autumn

Foliage

Autumn

foliage

EVERGREENS

(Q, with its brilliant color impact,

must be controlled with sound judgment and good
taste. The trunk and branches have more contrast
(they're darker) in value than in spring or in

The approach

to painting of the foliage

that of painting

summer

is

summer.
similar to

foliage, except for the color.

AND PALM TREES

Evergreens are trees which retain their foliage

throughout the year. They have needle-like leaves
that stay green all year round, or at least their color
change is hardly noticeable. The main question in
painting evergreens is how to relate them to their
surroundings. While an evergreen itself doesn't
very drastically (A).
change, its environment does
An evergreen tree in the snow stands out much more
than if it's nestling in the middle of a green forest.
won't go into all the different species and their
botanical characteristics, because there are too many
of them. In any case, their essential differences can
easily be detected with your own eyes. (See demon-

stration, pp. 148-150.)

Twigs

deciduous trees show their character most clearly

no
longer hidden from view by thick leaves. The same
rule applies here as for painting leaves: don't ever
paint individual twigs on a large tree. Paint them as
tone, subtly flowing into heavier branches and getting
larger toward the trunk.
Drybrush strokes are an excellent way to paint lacy
twig structure, but not the only way. Drybrush would
be too harsh for a tree which is in haze or fog, for
example. Squinting, again, will come to your rescue if

All

after they lose their leaves (D). Their fine twigs are

you're

in

doubt.

Individual

trees

are

beautiful

and an extremely

important part of most landscapes. You must like

them, respect them, and learn to paint them well if
you want to be a good landscape painter.

Evergreen Trunk and Branches

all evergreens have a central trunk. Their
branches protrude sideways all around the trunk at a
sharp angle. The branches are usually, but not always,

Basically,

bottom of the tree, becoming progrestoward the top. The elements shape the
character of evergreens as they grow. If the environment includes a strong, year-round prevailing wind,
the constantly rushing air will twist the tree and force
the branches to grow in the direction of the wind (B).
largest at the

sively smaller

BAD

Evergreen Colors
Evergreens change color with age. A young shoot will
have a very fresh, clean, bright green color, while an
old specimen of the same species will be much darker
in color. When you paint an old evergreen, try not to

know the tendency is to

reach for the green paint.
use green because your mind thinks it's green. InI

GOOD

TREES IN LANDSCAPE

45

stead, look at the tree

color

is

and believe your eyes. A mixed

necessary to get the right hue. Burnt sienna,

Winsor (phthalocyanine) blue, sepia dark, ultramarine

blue, and cadmium orange will give you the variety of
greens that are dark enough, yet alive enough, to
represent

healthy evergreen.

FORESTS

When

speak of forests,

generalize, because they

much from place to place. A forest can be

composed of many species of trees; can be dense or
differ so

it

open. And, naturally enough, the same forest will

change its appearance with the changing seasons. (See
demonstration, pp. 154-156.)

Painting Knife
Painting a single evergreen as the center of interest

requires

more

attention to detail.

find a painting

an excellent tool with which to paint the

branches, and even some of the lacy clumps of
foliage. For the technique, please refer to Drybrush in
Chapter 2. Pay careful attention to the broken branch
stumps: these are likely to occur at any part of the
knife

tree, but are usually in the

bottom

area.

The Four Seasons

in the forest brings lots of fresh green buds,
which form a lacy screen that allows light to filter
through without heavily shaded areas. In summer, the
leaves are large and deep green in color, showing
heavily concentrated dark green areas. The reason
that the leaves have this rich, dark color is that we're

Spring

usually looking at the underside of the closer foliage,

and

this

usually shaded.

is

Palm Trees

time when deciduous trees play

is the
havoc with the painter. The glowing, bright color

Palm trees require a tropical, warm climate, and

because they grow only in warm areas of the world

inside an

Autumn

they're a species of tropical vegetation.

the palm tree appears straight, but

painted with

a slight, playful

curve.

it

The trunk

of

should always be

The branch

This

struc-

is confined to the very top of a single trunk. The

palm tree has two main types of leaves: those which
form a fan-like unit at the end of a strong stem and
those which grow like feathers (C). Directly under the
crown of the palm tree are clinging dead leaves or
stubs. These add character to a palm. If you aren't

ture

familiar with palms, don't ad-lib without careful ob-

IN

WATERCOLOR

breathtaking experience.

New

the time to use the

forest

is

cadmium

most subtle

in

colors bravely.

winter. Various tones of

notes (few clinging leaves), can be major influencing

If you paint the forest in winter, listen to the

silence; try

and bring

The Anatomy
own.

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

is

elements.

46

forest

grays (mixed grays) to suit conditions, subtle color

and you can take full

advantage of all the drybrush you want. Again, if in
doubt as to technique, refer to Drybrush in Chapter 2.
to simple brushstrokes,

is

The

servation. Their outstanding silhouette value lends

itself

autumn

Ontario, Quebec, or

England, the vivid yellows and reds completely take over the color scheme.
In

this into

your painting.

of a Forest

anything else, has an anatomy of its

break this anatomy of the forest up into
three parts: the distant forest, the edge of the forest,
and the interior of the forest.
forest, just like
Let's

The Distant Forest

The

distant forest (A)

cannot be

It

just a

more distance there

the paler

it

will

must hug the ground structure.

color blob without character. The

is

appear

between you and the

in

color as well as

forest in the distance usually doesn't

which means

interest,

complement
The Edge
As

the forest
in

has to be played
it
center of interest other than

forest,

value.

center of

down

to

itself.

of the Forest

we approach

than

make

in

(B).

^viiuww//i//fl/iri!iuu

the woods,

In a

dense

we

first

reach the edge of

forest, this

an open one. To paint

it

is

more defined

successfully,

it's

choosing your subject

(center of interest). The closer trees and undergrowth
will have to be well-defined; the further ones will lose
necessary to take great care

in

detail as they fade into the distance, finally turning

into a mass of slightly varying tone to create a three

dimensional effect. One way you can achieve this
successfully is to wet your paper for the dense, distant
forest area and apply the paint in various consistencies, imitating the form and growth of trees here
and there. The paint will blur slightly, creating the
feeling of a distant mass of trees. As your paper dries,

add trees and undergrowth which are less and less

blurred and more detailed. The final crisp notes
should be added after the drying is complete.

The

Interior of the Forest

As you reach the interior of the forest (C), you have

360 of the forest to use for your model. Be discriminating and make sure you have a center of
It's easy to fall into the trap of monotony.
Don't paint two or more trees the same shape or
color. Place them unevenly. Pay careful attention to

interest.

the space between units and trees.

Remember

the

importance of negative forms. Most often you'll see

a
very little or no sky at all. Avoid
at any cost
single blue hole through the foliage, which is a
disturbing, distracting element. Note: when you paint

forest interiors, play

down

the sky.

^-^.

'
.

s^

^::;^_ilii21ii:

TREES IN LANDSCAPE

47

THE LANDSCAPE AT YOUR FEET

7.

Every landscape has ground in it, whether it's undergrowth, mountain rocks, or desert sand. This chapter
covers the various things that you may see when you
look down at the landscape at your feet: stumps and

moss; undergrowth, shrubs, and weeds; rocks; and

sand and soil.

STUMPS AND MOSS

It

Rotting Stumps

A corroding stump

(6) is usually dark in tone, crumbly

and subtle in color. When it's wet, it reflects the bright
colors around it (usually the sky). Small insects and
animals leave fine pieces of corroded wood around it.
Most often such stumps are nestling among weeds
and other signs of neglect. To add snap to your

some of the subtle colors, edges,

may discover as you carefully analyze

painting, exaggerate

may seem unnecessary

to

devote

a section to this

seemingly insignificant part of landscape, but because

get such a terrific amount of satisfaction out of
decided to share my
painting stumps and moss
I

or shine you

your subject. Contrast

rotting

stump

exaggerate

that

is

the most likely quality of a

you'll

spot.

Don't be afraid to

this contrast.

experience with you.

These neglected stepchildren of the landscape
painter can add nostalgia and sentimental contact
with the past, a contact which is so subtle that often it
only works on your subconscious. (See demonstration, pp. 145-147.)

Cut Stumps

To

paint a freshly cut

should hurt

stump or log (A) can hurt; it

The bright, clean,

at least a little bit.

yellowish color of the cut exposes the age rings. This

is usually seen in contrast with the sliverripped fibers on one edge, which are caused by
the cut tree falling from its own weight. Light conditions add to this drama. As you paint, think of this cut

bright color

like,

tree as a

life

that has bled

through that wound. Your

feeling will make, or break, the emotional value of

Uprooted Stumps

your painting. Be extremely careful of the location

as well as the pointing direction of this bright

victims of man's activity.

wound

root

of freshly cut stump.

should be handled with

48

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

It

has a strong impact and

a certain delicacy.

IN

WATERCOLOR

Uprooted stumps

(C) are perhaps the

They always

most dramatic
tell

a story.

stump fence is undeniably a powerful subject to

paint, so you must paint it with strong technique.

Drybrush lends itself beautifully to this. The color is

usually weatherbeaten gray, exposing the strong-lined
texture of the twisting roots. Vines and weeds quite
often grow into the deep twists. These bright color
touches should be carefully maintained, as they add a
sense of belonging to nature. Because of the neutral,
gray color of the exposed gray stump, it will pick up
any reflection of color near it. Look for these subtle
touches and don't ignore them. Note: painting these
stumps from a low angle adds to their impact.

Stumps

as

Center of Interest

Stumps, by their natural strength, create a temptation

to make them your center of interest. This means that
the stump you paint will dominate your painting. Its
importance will demand all the attention you can
give. Remember, in spite of dark color, you still have

dimensional object if you want to

do justice to its form. Take your time with the details.
Take more time deciding on technical touches than it
actually takes to make the marks. The stump's being
the center of interest means it has to be the center of
to

show

your

it

as a three

interest.

The amount

of attention

you show

Moss on stumps

is usually well-modeled, painted with

technique, and carries the form of the
stump into the color of the moss, to form a unit.
Don't ever walk by an insignificant looking stump.
You may be walking by one of your best paintings.

a splattered

UNDERGROWTH, SHRUBS, AND WEEDS

Shrubs are small

manner

it;

in a similar

and should be treated delicately. Your method of painting shrubs should differ depending on
where they're located on your painting and on how
much importance you want to give them. (See demstructure

onstration, pp. 136-138.)

Shrubs

in

the Foreground

In

the foreground (A), you can paint

as

you

like,

short of overworking

it.

in as

much

have

should be painted
good size clump.

foliage, this

leaves or as a

to

w"

detail

Because of their

nearness, the shrubs should look believable.

the structure of detail will prove how much the stump

occupied the center of your interest while you paint-

ed

They can be painted

trees.

to small tree branches. They're delicate in

If

they

as large healthy

^.

iL/-

not only to the viewer but to yourself.

Moss
Stumps and moss (D) naturally go together. To list the
number of different kinds of moss in existence is
virtually

impossible. Fortunately, to a painter, they

in color and the shape of their patch

and these things can easily be observed
visually. The color of moss is its most important
from vivid yellow green,
identifying element
through hazy blue, to dark grays and brown. Moss
occurs in almost any color. The edges usually offer an
interesting line design as moss crawls over almost
anything offering moisture. Moss is lush and bright in
color in shaded, damp forests, dry and dead looking
on rocks which get only the occasional fresh rainfall.

differ

only

structure,

Shrubs
In

in

the Distance

the distance

(6)

shrubs, like everything else, lose

them is by using simple tone

and paying careful attention to silhouetted shapes.
You should indicate little or no structural detail.
detail.

safe

way

to paint

THE LANDSCAPE AT YOUR FEET

49

tion painting these jewel-like beauties.

Grass
is an element in your painting that can be
very flat and uninteresting if you always treat it the
same way. Never paint grass with only one color even
if it looks that way; vary the hue. Grass which is cut
don't often paint subjects
short isn't my cup of tea.
with cut grass by choice, although it can be done very
effectively if you lay a large wash first. After this wash
dries, add small drybrush touches indicating texture.

Grass (C)

mixed with the weeds' own color,

is

Antwerp

blue,

useful in painting

the forest.

when you paint weeds; they're not

monotonous lines, but living forms with

Note: be playful
organized,

characteristics of their

own. Practice

a lot

with them.

ROCKS
To give you

complete and accurate

characteristics of rocks

raindrops that

make

of

list

the

count the
rainbow. However, I'll give you
is

as impossible as to

few general categories. I'm sure you'll find many

exceptions in the many natural and man-made stone
formations which exist. Natural rocks show their
a

geological origin as well as their age to an expert's

eye.

To an

artist,

they offer form, color, and a touch of

the unusual. {See demonstration, pp. 139-141.)

Stratified

Rocks

Stratified

rock

formations (A) show long, angular

sometimes on an unexplained

layers,

slant,

and are

usually the result of the earth's constantly shrinking

crust

Weeds
Weeds

its shell. The

depending upon

pushing and buckling the surface of

colors of these rocks vary infinitely

location.

(D) look like

overgrown

grass

distance. Close up, however, they

show

The

best

off their size

with a

split

in

and beauty. One good way to approach weeds is by

applying brushstrokes and painting knife strokes in
varying sizes,

combined with

larger

way to approach the layers of these rocks is

drybrush technique, because you can paint
lines at the same time. (See Drybrush in

the

they're

if

washes freely

several

Chapter

2 for further information

on

split

drybrush

technique.)

flowing into each other.

Weeds

in

season are

healthy color, most often

green. Lack of moisture or change of season

up most weeds. Their color

will

dry

change.
Make sure you observe these conditions and mix your
colors correctly. These color differences are accentuated even more in late afternoon.
In

cold climates, dead

will drastically

weeds create

fairyland

when the hoarfrost settles on them, and early birds

who go out painting before the sun has a chance to
melt the frost will experience an unforgettable emo-

Glacial

Rocks

Other commonly
deposited kind

visible rock types are of a glacier-

(B).

Alone, with worn, round surfaces,

these usually seem unrelated to their surroundings.

Roundness is the giveaway sign of their origin. Rocks

which are exposed to the elements have a bleachedout color, exposing the splattered inner composition.
Those which are surrounded with vegetation are
frequently partly nesting in soil, and if enough moisture is available, have a moss cover.

50

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

Man-Made Rocks
created rocks (D) can also be interesting to

Artificially

paint.

These are usually the

Artificially split

clean,

result of construction.

rocks look sharp

flat sides. It's

at

the edges and have

them because they

You see these rocks
any mountainous area. Quite

easier to paint

lean toward mechanical shapes.

on the roadsides

in

often water seeps through cracks, adding darker color

as it runs down the surface. Paint these rocks with
large, bold, flat

survive.

washes allowing the sharp edges

to

paint cracks and surface design mostly with

the edge of a painting knife after the basic washes are

dry.
also use the tip of the brush handle quite
I

generously

To paint glacial rocks, put down a single wash, the

approximate color of the rock. With this, give it form
and shading. Several applications of varying colors
follow, splattered on with a toothbrush or shaken off a
paintbrush, or both. Several approaches are necessary
to avoid the unevenly spaced color dots running
together. Allow each layer to dry before adding the
next. If the odd little splatter does fall in an unwanted
area, blot it up immediately with a tissue and it won't
leave a mark. Lay down a tissue directly behind the
surface you're working on, in the direction of the
splatters, to mask a clean area. This will also make it
easy for you to grab a tissue to blot that unruly splatter
I

There's

in

the washes.

one important

hint

can offer you:

when

you paint rocks, always let them nest in weeds, soil, or

whatever surrounds them. They must be tied into your
composition. Another must is solidity: rocks must feel
heavy and look solid. These two suggestions apply to
all

rocks.

that got in the way. Finish with drybrush.

Volcanic Rocks

(O

in color and look

because that's how they
originated. Their dough-like surface appearance gives
them away. The elements (wind and water) create
endless patterns in them. The larger openings can be
caves. You can see excellent examples of volcanic
rocks around Blue Rocks, Nova Scotia, but they can
occur in any location. To paint them, use several
washes. Let each one dry before applying the next.
use the tip of a brush handle to scrape line patterns
into the wet paint. Final touches are done with

Volcanic rocks
like

are usually dark

outpouring, lazy lava

drybrush.

SAND AND SOIL

some approaches to
seemingly minor issue

In this section, I'd like to discuss

painting exposed

soil,

it's

among more important

details, but a lack of skill in

painting sand and earth quite often detracts from

what could otherwise be

good

painting. (See

demon-

stration, pp. 109-111.)

Pigments
It's very important to be familiar with the behavior of
pigments. Those colors which separate easily, if applied in a single wash, are ideal for grainy, sandy areas
(A). Let's list a few: yellow ochre, burnt sienna, burnt

umber, and sepia separate well from ultramarine blue,

cobalt blue, cerulean blue, and manganese blue.

these are only

differ

depending on

Don't use these colors exclusively

some examples, and even they

the different manufacturers and the type of paper you

use. As I've emphasized before, it's essential that you
experiment with different pigments and papers for

yourself.

THELANDSCAPE AT YOUR

FEET

51

Sand Banks and

Pits

Sand banks and

pits (C) are a little

in

more

varied. They,

addition to color and the separating paint, need

additional

work

to suggest pebbles, stones, roots, etc.

After you've painted the basic washes in a

manner

Apply some dark

splatter

similar to sand, let

it

dry.

with a toothbrush to indicate the small stones strewn

about.

If

larger stones

appear close by, paint

few of

these individually to add interest. For additional

place a few weeds strategically in the sand.

life,

Sandy Beaches
Sandy beaches are commonly painted subjects on our
continent. Before you start painting, match the color
very carefully. Observe the pattern of the small debris
the waves have generously deposited (6). Drybrush
dragged on the already dry first wash offers a good
method for this purpose. Take advantage of texturecreating elements
for instance, larger pebbles,
washed-out seaweed, shadows, etc. Often, you can
observe fresh reflections on the wet surface of shore
sand caused by the tidal backwash. Paint these reflec-

tions in strong contrast to the dull,

smooth sand. And

take advantage of the patterns created by

little

en-

tering streams of water.

Plowed

Fields

Plowed

fields (D)

parent.

-.

^asSi^SSSt&SSBZ

Deserts

common locations for exposed

The extreme heat usually bakes all but the
hardiest and most scrawny vegetation. The wind adds

Deserts are other

sand.

its

contribution by blowing the fine sand and piling

it

formations similar to snow. Study the

subject before you paint it. Again, color is of extreme
importance.

52

drift-like

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

difficult subjects:

you must

IN

WATERCOLOR

To insure

this,

use well-loaded brushfuls of

lines of the plow

marks which are up close one at a time. This gives
each line time to dry enough by the time you touch it
with the next wash to keep its edge for direction, yet
blend a little. These lines should be slightly irregular
to avoid monotony. Pay attention to shiny, reflecting
lumps in the earth if the field is moist. Allow some of
the turned-over grass to peep out here and there.

paint.

in

make

use darker washes, yet you have to keep them transPaint the semimechanical

THE LIQUID LANDSCAPE

8.

The

liquid landscape refers to water

standing

rippling, in waves, or falling in mist, rain, or

STILL

still,

snow.

sequence. Lines a and 6. theoretically form a 90 angle.

The angle between fa and c is the determining factor
in how much reflection you can see. In other words,
the lower the angle of your vision or the further the

WATER AND REFLECTIONS

is from you, the clearer the reflection is,

because you're looking more at the surface of the
water than through it (B). If you look at the water
directly at your feet (C), you'll see very little reflection
and you'll be looking right through it. The color of the
water and the vegetation in it will add color.

reflection

Calm bodies of water are usually fairly good reflectors.

By a good reflector,
mean that the images that the
I

water's surface reflects are almost as clear

the objects themselves.

said "almost,"

in detail as

because the

depth and color of the water itself, plus particles of

dust, take away from perfection. To simplify reflections, imagine that the water is a mirror and you're
looking at a mirror image. Reflection is usually dimmer and darker than its source. (See demonstration,
pp. 130-132.)

Oceans
Of large bodies of water, the largest are the oceans.
They're very seldom calm enough to be described as
"still." Just remember that if they are ever really still,
what you know about lakes would also apply.
Lakes: Measuring Reflections

A calm
tion.

lake offers great opportunities to study reflec-

Look

become

at

enough period of time to

before you start painting. If
the edge of the water, or in it, and drop
it

for a long

familiar with

you stand

at

it

an imaginary line from your eyes to where your feet

touch the water surface, and another one to the
reflection that your eyes look

at,

and

a third

one from

the reflection back to your eyes, you create a triangle

of vision (A). Let's

mark these

lines a,

b,

and

c in

Giving

Movement

to

Still

Water

To give the feeling of water and not glass, indicate

some lazy wave movement on the water surface close
to you by giving a gentle wiggle to this part of your
reflection. If you look carefully at the calm lake, you'll
soon experience some of this wave movement regardless of how motionless the water seems. The color

THE LIQUID LANDSCAPE

53

of the water close to

light,

you

is

almost pure white, as

where

it's

darker, gently fading into

it

approaches the horizon,

behavior before you can attempt to paint it. Paint

many thumbnail detail studies from nature until you
really feel

the lightest.

competent.

Let's talk

about the ocean

first.

(See demonstration, pp. 133-135.)

Puddles
I

want to mention puddles

they're almost always

their value with their

at

because

point,

this

To dramatize them, contrast

immediate surroundings. If the

still.

to the puddle is dark, leave the puddle

almost white, showing an extremely dark reflection in
it (D). Leave the very edge of a puddle which has any

ground next

value of

its

own pure

white.

If

you can't leave

hairline of separating shine, scrape

razor blade point after the paint

is

in

it

with

Large

Waves

Oceans

in

Because of the enormity and great depth

the waves are large. Paint

them

of the ocean,

that way, as large as

they appear. The color of the water far from the shore
is a clean, bluish green, but it turns duller near the

this

sharp

dry.

puddle dark, its whole

surface reflects some object which is dark. Unless your
horizon is very close to the top edge of your painting,
you should show the source (or part of the source) of

Remember:

that

you paint

if

reflection. There's

never an exception to the

if there's a reflection, there

physical laws of reflection:

must be a source, even if it's outside your picture area

and you can't show it. Don't ad-lib, observe.

Don't paint individual waves without con-

shore.

necting

them

in

water. Leave the

some way with the whole body of

foamy peaks of the waves white (A).

loosely held drybrush touch will give a fresh, lacy

edge

to a

wave head and

will

indicate the bubbly

splashes freely, just as they happen.

You can add some

Keep

of these touches with a razor blade after drying.

in

mind

that scraping

is

only a secondary solution to

drybrush.

Remember: waves
may

gentle or fierce

waves must

it

are caused by wind,

be,

wind has

however
and the

a direction

relate to this direction.

Pollution

touch on the subject of

pollution. There's natural and man-made pollution.
I

would

to

like

mud, small vegetation in

generally more pleasant to look at and

Natural pollution (leaves,

swamps,

etc.)

is

to paint than

man-made

pollution (chemicals, rust,

obvious reasons. Pollution also detracts from

the reflective qualities of water. Surface pollution
does this to a greater extent than underwater pollution, because reflected images are caused by the
etc.) for

surface of the water.

As a last hint, remember that water acts as

Objects that lean left will also lean left
reflection, never the other way.

a mirror.
in

their

MOVING WATER, MOVING REFLECTIONS

Moving water
calm water.

54

is

It's

Lakes

briefly

much more
essential to

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

difficult to

become

WATERCOLOR

observe than

familiar with

its

Lakes behave similarly to the ocean in strong wind.

However, gentle water movement will create a fasci-

nating play of dancing reflections, wiggling and twisting in an abstract pattern (B). If the water has waves,
the reflections will have small interrupted units but
will

otherwise follow the general

laws

of

reflection. Splashes are best left white. Slight

eling with lighter color can

be added

mirror

mod-

later after

the

surrounding washes are dry. The color of the sky and

the surrounding terrain will have a direct influence on
the color of moving water just as it would on still
water.

Waterfalls
Waterfalls are

made up

of

combinations of dropping

water units, clearly indicating the direction that gravity moves them. These are bubbly splashes at the point
of impact, or steam-like water vapor in the case of

such as Niagara (E). The vapor can be

in the following ways: wet the area of the
vapor
as you approach the moist paper with your
detail washes, they'll suddenly blend, forming a soft
vignette, and creating the illusion of cloud-like form;
paint your visible
don't wet the paper in advance
forms as you see them, going easy on the value as you
large

falls

approached

Rivers and Creeks

Rivers

and creeks always have moving water

Whether

it

moves gently or

moves. Flowing

rivers

fast,

(C).

the water always

and creeks should be painted

with the addition of directional patterns. These are

always apparent and should be indicated as important

elements

in

your composition.

approach the future vapor

area.

After the paint has dried, vignette the edges by

washing back the sharp details vigorously with a

water-loaded
loose,

blot

it

bristle

brush.

with a tissue.

achieve the desired

When
Repeat

the

paint

this

until

feels

you

result.

Above all, it's important to capture the drama of

moving water, whether ocean or rushing brook, and
to convey this excitement to the viewer.

Rushing Water

Water

in

rapids or in rocky creek beds (D), with small

or large brightly colored water splashes exposing the

color of vegetation against wet rocks,

will

play havoc

with an organized mind. With rushing water of this

kind, reflections can only be
in

shown

pool areas where the stream

is

effectively as

calm enough.

form

FOG AND MIST

Fog and mist are nothing more than water vapor in the
which are sometimes mixed with pollutants like
smoke or dust to form a filter of lesser or greater
density. (See demonstration, pp. 112-114.)
air

Fog

Is

a Filter

to a landscape painter, fog means a

not only simplifies even the most complex scene by eliminating most of the clutter, but it
neutralizes the color of everything. It behaves like a
gray filter on a camera. Values jump up and the three

To an

artist, at least

great deal.

It

dimensional feeling becomes very obvious (A).

When you paint fog, use mixed grays instead of
bought grays. A gray that you mix yourself is more
alive, because you really mix slightly varying combinations of quantities for each brushful of paint. A
factory-made gray is monotonous and opaque and
should be avoided. Complementary colors (see Color

THE LIQUID LANDSCAPE

SS

in

Chapter

1)

browns

the

are

good gray

(earth

colors)

mixers, but

with

bination will give you a gray which

Some

prefer to use

blues.
is

Each

com-

slightly different.

however, will survive in the closer

details. Take advantage of these, and exaggerate their
color slightly to add interest to the usually overcolors,

whelming

grays.

Morning Mist
After a cool night, the rising sun can cause a lazy mist,

turning any scene into

lighting

is

mirage-like adventure. Back-

the most dramatic way to approach morn-

ing mist. Transparency

is

essential in capturing the

subtle hints of light values. Don't hesitate with your

sketch after you've decided to paint, because your

change so rapidly
keep up with it.

that you'll

lighting will

Total Fog
Total fog (B)

skill
is

dense fog,

in

which only extremely

close objects are visible. As a result, only subjects with

powerful forms make good

paintings.

possible

washed-out object or objects can add a third dimension and complement your main center of interest.
Paint

it

simultaneously with the fog

while the

itself

paper is still soaking wet. The bursting fuzzy image

adds exciting movement
to say nothing of mood
to your painting.

to

need

all

your

Use a simple palette; values and forms are more

important than color. Again, want to emphasize the
use of a uniting hue all over your paper before
starting. Your subject will usually suggest one, so
1

your eyes. Let this thin wash dry before

proceeding with the details.
believe

RAIN
Don't shy away from painting
cially

lends

itself

rain.

to painting rain.

Watercolor espe-

The wet appearance

is a natural for wet rain.

Whatever kind of rain you paint, all objects will be wet
and shiny. (See demonstration, pp. 115-117.)

of a well-handled watercolor

Drizzle

gentle drizzle (A) can be suggested better than

painted.

Any

hint of the

tions should be subtle

weather under these condi(open umbrellas in people's

hands, dripping eaves, small ripples

Partial
Partial

several

Fog
fog (C) allows you to see
layers

of

items

in

varied

more

detail

values.

and
light,

dominating color in your grays (a touch of green, for

example) will create strong color unity and at the
same time add a sense of the time of day, as well as
freshness. Otherwise, treat partial fog as you would
dense fog.

56

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

in

puddles,

etc.).

Wet paper

Reflections
Reflections (6) on wet surfaces are important and

should be handled well. Basically, you can approach a

reflection in rain similar to still water reflections (see
St/7/

Water and Reflections,

P. 53).

Showers

Storms

Showers
and braver brush handling.

and can stand bolder

your subject allows you

(C) are quick rainfalls

If

show the falling rain, give it a consistent direction.

wind comes with the shower, indicate it with
bending trees (or other flexible subject matter). The

to
If

moving clouds sometimes create interesting,

light conditions
and sometimes an
occasional rainbow. If you want to indicate the direcquickly

fast

will give you the softness. The angle of the

should help, not hinder, your composition. The
value, or darkness, of your wash will suggest how
heavy the rain is. Lighter wash indicates a light shower; a darker wash means a heavy downpour.

rain

changing

tion of rain in front of solid objects, a very effective

way is to wipe back some of the paint after it's dry.

Only slight pressure and a few touches are required.
Don't destroy the details behind,

just

lighten

are broken up with

bend more in the strong
wind which always accompanies storms. Accents, such

During

storms,

reflections

splashes. Flexible objects

broken trees, turned-out umbrellas, etc., are useful

During a thunderstorm, lightning can really add
the right touch (E). Never paint it yellow or straight,
however. Lightning jumps in a zigzag line. Study a few
camera magazines usually offer excellent
photos
examples of lightning. Scraping a white line into the
dark area of your clouds is an effective approach to
as

tools.

indicating a bolt of lightning.

the

value.

Rain at Night
Distant Rain

Rain

nothing but a wash

with a vignetted softness between the heavy clouds
and the ground. "Softness" is the key word. The wash
should have a slight angle, tilting from the vertical.
Rain

in

the distance (D)

is

really

at

night

and bright

means wet ground, strong

colors.

Paint wet-in-wet,

reflections,

but keep the

a good look at night subjects

before and while you paint them. Don't paint everything; eliminate and compose.

darks transparent. Take

THE LIQUID LANDSCAPE

57

SNOW

Early

To paint snow
subject matter.

successfully,

Snow

doesn't

we must know our

necessarily mean winter.

first

For instance, high altitudes have

all

the

snow you want

the middle of summer. If you associate cold,

suffering, heating bills, and shoveling with snow, it

even

in

could be difficult for you to paint a good snow scene.

On the other hand, if you associate fun, clean beauty,
a walk in the snow covered forest, sleighrides, or the
beauty of a single snowflake with snow, you're halfway to success. (See demonstration, pp. 106-108.)

The Color

of

natural whites

white.
picks

we know,

is

an event

like a birthday

it

lush

paint the color touches that won't exist later through

Observation of minute details

the winter.

very

is

important.

Late

Snow
on

the season, after several snowfalls have

in

to associate blue with

mass of the

glare related to other objects can be a terrific direc-

is

one

of the purest

almost never appears pure

The reason for this is its very purity. The white

up even the most subtle color influence and

reflected in

fall is

The

wind and the effect of the sun will cause the

snow to settle in hardpacked layers (B). The drifts
become limp and the trees are usually free of snow.
Freezing rain occasionally lays a shiny crust on top of
the snow. The brittle, crisp shine of this icy surface
makes excellent composition material. The pattern of

snow
it

reflects some of it. We tend

snow because the blue of the

sky

the

year.

collected,

the fact that

In spite of

in

weeds and atmospheric

conditions will cause the first snow to be short-lived,
however thick the first snow cover may be. One sure
way to illustrate early snow conditions is to accurately

Later

Snow

Snow

The first snow

comes once a

it.

large color

Trust your eyes, not your un-

tional tool.

trained mind, which tends to ignore indistinct color

impressions.
in a snow scene simply means that the
modeled using the most dominant color in
your painting. For example, a warm, gray snow cloud
will mean that the same warm, gray should be used for
the shading of your snow. A sunny blue sky demands
more liberal use of blue, particularly in the shadows. A
thick evergreen forest will tint your snow with a touch

Color unity

snow

is

of green.

Hoarfrost
I'd

like to

mention hoarfrost (A) here, because

impression and method of painting

is

its

similar to that of

snow. After all, like snow, it's frozen moisture. Anything which is covered with frost needs careful study
for closeup rendering. Frost covered trees in the
distance should be painted accurately in color and
soft in form. Avoid painting twigs on distant trees.
Paint masses of color. The wet-in-wet technique is
ideal for this purpose.

Falling

Snow

Failing

snow

(C)

one of the puzzles that winter

The usual question is, "How do
snow without white paint?" Wateris

supplies to a beginner.

you paint

falling

color, with
tions.

The

its

best

flexible qualities, offers several solu-

one was supplied

to

me

by nature

accidentally.

was painting an oncoming blizzard with a large

generous wash of raw umber, Antwerp blue, and a
touch of ultramarine blue. (See painting on p. 99.) The
modeling of the foreground and partly snow covered
red chairs was coming along just right. was trying to
finish the sketch before the blizzard overtook me. It
was a damp day and my wash was slow to dry. As the
shine from the sky wash was about to disappear, the
snow started to come down so fast that by the time
could turn the painting upside down more than a
dozen flakes had fallen into the drying pigment.
I

ran into a nearby cottage, but

the disappointment that

58

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

it

was too

late.

felt

comes with having ruined

good painting at the last minute. As

turned the
painting up to look at the mess,
discovered the
I

varied

backruns that the melting snowflakes had

little

my

sky. The effect was

and absolutely unpaintable.

caused

in

exciting, real looking,

scraping frost off the refrigerator tray into areas of

hold

it

also use a

wet toothbrush to get

my

this effect.

about 10" away, spraying tiny droplets into

the drying pigment with a flick of the thumb.

is timing. The result
wet wash has faded.

important thing here

after the shine of a

stop the flow, you

Since then, I've learned to create the same effect by

paintings.

must emphasize the importance of applying an

extremely heavy wash in the clouds, so there will be
enough paint to spread when you form the angular
run. When you lay your painting down flat again, to

is

it

flat

from

You can add more heavy

this time,

don't

tilt

so as not to disturb the angular

run.

The

best just

The Sound and Smell

but not

of

Snow

least, I'd like to

bring to your attention

the sound and the smell of snow.

Snowstorms
which
and short

blizzard (D)

large flakes

find that the color spread

pigment to increase the impact. But

the paper. Leave

Last,

may

the clouds was too thin.

is

painted up close means a few

visibility.

distant

snowstorm

is

usually seen as a wide, angular streak connecting the

dark sky with the ground. To achieve

this effect, wet

your whole sky. Apply an extremely heavy layer of
well-mixed color to your clouds. Don't paint the
angular streak of the blizzard. Instead, lift your paper
upright, at the desired angle, and allow the heavy
pigment to flow freely on the saturated paper, creating the effect you wish.

If you've not experienced this before, do me a favor and try it. Drive
out to the country during a heavy snowfall. A forest is
the best place. Avoid all other sounds. Turn off the
motor of your car. Step out into the snow and stop.
Stay dead still for a few minutes and listen. There is a
silent sound that cannot be matched even by the skill

of the best

composer

or the greatest orchestra.

The

mind

drift

relaxing, peaceful, quiet whisper lets your

into creative depths that only your imagination can

limit.

The clean smell

sound,

is

of moist snow, along with

the best spiritual tool

its

know.

THE LIQUID LANDSCAPE

59

PAINTING THE SKY

9.

The importance

of sky to a landscape painter really

doesn't have to be explained.

landscape, and

its

It's

understanding

an essential part of
is

essential to any

painter.

AND CLOUDS

SKY

a few ways to paint skies in different

The most important thing to remember is
that a too dominant sky can divide an otherwise good
painting; it must blend with the composition and be a

Let's

look

at

conditions.

part of

it.

should have pure white paper. After the yellow wash

has completely dried, turn your paper back to its
original position and go through the same procedure
with the blue, starting at the top edge and ending up
at the horizon. During both washes, tilt your paper
toward you to help the flow of the wet paint.

(See demonstration, pp. 124-126.)

Cloudy Skies
Cloudy

mean

skies

using

much more

than white on

blue, because cloud formations vary in structure

in

color.

Cumulus clouds

(A) are

common

time. They're large, white, fluffy puffs

Clear Skies
Clear skies

observation

may appear to be pure blue

will show that many colors

but careful
infiltrate

and

soften this raw blue. The sky is virtually never the

same. Atmospheric conditions, the time of year, and
even the time of day all make a great difference in its
appearance. Instead of blindly copying the sky as you

see

it,

make

sure that

your painting

in

it

complements the subject

value as well as

The color and value

and

summeragainst deep
in

blue skies. The relative position of these clouds and

in which they move are of extreme

the direction

importance to a successful composition. They appear

and are white on top and gray at the bottom. As
you paint them, steal a little touch of your ground
as if the ground
coloring into the lower gray part
below were reflected in them.

thick

'ttf^wpgvi BiaMa

of

in color.

of the sky

comes from the

sun's

S>

the particles of the atmosphere.

Without atmosphere, we would be looking at black
space. Because the light originates from behind the
light reflecting off

atmosphere, the color you see has a deep, luminous

To recreate this feeling in a painting has

always been one of the toughest problems facing the

quality.

landscape painter.
Transparency makes watercolor
patible

medium

to paint a

good sky

the

^>;

most com-

with. Watercolor,

its color and value from light reflecting off

the white paper through a thin layer of pigment.
Avoid using thick, heavy paint in your wash when

too, gets

you paint

skies.

To insure luminosity

don't blend the colors into one

in a

Rain and

Snow Clouds

Rain or

snow clouds

colorful sky,

combined wash.

In-

are called

nimbus clouds

(B).

washes of separate colors

on top of one another, allowing them to dry after each
layer. Let's take an example: you want to paint a
yellowish haze on the horizon and a blue sky over-

They're usually a cold gray color and they cover the

head. This condition quite often appears in wintertime. Turn your painting upside down and put a
very light tone of well-diluted yellow ochre, with a

dark gray wash suitable to your general composition.

To add interest and transparency, don't allow the

touch of cadmium orange, on the edge of the horizon. Carry this wash downward, briskly applying more
and more water, diluting the color hue as you descend. By the time you reach the bottom edge, you

application,

stead, apply separate, thin

60

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

sky. At times, they have a break through which

higher layer of wind-blown stratus clouds or even

whole
a

blue sky

will

show. They can be painted with

a layer of

even and monotonous. Immediately after

mop up some of the wet paint with a
squeezed-out (thirsty) brush, tissue, or any absorbent
material. To add drama while your wash is still saturated, tilt your paper at a 90 angle, allowing the paint

wash

to dry

to

rush

in

do this more
whole sky before

an angular direction. To

successfully, start off by wetting your

applying your gray wash.

nimbus clouds, and

Avoid strong whites

in

relate the color to the rest of your

painting.

Perspective in Clouds
In

all

cloud formations, you must follow the rules of

clouds appear larger, more hand-

perspective. All

some, more detailed overhead and become smaller

and less defined as they descend toward the horizon.
Familiarizing yourself with the different aspects of

Thunderhead Clouds
Thunderhead clouds (C) are usually gigantic in size. A
thunderhead is virtually a mountain of turbulent
clouds, brightly lit at the front and rapidly turning
darker toward the rear. Because it will dominate your
composition, you must be extremely careful with its
esthetic location. Don't waste time on minute details;
instead, concentrate on capturing the impact and
enormity of this majestic cloud formation.

the varying cloud formations is the only way to learn

to paint the sky. Always, always keep the color of the
sky and clouds

in

harmony with the

rest

of your

painting.

SUNSETS
Because of the shortness of

duration, painting the

its

There are

setting sun requires a lot of preparation.

only ten to twenty minutes available in the crucial

period of a sunset. (See demonstration, pp. 127-129.)

Setting

Up

choose your subject about an hour before sunset

appears. While the orange glow turns into pinks and
reds, set up your easel and your paper (because of the
First,

short period of the sunset,

suggest you use small

paper), squeeze clean paint onto your palette, and

make sure your water and all tools are easy to reach.
After you've placed everything

and

wait.

Wait

until the

time

is

in

readiness, just

just right to start

sit

your

painting. The timing of the starting moment is extremely important, for you'll have only about ten
minutes to establish your colors and composition, and
another ten minutes (maybe) to put some finishing

touches on the

Wind-Swept Clouds

vital areas.

High, wind-swept clouds (D) are excellent directiongiving tools for your composition. They're usually
subtly defined at the edges and should be painted as

negative form. By

this,

sky, paint the color

mean

that after wetting the

between the clouds, leaving the

white parts clean.

Speedy application

of

paint does justice to the

nature of the fast-moving clouds. They should appear

fresh

and loose.

Color
Pure,

bright

colors

are

very

effective

contrasted

against strong silhouetted forms without too

much

"cheesy" and a
tasteful color rendering is very thin. Should your
colors turn out too garish you can always do it over
from your original sketch at your leisure and benefit
color detail.

The borderline between

by what you've learned on the

first

attempt.

PAINTING THE SKY

61

Atmospheric conditions, such

clouds,

as

humidity

make enormous day-to-day changes

in

and
the

same subject. Try to paint (from the same spot and at

the same time) a sunset over a period of several
consecutive days

between.

When

(A). Don't look at your paintings in

you've done enough (three or four)

them out in front of you to study. You'll

most likely see a considerable difference betw/een
them. The reasons for this are not only the varying
sunset conditions, but your own changing moods as
sketches, lay

w/ell.

Looking

East

Sometimes

pleasant surprise awaits you

turn your back to the setting sun

when you

and look

east.

Conditions are as equally short-lived looking in this

direction as they are looking west, but the colors are

more

subtle and the objects

on the ground are

well-lit

instead of being silhouetted (C).

After the Sunset

After the sun has descended, you have a period of

about

half

an hour

when

exciting color impressions

offer themselves to be painted.

The length

of available

time varies depending upon the time of the year and

the geographic location. This post-sunset condition
usually lasts long enough to finish a quick sketch. The
silhouettes against the sky, as well as the color of
the sky, are darker than while the sun is visible.
Simple line patterns with well-defined silhouettes
must be carefully composed to form your center of
interest (6).

The sky with the setting sun is best used as a

complementary element. You can never paint colors
as brilliant as you see them, because you're looking at
very brilliant direct light instead of the reflected light

from

much

less

pure pigment coated paper. You can

achieve an impression of brilliance, however, by using

contrasts. Brightness of color to equal nature is im-

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

extremely important. This

during the available
time and you must control your colors so they won't
Disciplining

yourself

means you must

IN

WATERCOLOR

is

finish painting

take away from the prominence of form and value.

Never get discouraged if you don't succeed. Try again

and again.

In

my

is the most
landscape painter ever has to face.

opinion, painting sunsets

difficult task that a

possible.

62

Discipline

OBJECTS IN LANDSCAPE

10.

This chapter deals with those "extra" elements so

often found in landscapes, such as fences, buildings,

people, and animals.

FENCES
In

our society, where free enterprise respects private

property, fences are a necessary part of landscape.

The material they're made from varies as much as their

age. Older fences are made of wood, newer ones of
metal. Piled-up rocks are also common where the
culture of the pioneer settlers

is

still

visible.

(See

demonstration, pp. 142-144.)

Old Fences
Old fences show signs of age. Their color is weatherbeaten, and they often show signs of neglect. An old
cedar fence (A) is a very strong element as it zigzags
through the landscape. Root fences (B) are also powerful. They still exist, but you have to look for them.
Wood, by its nature, shows age by splitting, twisting,
and changing color as the weather works on it. If
boards are used,

the fence
washes on the texture of

nails are a natural part of

(C), creating beautiful, rusty

the graying wood.

Wooden

Fences

wooden

!^

use one wash to establish

tone, form, and design. Rust marks are painted with a
strong touch of burnt sienna into this first wash while

To

paint

it's still

wet.

my

fences,

also indicate a

few

splits

with the tip of

brush handle. do the modeling and texture with

drybrush after the first wash is dry.
A wooden fence in the distance shouldn't have
much detail. Its design is usually a useful tool to guide
your eyes in the composition. Play it down in value or
it can cause confusion, appearing to be in the foreI

ground rather than

in

the distance.

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Picket Fences

another delightful part of small

is important to
maintain. In spite of the fact that picket fences are
most often white, don't leave them as pure white
paper when you paint them. Add a little tone, texture,
or shading to give them form.
picket fence (D)

town

architecture.

is

Its

charming quality

OB)ECTS IN LANDSCAPE

63

Wire Fences
Wire fences

(E)

are relatively

landscape. Wire, crisscrossing

usually used as a protection to

young
in

in

the American

different patterns,

is

keep animals within the

owner's property. These fences are fastened to wooden posts or metal supports. The wire pattern sags, and
the occasional ripped wire disturbs the fence's mechanical appearance. Rust is a natural result of metal
exposed to oxidation, and should be painted carefully
when you do a closeup of a wire fence. The mesh
pattern of the wire traps all kinds of goodies in the
wind: old newspapers, tumbleweeds, piles of leaves,
etc.

find that these are fascinating subjects to paint

and that they offer

a great

sense of satisfaction.

on your painting. Sunlight will show brightly lit and

shaded sides of the building. The shadows of the
structure must be considered as a unit, a compositional element of the building. The amount of
detail that you paint should depend on the importance of the structure and on its distance from you.
Never use a ruler to draw the lines of your structure.
Don't worry about not being able to draw a straight
line. Really straight lines are stiff and very hard to
if you can draw
accept esthetically in a painting
straight, you should purposely move your hand to
avoid the artificial appearance a straight line produces. A free, hand-drawn edge is much more interesting and beautiful than an edge drawn with the help

of a ruler.

Where

there are fences there are gates. Gates are

essentially the same as the fences they belong to
(except
metal).
after a

your structure from the rest of the

on the ground and relate it to its
surroundings. Trees, shrubs, and fences nearby must
tie in and feel right when you are finished with your
composition.
Don't

Gates

replacement gates which are now usually

Brand-new gates look uninteresting to me, but
while use and rust give them interest. Gates

make an excellent center of interest. It's hard

to place them in a position of lesser importance,
although size and the amount of detail will, of course,

isolate

painting, nest

Buildings in

it

Groups

usually

Building groups (B) should be painted

manner.

Don't ignore the moss on wooden fences or the rust

on metal ones. These things belong with fences and
will make your painting more alive.
suggest that you
study fences on the spot and that you practice a little
on closeup details.
I

to

Falling

<cg'*y<Kipn in r(
|

BUILDINGS
Structures are mechanical forms:

some seem

to be-

long with their surroundings, some stand out like sore

thumbs; you must discriminate as you choose them.
(See demonstration, pp. 118-120.)

Single Buildings

single

building

usually

{A)

establishes

center of interest. Pay careful attention to

64

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

its

good

location

a similar

one another to create the best composition.

shadows of roof peaks, trees, and other forms
will add complexity to the buildings but should never
distract from their form and value.
them

help determine their importance.

in

However, they're more complex. Relate

Buildings in the Distance

simplicity in treatment, but

groups should show some

Residential

sign of

tion to the

Wise use of details on nearby structures and simple

washes on distant ones will create a good feeling of
complexity.
Cities,

towns, and large groups of buildings

in

fall

life.

the

and

you must pay more atten-

pull of materials as they create

my advice is to keep them simple a

few well-placed brushstrokes hint enough about the
garments to explain their action. Make hundreds of
quick drawings of people. Get to know them.
wrinkles. Again,

A few outstanding
with a little more care,

distance (C) must be simplified.

structures should be painted

but masses of buildings of similar sizes should be

handled as parts in an over-all pattern. Extreme details

must be avoided. Industrial details should be painted
freely in spite of their streamlined appearance.
They're part of the same unit of distant buildings as
smaller dwellings are. Cater to the whole unit and
don't

let

strong industrial forms break

it

up.

Animals
Animals more often complement the landscape than
it.
After all, it's their natural environment. Their coloring and characteristic movements
belong in their surroundings. Complement your
painting by representing them accurately. Learn to
know a little about their anatomy and what they look
like before you attempt to paint them. Their proportions and accurate silhouettes are more important
than the fine details of their fur or the shine in their

contrast with

PEOPLE

AND ANIMALS

Combining

landscape

eyes.

material

with

activities

of

people or animals requires a great deal of control.

Figures should add, not take away, from the unity of
the composition. Simplicity

is

generally the best rule

To become

mend

as

familiar with animals,

many

visits

to your local

highly recom-

zoo

as possible.

Captive animals can be studied thoroughly and you

should make many drawings of each species to get to

tion, pp. 121-123.)

know their customary movements and proportions

from every angle. You should study birds, if possible,
in their natural environment. Seagulls, for instance,
must be seen riding the wind free to be appreciated.
Keep any study drawings you do for future use.

Keep Figures Simple

Placing Figures in a Landscape

People should never be overworked in detail if you

want your painting to remain a landscape. Simple
washes, keeping reasonable proportions in mind, are
more effective than extremely detailed figures. Fresh,
flowing brushstrokes add a refreshing complement of
life to your painting.
People with very few clothes on {bathing suits, for
example) or in the nude must be painted with healthy
fleshtones and with as little detail as is necessary to

If you're
uncertain where to place your figures of
people or animals,
suggest a method using tracing
paper. Draw your figure or figures on separate pieces
of tracing paper. Lay each one over the almost
completed landscape and move them until you find a

The location

people and the color of

their clothes must be planned to add to your composition what you intended, whether it's a blending
complement or a snappy contrast. (See demonstrato follow.

of

identify the general characteristics of the figure (A).

Your own good

far

to

go.

taste

Persons

should be your guide as to how

clothed require the same

fully

satisfactory location.

Then

trace

them

lightly.

Be careful with dimensional relationships; your

figures should be placed in the correct distance for
their size. Don't lose patience if they don't look right,
it
simply means you need more study and more
practice. In the beginning, try not to ad-lib too

paint from

nature as

much

much

as possible.

OBJECTS

IN

LANDSCAPE

65

HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS

11.

This chapter

tography

is

devoted to suggestions in using phoyour finished waterhope

ideas, and general hints which

as a tool, presenting

colors, selling

you'll find useful.

Photography has been frowned upon by some artists

being a crutch for dishonorable cheats. Nothing
could be further from the truth. With the constantly
advancing quality of cameras and dependable film, it's
as

not only easy to bring

but

it

Photography has several outright advantages compared with small doodles. Time is the biggest adYou can record the shape of a lightning bolt
with a camera. You can faithfully reproduce very
short-lived subjects which would be impossible to

vantage.

PHOTOGRAPHY AS A TOOL

al,

Advantages

home

beads

rocks, a

can be an important part of the creative

that

Own

Photographs

you take your own photographs so

you can experience the subject by choosing it and

essential that

composing it in the camera's view-finder. In this

respect, photography is identical to painting. If you
don't have a camera, you have to resort to small
sketches, which are also perfectly satisfactory. Even
the most aggressive critic of photography must admit
a truer reference to nature than a
disadvantage is that the quality and
the type of film can seriously affect the color imsay
pression of your subject. This is another reason

that a color slide

pencil note.

How to

Use

Look

your

know

essential to take the shot yourself; you'll

when you have

at

Slides
slides

through

a small

viewer rather than

Remember: you don't want to copy

them; you want to use them as references. This is
essentially what you do when you paint from nature.
Change things around just as you would if you were
projector.

on the scene. Your painting should be the

creative thinking;

it

should never look

your
photo-

fruit of

like a

If you can't discipline yourself in this respect,

photography will harm your work and you should
never touch it.

graph.

is

One

it's

in

air

air, etc.

It's

the

in

exciting painting materi-

process as well.

Take Your

time: a ripple in the water, the foamy

created by waves splashing against the
seagull landing on water, a falling leaf in mid-

draw or paint

an inaccurate color rendering on the

slide.

PRESENTATION

When

AND SELLING

IDEAS

you're finished with your painting, you'll have

to consider pleasing

ways to present

public. Framing watercolors

is

a little

it

to the viewing

more

tricky than

varnished work, because the watercolor surface cannot be cleaned and must be protected from dust,
fumes, smoke, steam, etc.

oil

Equipment
Even with drawbacks, slides really offer more than
enough in terms of reference value. The first things
you need to take good slides are a dependable camera
and good film. The camera doesn't have to be expensive, but, naturally, the better the camera, and the
more accessories you have to go with it, the more
have
opportunities you'll have within your reach.
a Kodak retina single-lens reflex camera, and use
1

medium range telephoto

and a closeup attachment. And in addition to
camera's own 1.9 lens, prefer Ektachrome color
35mm.

film.

also use a

because of
it
(1

tends to

the
film

dependable color qualities and because

show more shadow details than other film.
its

want to point out that

this

is

entirely a matter of

personal preference.)

66

lens

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

Matting
Let's

with

start

pleasant,

neutral

matting your watercolor. Seject

color

which

complements your

painting. Avoid loud colors, as they will distract from

your work. If your painting is light in value, use a dark
mat; if it is mostly dark, use a mat of a lighter color.
I

prefer

my paintings neutral
browns are my current choices.

warm

or charcoal

tones for

Learn to cut the opening (window)

bevel

(slant).

in

beiges

your mat on

This will give the job a professional finish

enhance your painting. To cut on a bevel you

must have a ruler with a strong steel edge which is cut
on a slant to guide your knife on an even angle. A
razor-sharp knife is essential. It will allow you to make
each cut with only one slice of the blade. More than
that will

one cut

will

leave ridges on the bevel and detract from

Keep
them.

3" of space around your painting.

leave an even
width all around, although some prefer the bottom

Dealers

neat appearance.

a little wider. The mat opening (window)

that touches the painting should cover your painting
at least 1/8" all around. If you use a heavy grade
paper, it's enough to tape the top of your painting

portion to be

on

only; but

thin paper,

like to

use tape

all

around.

In this case, use a good quality masking tape which

allows the paper to shrink and expand.

record of your paintings by numbering

Double mats in complementary

shades look even more professional than single ones.
Don't use cheap material for matting your paintings; a painting good enough to frame deserves a few
extra nickels for a good quality mat. Leave about 2" or
its

It's

good

idea to

keep

small

book

listing

painting as well as anything connected with

tion, painting date, size, customer's

it

each

(loca-

name and

ad-

dress, price, etc.).

Eventually, you'll consider selling through dealers.

good

art gallery

surface, this
tion

is

at

deserves

good commission.

commission looks steep, but

when

stake

On

the

their reputa-

they accept your work. The

professional prestige that only a gallery can offer

is

impossible to evaluate; and besides, you'll have more

time to paint and fewer business headaches. Promotis as much of a profession as painting, and
most of us can't be good at both. When you leave
your sales worries in the hands of an ethical dealer,
you'll have found the friend that your career needs.

ing an artist

Framing

frame which blends with your mat and your

thin

painting

is

sufficient for smaller paintings.

On

larger

ones, you should increase the width of the frame to

give it strength enough to support the weight of the

which must always be in front of a watercolor

painting. Any heavy cardboard is suitable for backing
your matted painting. However, if you use corrugated
cardboard instead, put a thin sheet of plastic protector
between the back of your painting and the corrugated
cardboard. This is necessary because the ripples of the
corrugated cardboard are glued with a chemically
glass

offensive material that

will, in

time, eat a lined pattern

through to your painting. A low-glare

glass, to cut

down on

tends to fog

reflection,

is

available, but

it

your painting should you use more than two thin

mats. After you've fastened the glass, the matted
painting, and the backing into the frame, either with
thin nails or with small, diamond-shaped metal supports, cover the opening between the frame and the
backing with a wide enough tape to seal out dirt and
humidity.

GENERAL HINTS
And now,
were useful
you.

some

here's
to

First, let's

practical

advice;

hints that

me and
look

at

perhaps can be of some use to

the positive side of painting and

consider the "do's."

Get Used
Through

Any

to

creative

Making Decisions and Carry Them

endeavor, and especially watercolor

painting, requires a decisive

do the

mind

to

make

the hand

right things at the right time.

Learn to See

Life's

Hidden

Little

Subtleties

What seems common to an average person should

engage an artist's curiosity and trigger his mind to
action.

Pricing

Discipline Yourself to Paint

The supreme test of being able to criticize the value of

your own work comes with pricing it. The monetary
value of your work is in exact ratio to the demand.
Start with low prices. You can always increase your
prices, but to cut

them

is

usually disastrous.

Remember, commission

gained technical
immensely.

skill,

it

Only the
this

will

Essentials

difficult

until

you've

improve your painting

A humble

beginning is a practical way to prove the desire to

share your work with others. If you can't keep up with
the demand, slowly raise your prices until supply and
demand are in balance. If you can interest an art
gallery in selling your work, they will be the most
reliable help in establishing prices, for they know
what the market is for the quality of work you have to
offer.

Although you may find

increases with price.

Be Careful with the Use of Color

Use only those few colors which are essential for your
painting. Bright colors are no substitute for value,
composition, and pictorial strength.

Have Good Tools

at

Your

Command

portant to protect the interest of those who've already

Good results require good utensils. You won't know

how well you paint until you've painted with good

bought your work. Consider

materials.

Don't dicker. Stick to your prices firmly.

a sale final.

It's

im-

HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS

67

Be Inventive
is
what will make
and your own personal, esthetic property

your painting fresh,

This ability
different,

Don't Accept Advice Unconditionally From Anyone

Until You've Tried it Out
It

may not complement your temperament. Remem-

ber,

forever.

your individual qualities are reflected

them be truly your own.

your

in

paintings. Let

Be Your own Best

Critic

Beware

you're not honest with yourself, how can you expect

sincerity from others? Listen to other people's opin-

Compliments

of

If

your own

use. Each of your

ions, but analyze them for
paintings should be good enough to keep for yourself. And now, on the negative side, here are a few

Your polite friends can give you

you're not

alert.

If

he offers to buy
it's good.

if

somebody
it

likes

confidence if
even
your work

false

mean

that alone doesn't

that

"don'ts."

Try Not to Explain Your Paintings

One

Don't Copy

When you copy someone else, you're led into another's world. This world may not be compatible with
your personality and you may rob your mind of the
creative opportunity to express

another's work beyond

its

own

certain point

dangerous than you think.

68

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

idea.

Copying

may be more

of the surest admissions of guilt

is

long

list

of

explanations of what you should have done differently. If your idea has to be explained, it should have

been written, not painted.

Don't Give

A change

Up

if

of luck

You Don't Succeed

may be

at First

as close as the next painting!

Tall

Timbers Courtesy of CoUtts Hallmark Cards. Collection Mr. and Mrs.

L.

R.

Kingsland.

DEMONSTRATIONS

Mount

Baker, Washington (Step

1)

70 lb. d'Arches paper mounted onto a painting block,

18" X 24". My palette was cadmium lemon, Hooker's
green No. 2, burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, Winsor
(phthalocyanine) blue, cobalt blue, and charcoal gray.
began without any preliminary pencil drawing with
I

the heavy dark rocks of the mountain peak, using

charcoal gray mixed with Winsor blue (1 could also

have used ultramarine blue).

snow covered

areas,

where

carefully avoided the

thin clouds hid part of the

highest peak, and prevented the inside edges of the

dark washes from drying sharp by wetting the paper
directly next to it with clean water.

70

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

Mount
I

Baker, Washington (Step 2)

in the foreground, using

painted

cadmium lemon

and Hooker's green, with Winsor blue for the grassy

spots and the slim young pines in the foreground.
Winsor blue with a touch of Hooker's green gave me
the cool color of the water up front. Before this wash
dried,
applied a heavy, concentrated pigment of the
I

same mixture

for the reflection of the pines.

follow-

ed with the rugged, weather-tortured pines in the left

middleground, using a painting knife, heavily loaded
with charcoal gray, for the trunks and branches. used
drybrush touches for the scrawny, leafy parts.
dropped a touch of burnt sienna on the sloping soil
on the left middleground as well as onto the premoistened cloud area, where
added a touch of
I

ultramarine blue.

DEMONSTRATIONS/KNOW YOUR ENVIRONMENT

71

Mount

Baker, Washington (Step

3)

painted the wind-swept blue sky

onto wet paper with brisk strokes of cobalt blue,
ultramarine blue, and charcoal gray washes, following
In this final stage,

with the gentle

shadow

on the snowy
and charcoal gray. Next,

of the cloud

slope, using ultramarine blue

painted the distant young pine forest

in

dleground with Winsor blue and charcoal

lection Mr.

and Mrs.

the midgray. Col-

R. C. Lewis.

Assignment: Using the techniques described in this

demonstration, place typical objects into the composition on the left to add interest to the shoreline.
For further details, see Know Your Environment, p. 26.

72

LANDSCAPE PAINTING N WATERCOLOR

I

Harrison Lake (Step

1)

d'Arches rough finished paper, 20" x 24". My

palette was Winsor (phthalocyanine) blue, cobalt
blue, ultramarine blue. Hooker's green, burnt sienna,
burnt umber, sepia, cadmium lemon, and brown
madder.
sketched in the composition with an HB
pencil, which is dark enough to be visible but easy to
erase. My first wash covered the dark hill directly
behind the pine covered island;
used Winsor blue
and sepia. It was important that get the value right, so
that the pine trees (which painted later) would stand
out in front.
painted the partially exposed island to
the right of this first wash, leaving the silhouetted
trees for later. A light wash of Winsor blue over the
water was applied next, carefully missing the floating
300

lb.

logs.

DEMONSTRATIONS/CONVENTIONAL OR DIRECT PAINTING

73

Harrison Lake (Step

2)

wash on the dark hill dried, painted the

which required the greatest care. used rich

After the
island,

paint for the shrub covered rocks, loading the brush

touched the paper. After a

its capacity each time
slapped in quick touches of
yellow-green wash,
Hooker's green and Winsor blue to indicate the
undergrowth. A few brushfuls of burnt sienna took
care of the exposed rocks. Then came the trees; used
drybrush technique against the hillside, but allowed
the paint to blend freely where it joined the wet area.
The lazy reflection of the islands, as well as a touch of
dark at the very bottom of the painting, had to be
timed when the first wash of the water was about to
to

lose its saturated shine. The floating logs, with their

dark reflections, followed.

74

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

Harrison Lake (Step 3)

Cobalt blue was the main color used for the distant
mountains and the clouds in this final stage. Burnt
umber, ultramarine blue, and sepia supplied the
modeling colors for the clouds. The application of
paint was rapid, allowing the colors to blend here and
carefully controlled the direction of its
there, yet
flow. Then came the deep reflections below the logs:
i

Winsor blue, cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, sepia.

added the distant pines on the small island
point at center right. A few crisp finishing touches,
including some white sparkles on the logs, were
applied with a razor blade. The gentle blending of the
cloud patches against the hill and the mountain was
wiped back with a saturated bristle brush; blotted up
the loosened pigment several times with an absorbent
tissue. From the Painters of Canada Series, Courtesy of

Assignment: Complete the painting in the sketch

above, using the direct method described in this
demonstration. For further details, see Conventional

Courts Hallmark Cards. Collection Mrs.

or Direct Painting, p. 16.

Finally,

E.

Szabo.

DEMONSTRATIONS/CONVENTIONAL OR DIRECT PAINTING

75

Eleanor's Favorite (Step

1)

d'Arches rough finished paper, 22" x 30". My

palette was Antwerp blue, manganese blue, charcoal
gray, brown madder, scarlet, burnt sienna, and yellow
saturochre. With no preliminary pencil drawing,
ated the top two-thirds of the paper with clean water,
300

lb.

starting sharply at the

bottom edge

of the misty forest

applied sweeping washes of a pale

mixture of Antwerp blue and charcoal gray into the
sky, using a 1" wide oxhair brush, followed immediately by a "heavier concentration of pigment
wide bristle brush. A touch of burnt
applied with a
in

the distance.

sienna,

Antwerp

blue,

and manganese blue gave

cool color, creating a feeling of distance.

76

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

me

Eleanor's Favorite (Step

2)

After the shine of the wash disappeared,

applied the

modeled, heavy treetrunk in the foreground. At

painted in the
the same time, to build up strength,
slightly blurred, heavy treetrunk of the pine in the
applied
distance. While these washes were drying,
the weedy, snow covered foreground, softly modeling
it with yellow ochre, Antwerp blue, and charcoal gray.
softly

DEMONSTRATIONS/PAINTING

ON WET

PAPER

77

Eleanor's Favorite (Step

The young shrub

in

3)

the foreground was next

in this

used a painting knife with heavy charcoal

gray and burnt sienna pigment. Exciting, small washes
exploded wherever these strokes touched a slightly
damp spot. left these as they happened. painted
some scarlet and brown madder leaves onto the twigs,
again allowing accidents to come as they would.
Brown madder blurs and charcoal gray drybrush on
the old stump brought it into the foreground and
finished the modeling of the important areas.
applied a few weeds protruding through the snow with
the thin edge of a painting knife. The snowflakes were
done in the last few touches. The softer flakes were
wiped back with the point of a stiff wet brush from the
dry paint; the crisp ones were picked out with the
sharp point of a painting knife blade. Note the
carefully controlled survival of the white paper. Collection Mr. and Mrs. K. R. Shadlock.
final stage.

Assignment: Complete the painting in the sketch

above, using the method of painting on wet paper
described in this demonstration. For further details,
see Painting on

78

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

Wet

Paper,

p. 19.

Wind (Step 1)
Whatman paper mounted on heavy

Silent

15".

My

cardboard, 11"

palette was yellow ochre, burnt sienna, sepia,

ultramarine blue, Antwerp blue, manganese blue, and

cerulean blue. began without any preliminary pencil
drawing, starting with a gentle wash of Antwerp blue
and sepia to define the silhouette of the lump-like
rock. The value of this hue was about as light as the
I

color on the far

left tip

of the rock in the finished

avoided the area where the wooden pole

was going to come later. As this wash reached the
bottom portion of the rock, used a wide bristle brush
to apply heavy brushfuls of burnt sienna, sepia, and a
painting.

touch of ultramarine blue on the right front, gently

blending this wash into a denser, greenish mixture of
Antwerp blue, sepia, and yellow ochre. My brushstrokes were playfully applied to imitate the growth of
the rough weeds. Into this wet wash, scraped a few
I

gentle lines to indicate

some

definition of the

tall

grass.

DEMONSTRATIONSAEXTURE AND PATTERN

79

Silent
I

Wind

splattered

(Step

some

2)

fine drops of

pigment over the area

of the rock, indicating moss-like growth.

used an

ultramarine blue and burnt sienna mixture, as well as

manganese blue (I could also have used cerulean or
Antwerp blue) mixed with sepia (I could also have

had a few nicely

used burnt sienna). Each time
waited until they dried before
shaped splashes,
loosely shook the paint off the
adding more. As
brush, drops sometimes fell into unwanted areas.
immediately blotted these with a tissue before the
color had a chance to set. Next, painted the wooden
pole with the supporting stick and the wooden pulley.
Burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, yellow ochre, and
Antwerp blue gave me a soft blend of woody color.
indicated the cracks on the pole with the tip of my
I

brush handle.

80

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

Silent

Wind

(Step

In this final stage,

a painting knife,

3)

applied the cracks in the rock with

holding it very loosely to allow it to
I

blend the paint freely and create accidental movennents in the lines. Next, applied the rusty wires with
a worn-out, very thin sable brush, using sepia and
burnt sienna, with Antwerp blue here and there.
painted the delicate weeds on top of the rock with the
fine edge of a painting knife, adding the bushy heads
I

on top with

a fine

sable brush

in

drybrush technique.

bottom of the pole. Last,

wet the top of the paper and applied a subtle, bluegray wash of Antwerp blue and sepia, slightly darker
on top and blending into pure white near the rock.

did the

same

to the

left

of the

Collection

L.

I.

Cooper.

Assignment: Give texture and pattern to the boards,

rocks, and grass in the sketch to the left, using the
methods described in this demonstration. For further
details, see Texture and Pattern, p. 22.

DEMONSTRATIONS/TEXTURE AND PATTERN

81

/"''^^:.;y

Glowing Old Maple

(Step

1)

Whatman paper mounted on heavy cardboard, 11" x

15". My palette was cadmium lemon, cadmium orange, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, warm sepia, alizarin
crimson, Winsor (phthalocyanine) blue, and charcoal
painted
gray. With no preliminary pencil drawing,
I

used generous
washes of cadmium lemon, cadmium orange, and
burnt sienna, allowing the washes to flow into each
painted sharper
other. After the first wash was dry,
foliage details with alizarin crimson and warm sepia
also painted the thin, dark branches with a
washes.
the bright maple foliage

lit

by the sun.

painting knife.

82

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

Glowing Old Maple

(Step

2)

After drying, the finished foliage area was

I

rubbed

a stick of paraffin

masked

onto the surface

as

out.

hard as

possible to cover all the pores of the paper. Then

could, slipping over
followed the edges as well as
here and there into the white background. After I'd
finished,
proceeded with the dark background,
ignoring the foliage, which now was well protected by
the wax coating. Winsor blue, yellow ochre, and warm
sepia gave me the greenish shades. Charcoal gray
helped with the darker areas.
I

DEMONSTRATIONS/MASKING TECHNIQUE AND USING THE RAZOR BLADE

83

Glowing Old Maple (Step

3)

wet the bottom half of the paper,

wetting the dark wash on top to soften the lower edge
then applied soft
as it flowed into the clear wash.
washes to the foreground grass on the wet paper.
After these washes dried, painted the dark branches
of the trees, as well as the sharp weeds, using a fine
brush and the edge of a painting knife. When the
removed the wax in the
painting was finished,
following way.
heated an electric iron to medium
heat, laid two layers of tissue on top of the wax, then
applied the hot iron. As the wax melted, it soaked into
quickly lifted it and repeated this procethe tissue.
dure about eight times, using a clean tissue each time,
until the tissue no longer absorbed any wax. Collection Mr. and Mrs. Ray Seel.
In this final stage,

Assignment: Mask out the boats, seagulls, and pier

posts in the composition to the left, using the technique described in this demonstration. For further
details, see Masking Technique and Using the Razor
Blade, p. 23.

84

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

Blue Rocks, Nova Scotia (Step 1)

Whatman paper mounted on heavy cardboard, 11" x
15". My palette was cadmium orange, burnt sienna,

Antwerp blue, Payne's gray, and charcoal gray.

wet the top half of the paper and slapped in a gentle
wash of mist behind the building, using sepia, Antwerp blue, and a touch of charcoal gray.
sepia,

DEMONSTRATIONS/DRYBRUSH

85

Blue Rocks, Nova Scotia (Step 2)

painted the rocks directly onto the dry paper,
starting at the end of the rocky path. My colors were
Payne's gray and a touch of burnt sienna. left out the
silhouette of the light rocks and the planks. As the
paint dried,
added the drvbrush modeling of the
I

rocks.

86

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

Blue Rocks, Nova Scotia (Step 3)

In this final stage, painted the light rocks on the path,
the wooden planks, and the large beam, using Payne's
gray and burnt sienna. Then painted the post which
supports the rope. The light, weathered, woody qualiI

ty of the post comes from several layers of drybrush

washes, with each wash allowed to dry before the next

application.

scraped the twist of the rope into the

tip of my brush handle. Next came
the rusty spike, for which used burnt sienna, then the
old fisherman's hut in the mist with the bottom part
I

wet wash with the

fading into wet area. The little stick with wires on it at

the point, the reflections of the rocks, and the falling
shadow of the pole and rope on the rock (left
foreground) supplied the finishing touches. Collection Mr. and Mrs. K. R. Shadlock.

Assignment: Complete the painting in the sketch to

the left, using the drybrush technique described in
this demonstration. For details, see Drybrush,
p. 17.

DEMONSTRATIONS/DRVBRUSH

87

Snow (Step 1)
Whatman paper mounted on heavy cardboard, 11" x
15". My palette was cadmium yellow deep, burnt

Trees in

Vandyke brown, ultramarine blue, Winsor

(phthalocyanine) blue, and charcoal gray. First, wet
the top half of the paper and slapped in the mist of the

sienna,

background forest, using Vandyke brown and ultramarine blue in a single wash. A couple of wet strokes
of Winsor blue hints at the frosty shrubs at the bottom
of the bush.

88

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

Trees in Snow (Step 2)

After the first wash dried,
painted the dark parts of
the large treetrunks with Vandyke brown and ultramarine blue, then oozed burnt sienna onto the sunlit
applied all the smaller branches,
crevices. After this,
as well as the young shoots in the foreground, with my
I

painting knife.
used a scraping motion, taking advantage of the flexible blade.
I

DEMONSTRATIONS/PAINTING KNIFE TECHNIQUES

89

F^

Trees in

Snow

(Step

3)

After wetting the lower third of the paper,

painted

the foreground shadows with ultramarine blue and a

touch of charcoal gray. After this wash dried, painted
I

the snow, the shadows of the young twigs, and,

finally, using cadmium yellow deep and burnt sienna,
in

painted on the leftover leaves, which supply bright

color and finish the painting. Private Collection.
I

Assignment: Complete the painting in the sketch to

the left, using the painting knife techniques described
in this demonstration. For further details, see Painting
Knife Techniques, p. 20.

90

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

SH

Peggy's

Cove

(Step

1)

Whatman paper mounted on heavy cardboard, 11" x

15". My palette was yellow ochre, cadmium orange,
burnt sienna, sepia, brown madder, ultramarine blue,

Antwerp

blue,

and charcoal

pencil drawing,

started

gray.

With no preliminary

painting the rocks

in

the

in the left middleground, using a

and ultramarine blue wash to produce the aged
look of the wood of the wall. Antwerp blue and sepia
proved right for the roof. The line definition on the

with the building

sepia

is the result of
brush handle.

side, as well as the roof of the building,

worked

into the

wet wash with

foreground, allowing drybrush edges to survive. The

paint

modeling was done with cadmium orange and burnt

sienna washes with charcoal gray edges. The cracks
were scraped into the wet wash with the tip of my

applied these details quickly, before the wash had a

chance to dry. wet the top half of the paper next to

brush handle.

My

reason for starting with the rocks

was to make sure the tide wouldn't cover them before
I'd finished the rest of the painting!
then proceeded
I

in the background. A
blue and burnt sienna
defined the hill. The lower rocky edge is the result of
blending drybrush touches into the wet wash on top.

the distant fog covered

subtle

wash

hill

of ultramarine

DEMONSTRATIONS/RELATIONSHIPS

91

Peggy's

Cove

(Step

2)

painted the light, gray-blue wash of the boat beside

the dock and its reflection, indicating water ripples
I

blending into a dark, deep color under the main

building in the left center. The line indicating board
direction on the hull of the boat was done by working
the brush handle point in the wet wash.
added the
rust colored touches at the same time. Turning to the
building in the right middleground,
used Antwerp
blue, ultramarine blue, charcoal gray, and burnt
sienna in varied combinations to make the colors
more subtle. The dark washes below the dock, as well
as the door and window openings, had to be applied
I

after the

92

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

first

washes were

dry.

Peggy's Cove (Step 3)

The supporting beam pillars of the main building and
the detailed clutter on the platform followed in this
final stage.

painted small areas separately, to prevent

into each other. The lobster trap

and the pole with the pulley were better defined than
the hints of the clutter below and were painted with
burnt sienna, sepia, charcoal gray, and brown madder.
painted the drying nets on the side of the building
details

from running

with brisk drybrush strokes of Antwerp blue, charcoal

gray,

and

touch of yellow ochre.

Finally,

added the

finishing touches of the dark reflections of the

wood-

en pillars, the light reflections near the rocks up front,

and the soft reflection on the right center. The
inevitable seagulls completed the composition. They
were painted in ultramarine blue and charcoal gray
with a touch of brown madder for their beaks.
Collection Mr. and Mrs. Peter Rollason.
Assignment: Improve the arrangement of the scene
to the left by rearranging the objects into more
interesting relationships with
details,

see Relationships,

one another.

For further

p. 30.

DEMONSTRATIONS/RELATIONSHIPS

93

Plowed

Field (Step 1)

d'Arches rough finished paper, 15" x 22" (half

sheet). My palette was burnt sienna, sepia, brown
madder, charcoal gray, yellow ochre, cadmium or300

lb.

ange, ultramarine blue, and Winsor (phthalocyanine)

blue. began without any preliminary pencil drawing.
The reflection of the setting sun glistening on the
I

farmhouse window makes it the center of interest and

adds a touch of the unusual to this painting (see
painted the farmhouse and
finished painting, p. 96).
the trees onto dry paper, using yellow ochre and
burnt sienna on the house wall, and Winsor blue and
sepia for the dull, distant green pines next to the
building. Burnt sienna, with a little brown madder,
supplied the color for the sunlit, taller deciduous trees
I

in

the distance as well as for the fine line of the

fence on the horizon.

94

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

snow

i:i.

ittCMM^MlM*;

Plowed
I

Field (Step 2)

wet the top,

sky, portion of the paper,

then carefully

slipped over the lacy trees once with a wet brush,

without disturbing their crisp quality. One sweep of

Winsor blue and sepia wash gave me a sky gently
flowing into the lower edges of the wet area.

DEMONSTRATIONS/CENTER OF INTEREST

95

Plowed

Field (Step 3)

painted the sunlit bit of soil below

the middleground, using yellow
ochre, burnt sienna, brown madder, and charcoal
gray. The plowed field was next.
painted this large
area with a 1" wide bristle brush, following the
In this final stage,

the farmhouse

in

direction of the pattern of the

plow furrows. started

and worked toward the top right,
applying new layers of additional paint and covering
more and more surface as
advanced toward the
from the top

left

bottom. left the snow patch area clear, as well as the

shaded blue snow patch in the foreground. As
reached the foreground,
defined more weeds and
I

more of the character of the plowed field. My colors

were burnt sienna, brown madder, sepia, and charcoal gray. Next, painted the thin line of blue hills on
the distant horizon and the modeling of the snow
patches (top left), including the shaded one up front.
After everything was dry, scraped in a few tail weeds
(right front) and added the sun's glistening reflection
in the farmhouse window with the sharp point of a
painting knife blade. Collection Mr. and Mrs. D.
I

Turnbull.

Assignment:

Complete the sket ch

centuating the feather as the center
further details, see Center of Interest,

above.

Q--/

Summer Memories (Step 1)

Whatman paper mounted on heavy
15".

My

palette was scarlet red,

cardboard, 11"

brown madder, burnt

Vandyke brown, ultramarine blue, Winsor

painted
(phthalocyanine) blue, and charcoal gray.

sienna,

this

sketch with no preliminary pencil drawing,

when

saw the
the temperature was just near freezing.
blizzard coming in the distance, so had to work fast.
I

defined the silhouetted form of the three red chairs

carefully, leaving out the snow covered areas. used a
rich wash of scarlet red and applied it with a fine sable
brush. wet the paper above the chairs up to the edge
of the snow. Again, used a small sable brush to apply
the footprints and the grayish tones near the edge of
I

the water. The gray color was made from Vandyke

brown and a touch of ultramarine blue. After this,
modeled the snow next to and on top of the chairs
I

with ultramarine blue, charcoal gray, and a touch of

Vandyke brown.

DEMONSTRATIONS/THREE DIMENSIONS, PERSPECTIVE

97

Summer Memories

When
fast.

(Step

2)

had to work
the blizzard started to close in,
wet the top third of the paper, except the snow
I

covered lower edges of the point on the right middleground. slapped a rich mixture of Vandyke brown
and ultramarine blue onto the wet area, adding a dark
I

horizontal stroke right across the place

distant

island

is

horizon. With a
in

where the

located. This created a feeling of

little

moisture

in

the brush,

painted

the island and the two tree covered points of land

on both

sides, using

Winsor blue, burnt sienna, and

charcoal gray mixtures. At this point, the

snow

started

husky flakes onto my

carefully controlled, smooth wash. ran into a nearby
building, holding the painting upside down. Inside,
turned the painting up again and discovered that the
accidental snow drops caused by the small back runs
from melting snowflakes were lovely!
to

fall;

it

dropped

in

big,

98

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

II.

Summer Memories
In this final stage,

indoors from

(Step

3)

finished the red chairs in fine detail

memory and

the help of

photograph.

Brown madder and charcoal gray supplied the values

for modeling. Collection Mr.

F. J.

Robinson.

Assignment: Complete the scene in the sketch to the

left, showing the perspective of the view. For further
details, see Three Dimensions, Perspective, p. 33.

DEMONSTRATIONS/THREE DIMENSIONS, PERSPECTIVE

99

Revisited (Step

1)

d'Arches rough finished paper, 22" x 30". My

palette was burnt sienna, Vandyke brown, charcoal
gray, yellow ochre, ultramarine blue, and Antwerp
blue. With no preliminary pencil drawing, used a 1"
300

lb.

brush to paint in the heaviest

moved the brush, loaded with a
treetrunk (left).
heavy wash of medium-strength gray color, horizontally. This gray color was a mixture of well-diluted

wide tapered

bristle
I

ultramarine blue and burnt sienna. The edges were

left loose, rather than ruler straight. While this wash
was drying, painted the remaining trunks of the birch
I

same way. As these washes started to dry,

applied heavier horizontal strokes of burnt sienna,
charcoal gray, ultramarine blue, and Vandyke brown,
allowing them to form soft edges in the drying first
clump
I

wash.

100

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

in

the

Revisited {Step
I

2)

saturated the top half of the paper, avoiding the

birch trunk areas which

the paper was wet,

were already painted. While

quickly slapped

in

the distant

Vandyke brown, ultramarine blue, and

charcoal gray. The first washes were light. As the paint
forest, using

stopped running,

applied the soft suggestions of

and more paint in the

treetrunks, using less water

brush. This blending gives an exciting hint of the deep

At the same time, and using the same bristle

forest.

brush,

painted the modeling of the snow in the

a soft wash of ultramarine blue

middleground, using
and charcoal gray.

DEMONSTRATIONS/VALUE AND FORM

101

Revisited (Step

3)

The mound of snow in the foreground around the

bottom of the birch clump was next. started with a
sharp edge between the treetrunks, moving rapidly
toward the bottom and the sides. The sharpness
blended into soft modeling as the brush touched the
wet area. The modeling of the snow is free and
uneven because of the different amounts of paint in
each brushfui of wash. The young trees in the foreground, middleground, and background are entirely
I

the result of painting knife application. A rich mixture

of Vandyke brown and Antwerp blue over the dry
washes gives sharp details. The ragged bark and the

modeling on the treetrunks, as well as the

branches, were directly applied with the
put in the
drybrush technique. As a final touch,
carving marks on the birch. Collection Mrs. Elizabeth

final

heavier

Szafao.

Assignment: Complete the sketch to the left, concenon values and forms as described in this
demonstration. For further details, see Value and
Form, p. 34.

trating

102

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

^m^:-:'

Snow with Weeds (Step 1)

Whatman Paper mounted on heavy

My

cardboard, 11"

was burnt sienna, raw umber, ultramarine blue, Winsor (phthalocyanine) blue, and charcoal gray. First, wet the top half of the paper. With a
^" wide bristle brush,
painted the sky, the distant
hills, and the fuzzy evergreens.
15".

palette

DEMONSTRATIONS/THE VALUE OF WHITE SPACE

103

Snow

with

Weeds

(Step

After the paper dried,

the

snow covered

the

far left

with a

and Winsor blue

104

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

2)
I

painted the thin branches of

and the few scrawny trees on

used burnt sienna
painting knife.
tree

for the dark lines.

Snow with Weeds (Step 3)

Last came the dry weeds

in

the white foreground.

Their tilted angle indicates the pressure of the snow.

painted these weeds with raw umber and charcoal
I

gray, using a soft sable brush with a

good

point.

From

the Painters of Canada Series, Courtesy of Coutts

Hallmark Cards. Private Collection.

Assignment: Complete the sketch to the left, using

your white space to fullest advantage. For further
details, see The Value of White Space, p. 35.

DEMONSTRATIONSAHE value of white space

105

Algonquin Rivulet (Step

1)

Whatman paper mounted on heavy

My

cardboard, 11"

was burnt sienna, brown madder,

Vandyke brown, ultramarine blue, and cerulean blue.
15".

palette

applied varied strokes to

used Vandyke brown, ultramarine blue, and burnt sienna in varying conpainted the
sistencies. Directly next to the forest,
After wetting the paper,
indicate the forest.

shaded snow with logs scattered

modeling down to the creek.

106

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

in

it.

carried this

Algonquin Rivulet (Step

2)

painted the dark logs at the edge of the forest

with Vandyke brown and ultramarine blue. With the
same dark wash,
painted the creek, allowing dryreached the
brush edges to hint at fresh snow. As
Next,

bottom of the creek, wet the paper below it. As

touched the wet paper with the brown wash, the
exciting ooze that you see here happened.
I

DEMONSTRATIONS/SNOW

107

Algonquin Rivulet (Step

In this final stage,

3)

did the weeds. For the bulrush

wet the paper where the soft head was to go.

stroke of heavy pigment, allowing it to dry
soft. And, finally,
painted in the thin stems and twigs
with a painting knife and a small sable brush. From the
Painters of Canada Series, Courtesy of Coutts Hallmark Cards. Collection Mr. and Mrs. j. W. Bessey.
heads,

painted

in a

Assignment: Model the snow in the sketch to the left,

using the method described in this demonstration. For
further details, see

108

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

Snow,

p. 58.

Cape Breton

Island (Step

1)

Whatman paper mounted on heavy cardboard, 11" x

15". My palette was cadmium lemon, burnt sienna,
yellow ochre, sepia, ultramarine blue, and Antwerp
blue. started with a large wash of sepia, yellow ochre,
and ultramarine blue over the sandy drop, as well as in
the foreground. Near the top right, hinted at grass by
mixing Antwerp blue and cadmium lemon.
I

DEMONSTRATIONS/SAND AND

SOIL

109

Cape Breton Island (Step 2)

A few simple, large washes of sepia and ultramarine
blue with some Antwerp blue followed the lazy roll
of
the waves.

allowed the whitecaps to remain un-

touched and white.

110

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

Cape Breton

Island (Step

3)

the detail on the sand and rocks, as

well as their shadows, followed. Sepia and ultramarine
blue supplied the color. The drybrush wave splash in
the left center and the distant point on the left
horizon were rendered; the roots hanging out of the
In this final stage,

land bank on the top right, applied with a painting

helped to finish the job. Private Collection.

knife,

Assignment: Complete the painting in the sketch to

left, emphasizing the sandy foreground. For fur-

the

ther details, see

Sand and

Soil, p. 51.

DEMONSTRATIONS/SAND AND

SOIL

111

Peggy's

Cove

in Mist (Step 1)

Whatman paper mounted on heavy

My

cardboard, 11"

was yellow ochre, burnt sienna, sepia,

estabultramarine blue, and charcoal gray. First,
lished the two main fishermen's huts with several
layers of drybrush washes of charcoal gray and sepia.
slapped on the lighter value reflections below the
buildings with charcoal gray. Next, wet the top part
of the paper, avoiding the edges of the buildings,
painted a soft mist of fog into this with a gentle wash
of sepia and charcoal gray, as well as the misty hut in
the right middleground.
15".

palette

112

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

Cove in Mist (Step 2)

Next came the bleached rocks on both sides of the
huts. The line pattern of the rocks was done with the
point of my brush handle. Where the rocks touch the
water's edge, a touch of burnt sienna hinted at rusty
deposits. The dry weeds in the cracks had similar
coloring. followed this with light washes of charcoal
gray on the houses in the background. These are
rendered vaguely, because the fog hides most details.
Peggy's

DEMONSTRATIONS/FOG AND MIST

113

Peggy's

Cove

in

Mist (Step

3)

added the dark

the main building and the inevitable
tion Mr. and Mrs. D. Grey.
In this final stage,

reflection

under

seagulls. Collec-

Assignment: Complete the sketch to the left by painting it as if seen through fog or mist. For further details,
see Fog and Mist, p. 55.

114

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

Rainy Afternoon (Step 1)

300 lb. d'Arches rough finished paper, 22" x 30". My
palette was vermilion, brown madder, burnt sienna,
warm sepia, cadmium yellow medium, ultramarine
blue. Hooker's green No. 2, and charcoal gray.
started with the front of the old building, painting the
red brick color with vermilion, brown madder, and
sepia.
continued with the side of the same building
in Hooker's green, adding details as drying allowed.
Then indicated the wet weeds and the muddy drive,
leaving out the edge of the wet sidewalk.
I

DEMONSTRATIONS/RAIN

115

Rainy Afternoon (Step 2)

wet the sky area and applied large washes of
mixture of ultramarine blue and warm sepia with
soft, 1" wide, flat brush.
I

116

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

a
a

Rainy Afternoon {Step 3)

In this final stage, painted the old railway station with
a roof of ultramarine blue which freely flowed into
the warm sepia bottom.
painted the lampposts and
I

sidewalk details

the same time. Next,

finished the
dark foreground reflections, using the same color as
for the objects that caused the reflections, but darker.

As

a final

touch,

at

atmosphere
and Mrs. George Yeats.

finished the signs to add

to the painting. Collection Mr.

Assignment: Complete the sketch of

dles to the

left.

rain

For further details, see Rain,

and pudp. 56.

DEMONSTRATIONS/RAIN

117

Spring Puddle (Step 1)

300 lb. d'Arches rough finished paper, 22" x 30". My
palette was yellow ochre, burnt sienna, Vandyke
brown, charcoal gray, Hooker's green No. 2, cobalt
blue, and Winsor (phthalocyanine) blue. painted the
1

collapsing building with a direct painting method on

dry paper, building up details as went along. Cobalt
I

blue,

Vandyke brown, and charcoal gray were my

colors for the old boards and for the fallen fence.

118

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

Spring Puddle (Step 2)

applied the grass and pebbles in the foreground and
the weeds in the middle, right up to the horizon. For
this,
used yellow ochre. Hooker's green No. 2, and
Vandyke brown, in varying combinations.
I

DEMONSTRATIONS/BUILDINGS

119

f^

Spring Puddle (Step

3)

In this final stage,

painted the large puddle with its

some of the final

done

reflections,

partly wet-in-wet;

had to be painted on dry paper.

used
Winsor blue, Vandyke brown, and charcoal gray for
the color of the water. painted the sky on wet paper
with light washes of cobalt blue and a touch of
reflections

in^r

charcoal gray.

c^Xirt

rock

in

finished the painting by detailing the

the water that

had

silhouette from the reflection.

left

out as

white

Collection Mr. and

Mrs. Les Buckler.

Assignment: Complete the composition of buildings

in a

group

in

see Buildings,

120

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

the sketch to the

p. 64.

left.

For further details,

My

Children (Step 1)
lb. d'Arches rough finished paper, 11" x 15". My
palette was vermilion red, yellow ochre, Vandyke
brown, ultramarine blue, Winsor (phthalocyanine)
painted the water,
blue, and charcoal gray. First,
starting at the horizon, using Winsor blue and yellow
300

ochre with some Vandyke brown, and leaving the

shape of the white seagulls unpainted by painting
around them. After this layer of washes dried, added
I

coming down to the light edge of

painted the pale blue
water. At the same time,
shoreline above the horizon.

more wave

details,

DEMONSTRATIONS/PEOPLE AND ANIMALS

121

My Children
Next,

(Step

2)

slapped on

a light ultramarine blue and

charcoal gray wash for the sky, then the shaded side of
the large stump. Ultramarine blue and Vandyke
I

brown were my
and

122

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

colors.

their reflections.

followed with the shore rocks

My Children

(Step

3)

painted the sandy foreground.

used yellow ochre and ultramarine blue, with oozing
charcoal gray to indicate dark wave marks in the sand.
In this final stage,

continued with the shadow of the stump on the

sand, the seagulls above the horizon, and my two
children playing at the water's edge. The red jacket on
I

the boy and the bluejeans on the girl made them

stand out as the center of interest. Collection Mrs.
Elizabeth Szabo.

Assignment: Place as many figures in the composition

to the left as you think necessary to add interest. For
further details, see People and Animals, p. 65.

DEMONSTRATIONS/PEOPIE AND ANIMALS

123

Misty Sun (Step 1)

Whatman paper mounted on heavy cardboard, 11" x
15". My palette was yellow ochre, burnt sienna, warm
sepia,

brown madder, Antwerp

blue,

locyanine) blue, and charcoal gray.

down

Winsor (phthawet the top

First,

edge of the rocky

painted large sweeping washes of Antwerp
warm sepia, and charcoal gray. encouraged the
part of the paper,

to the

hill.

blue,

paint

to remain darker near the outside edges to give a

framing effect. painted heavy loads of Winsor blue,

burnt sienna, and Antwerp blue on the edge of the
horizon to give the misty effect of evergreens. The
hint of twigs was produced by the tip of my brush
wiped back the
handle. Before these washes dried,
I

shape of the misty sun with

124

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

a clean, thirsty brush.

Misty Sun (Step 2)

painted in the rocks with simple washes of warm
sepia, brown madder, burnt sienna, Antwerp blue,
scraped the cracks and rocky
and charcoal gravedges into the wet washes with the tip of my brush
handle. didn't touch the area of snow, which is pure
I

paper.

DEMONSTRATIONS/SKY AND CLOUDS

125

Misty Sun (Step

3)

wet the lower edge of the paper

the dry weeds, using thin strokes of
burnt sienna and yellow ochre, finishing with a few
thin lines of scraggly grass blades. Collection Mr. F. ].
In this final stage,

and dropped

in

Robinson.

Assignment: Complete the composition in the sketch

to the left by adding the sky of your choice. For
further details, see Sky and Clouds, p. 60.

126

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

SL Joseph's Island (Step 1)

300 lb. d'Arches rough finished paper, 22" x 30". My
palette was yellow ochre, cadmium orange, cobalt
blue, ultramarine blue, Antwerp blue, and charcoal
saturated
gray. With no preliminary pencil drawing,
the whole paper with a soft sponge. Starting at the
horizon line
painted a medium-strength layer of
yellow ochre wash downward across the whole sheet,
using a soft, wide brush. A light value of cadmium
orange followed above the horizon, getting lighter as
the horizontal strokes advanced further upward.
washed the same brush and applied a heavy coat of
Antwerp blue and cobalt blue starting at the very
bottom. This wash got lighter, fading into the yellow
ochre wash while still wet. A dark wash of ultramarine
blue and cobalt blue, starting at the very top of the sky
and fading into the pale orange horizon, finished the
first large background wash. A light wash of ultramarine blue and sepia gave me the wind-swept clouds
I

in

the sky.

DEMONSTRATIONS/SUNSETS

127

St.

Joseph's Island (Step

2)

the concentrated dark

took
value of the trees on the island would be,
advantage of the still-wet wash of the water and
painted in the softly blending reflections and wave
used heavily concentrated pigments of
patterns.
Antwerp blue, ultramarine blue, and sepia for the

Knowing approximately where

128

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

reflections.

For the

reached for

light

more

distant

wave

patterns,

touches of Antwerp blue and sepia.

St.

Joseph's Island (Step

After these washes

3)

were

dry,
painted in the distant,
simple wash of Antwerp blue
and sepia. Using the same color combination, but
more concentrated, painted in the rock of the island
and the foliage of the trees with a No. 12 sable brush.
used as much drybrush on the edges as possible to
hilly

shoreline with

indicate the lacy foliage effect created

dried,

when

trees are

back lighting. After this wash

painted the treetrunks and branches with a

silhouetted as

a result of

painting knife, using the

same colors

but, again,

concentrated. Inside the largest tree,

straight paint,

making sure

it

more

used almost

showed up

against the

already dark wash. Finally, a few straight detail reflections next to the island finished the job. Collection

Zoltan Szabo Syndicate.

Assignment: Complete the scene to the left bv adding a sunset, using the technique described in this
demonstration. For further details, see Sunsets, p. 61.

DEMONSTRATIONS/SUNSETS

129

Rattray Estates (Step

1)

d'Arches rough finished paper, 22" x 30". My

palette was yellow ochre, burnt sienna, warm sepia,
brown madder, ultramarine blue, Antwerp blue, and
charcoal gray. Beginning without any preliminary
pencil drawing, completely saturated the top half of
the paper. used a firm 1" wide bristle brush for the
soft background washes.
started with the misty blue
hills,
using ultramarine blue and charcoal gray^
painted the partially tree covered hill, then started on
the extreme right with a wash of ultramarine blue and
warm sepia. dropped a few brushfuls of burnt sienna
into this wash to indicate the brownish shrubs on the
slopes. The pine forest near the point of land was
done with heavy, concentrated vertical brushstrokes
of Antwerp blue, warm sepia, and burnt sienna applied with the same brush. painted the soft reflection
300

lb.

130

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

of the

hills in

the water with the same colors, but with

above them. The

yellow ochre wash between the hills and their
reflection helps create a dividing line between hills
and water. Then wet the bottom half of the paper
and applied the dark color of the water. mixed my
wash from Antwerp blue, warm sepia, and ultramarine
applied this wash with a soft 1" wide brush,
blue.
starting with heavy pigment at the bottom and moving
lighter value than the hills directly
light

with continuous sweeping strokes from side to side,

advancing upward and losing pigment gradually until

lost all color from the brush. This operation seems
simple, but you mustn't lift the brush if you want
continuous tone. If you stop for any reason, you must
load your brush with pigment again and start over
from the bottom.
I

Rattray Estates (Step

2)

After the paper dried,

proceeded with the bulrushes.

started with the plants themselves, without their

reflections. Yellow ochre and burnt sienna were used
I

for the leaves, along with lighter greens

made from

Antwerp blue and yellow ochre. used a medium size

sable brush with a good point to give reality to the
twisting, pointed leaves.
proceeded with darker and
darker values, using more warm sepia and charcoal
gray to create the deeper values that suggest a heavy
I

concentration of weed clumps. Next,

painted the
bulrush heads. applied a single stroke of clean water
with a 2" wide brush to where the soft bulrush head
was to come. picked up almost pure paint of warm
sepia and charcoal gray with a medium size sable
brush and painted in one wide stroke into the middle
of the wet spot. The edges blurred slightly. repeated
I

the others, except that dragged some of the

dark pigment with a small sable brush into the wet
this for

area, suggesting the loose, wind-torn seedlings.

DEMONSTRATIONS/STILL WATER AND REFLECTIONS

131

Rattray Estates (Step

3)

approached the reflections

bulrush clumps and leaves in the same way
In this final stage,

of the
as the

plants themselves, but

painted them just a little
darker
using wavy brushstrokes as
went further
from the point where the reflections started. Each
protruding leaf and stem has its own reflection, so
followed all of them individually. Collection Mr. and
Mrs. K. R. Shadlock.
I

'

Assignment: Complete the sketch to the left of still

water and reflections, using the technique described
in this demonstration. For further details, see Still

Water and Reflections,

p. 53.
I

132

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

Lumberman's Bridge

(Step

1)

70 lb. d'Arches paper mounted into a painting block,

18" X 24". My palette was Hooker's green No. 2,
ultramarine blue, Winsor (phthalocyanine) blue, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, warm sepia, and charcoal
gray.
ing,

Beginning without any preliminary pencil drawwet the top half of the paper, allowing two or

three spots to dry.

mountains
starting at

stops.

painted in the blue, cloud-torn

back with a large sable brush,
the sharp edge where the green foliage
in

the

blended Winsor blue, warm

sepia,

and char-

coal gray into the wet sky.

DEMONSTRATIONS/MOVING WATER, MOVING REFLECTIONS

133

Lumberman's Bridge

(Step

2)

While the top wash was drying, proceeded with the

loose rocks at the bottom left corner. Applying only
lighter washes first, using burnt sienna. Hooker's
green, and charcoal gray, followed with the beams of
I

the bridge, using yellow ochre, burnt sienna, ultra-

marine blue, and charcoal gray. Next,

painted the
gushing waters of the creek, combining smooth washes rolling over rocks with drybrush splashes here and
there.
used Hooker's green with Winsor blue and
I

charcoal gray.

134

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

Lumberman's Bridge
In this final stage,

(Step

3)

painted the lush green shrubs

In

middleground, using yellow ochre. Hooker's

green No. 2, and ultramarine blue. Next, painted the
crisp, shaded edges of the rocks into dry pigment on
the lower left, as well as the sharp dark modeling in
the

the water. Then

painted the

the middleground, using

with

warm

tall,

dark pine forest

medium

in

size sable brush

good point. Winsor blue, charcoal gray, and

were my colors. Last, painted the scrawny

sepia

pine above the bridge reaching into the clouds. used

a painting knife and a small sable brush over dry
pigment. My colors were charcoal gray and Winsor
blue. Collection Dr. and Mrs. D. R. Milloy.
I

Assignment: Complete the sketch of moving water to

the left, using the technique described in this demonstration. For further details, see

ing Reflections,

Moving Wafer, Mov-

p. 54.

DEMONSTRATIONS/MOVING WATER, MOVING REFLECTIONS

135

'-^

Devil's Paintbrush (Step

1)

Whatman paper mounted onto heavy cardboard, 15"

X 22". My palette was cadmium yellow medium,
cadmium orange, sepia, brown madder, ultramarine
and charcoal gray. This painting was done very
no preliminary pencil drawing. First,
established the general background wash
many
heavy loads of pigment applied to saturated paper
with a 1" wide bristle brush.
used ultramarine blue,
sepia, and charcoal gray in various combinations. The
blue,

quickly, with

just

before the shine of the wetness disappeared,

the surface moisture from the flower along with

until

repeated

this

the two smaller flowers the same way.

yellow pigment was drying, but still moist,

wet wash with the tip of my brush handle wherever

the wet pigment allowed. As this wash started to dry,

thin line of

136

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

some

touch two more times,

had the desired clean color effect, then painted

extra color.

decorative shapes of the four-leafed weeds suggested

a hint of pattern.
scraped the outline shapes into the
I

dropped a heavy brushful of cadmium yellow medium

where the largest flower is located. The fresh load of
wet pigment lifted and pushed aside the dark background color. quickly squeezed out the remaining
paint from my medium size sable brush and soaked up

brown madder with the

brush, using a small, circular stroke.

When
I

the

painted

tip of a fine sable

Devil's Paintbrush (Step

2)

Next to the yellow flowers, and directly below them,

painted the broad-leafed weeds, using cadmium orange and ultramarine blue. Again, used the tip of my
brush handle to scrape the veins into the leaves.
added a few quickly drawn hints of weeds to the
applied the line effect to dry paper
outside edges.
with a bamboo pen dipped into a mixture of charcoal
I

gray and

cadmium orange.

DEMONSTRATIONS/UNDERGROWTH, SHRUBS, AND WEEDS

137

Devil's Paintbrush (Step

3)

wiped back the dry background

pigment where the soft yellow flower and bud are
located on the top left, using a firm sable brush with a
good point which was moist enough to loosen the dry
pigment with a gentle scrub. After this, blotted it up
with a tissue. While the paper was still moist, painted
a yellow wash over the flower and modeled the center
with a spot of brown madder and charcoal gray. After
In this final stage,

it

dried,

painted the dark thin lines separating the

wiped back the stem of the large flower

(called a devil's paintbrush) where the background
was dark and continued it with a dark line as the
background faded into light value. In this way,
petals.

created enough contrast to

Mr. and Mrs. j. K. Russell.

Assignment:
position

Add weeds,

on the

left,

show

the stem. Collection

flowers, etc. to the

com-

using the methods described

in

demonstration. For further details, see Undergrowth, Shrubs, and Weeds, p. 49.
this

138

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

Black Brook Creek (Step

1)

Whatman paper mounted on heavy cardboard, 11" x

15". My palette was cadmium orange, burnt sienna,
gray, Winsor (phthaiocyapainted these
and ultramarine blue.
bright rocks in the setting sun with no preliminary
established the whole painting in
pencil drawing.
half an hour. The reddish color of the rocks was
tackled first. painted each rock to completion, one at
went along. used a No. 10 sable brush,
a time, as
freely loaded with cadmium orange and burnt sienna
for the sunlit spots. Brown madder helped with the
modeling. Ultramarine blue mixed with the previous
colors supplied the shaded sides of the wet rocks; the
hues reflecting the sky's blue color came from the
addition of a little Winsor blue. scraped the cracks of
the rocks into the wet wash with the point of my brush
handle and allowed drybrush strokes to freely define
the white foamy splashes along the lower edges.

brown madder, charcoal

nine)

blue,

DEMONSTRATIONS/ROCKS

139

Black Brook Creek (Step 2)

wet the remaining part of the paper, except the spots
next to the rocks, where tried to preserve the white
I

foam and prevent the blue wash of the water from

creeping in. Then
applied large, dark tones of
Winsor blue and a touch of cadmium orange. Going
from dark at the bottom to lighter at the top,
I

strokes,

paper.

140

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

movement

waves with the brushpermitting them to blend gently on the wet

imitated the

of the

K^afe^.::

Black Brook Creek (Step

In this final stage,

3)

finished the water by adding dark

washes close to the foam, allowing thin light lines to

between them. This gives the impression of
white foam gently dissolving into water. Next, painted the large splashes of water reaching up from
behind the rocks.
used a medium size sable brush
and the same colors as for the main body of water.
painted in a few
Then in a drybrush technique
splashes of ultramarine blue and charcoal gray where
the white foam was in the shadow of the rocks. Finally,
painted the lone seagull with ultramarine blue and
survive

charcoal gray. Collection Mr.

and Mrs.

L.

R.

Kingsland.

Assignment: Paint the rocks in the seascape to the

left, using the technique described in this demonstration. For further details, see Rocks, p. 50.

DEMONSTRATIONS/ROCKS

141

Snake Fence (Step 1)

Whatman paper mounted on heavy cardboard, 11" x
15". My palette was yellow ochre, burnt sienna, warm
sepia,

manganese

blue,

Antwerp

blue, ultramarine

and charcoal gray. wet the whole paper and

applied gentle washes of ultramarine blue and sepia
to model the deep, distant snow and the edge of the
forest on top. For the snow,
used the same colors,
but much more sepia than ultramarine blue. The
scattered young trees were followed by the two young
birches on the left middleground, finished in slightly
blue,

more

detail,

touches.

142

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

including

some burnt sienna drybrush

Snake Fence (Step 2)

The partially snow-buried snake fence came

next.

almost exclusively, varying

manganese blue, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, sepia,
and charcoal gray washes to complement and detail

used

drybrush

strokes

the aged wood.

DEMONSTRATIONS/FENCES

143

Snake Fence (Step

Then,

^^^:^^V^*''

in this final

144

the

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

modeled the deep snow next

and charto the fence, using ultramarine blue, sepia,

the
coal gray. The fine twigs in the snow completed
Series,
composition. From the Painters of Canada
Courtesy of Coutts Hallmark Cards. Private Collection.

Add a fence of any type to the scene to

For further details, see Fences, p. 63.

Assignment:

3)

stage,

left.

Old stump

(Step

1)

d'Arches rough finished paper, 15" x 22" (half

sheet). My palette was cadmium lemon, cadmium
yellow medium, burnt sienna, Vandyke brown, brown
madder, ultramarine blue, and charcoal gray. started
with the center of interest, with no preliminary pencil
drawing. The stump was my first step. Using a large,
applied large washes of burnt
soft sable brush,
300

lb.

brown madder, and ultramarine

shadow areas. modeled the surface as
advanced on the drying paper.
sienna, charcoal gray,

blue

in

the

DEMONSTRATIONS/STUMPS AND MOSS

145

Old Stump

(Step

2)

followed with the foreground, painting it in ultramarine blue and charcoal gray, with touches of burnt
sienna. This color makes the foreground appear to be
I

on

146

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

shaded elevation.

Old Stump
used

(Step

3)

(cadmium lemon, cadmium yellow

medium, ultramarine blue, and charcoal gray) for the
background to make it look lit by the sun and to
I

light colors

contrast with the stump.

painted generous washes
onto wet paper, allowing them to ooze into soft
modeling. Last, painted in the little twig in the right
foreground, scraped in the light definitions on the
I

stump with the

slapped

dull

edge

of a pocket knife,

the tall weeds with

Collection Mrs. Elizabeth Szabo.
in

painting

Assignment: Complete the sketch of

stump
Moss,

to the

and

knife.

freshly cut

For further details, see Stumps

and

DEMONSTRATIONS/STUMPS AND MOSS

147

left.

p. 48.

Young

Forest (Step

1)

d'Arches rough finished paper, 26" x 28". My

palette was cadmium lemon, burnt sienna, Hooker's
green No. 2, cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, and charstarted with a large, quick wash of
coal gray.
Hooker's green and cadmium lemon over the area of
300

lb.

the

voung

forest. After this dried,

of the evergreens with the

darker.
blue.

148

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

To get the

same

right shade,

applied the details

color, but a

little

added ultramarine

Young Forest (Step 2)

Next came the sky.

applied generous washes of

cobalt blue, burnt sienna, and charcoal gray, allowing
I

to touch and blend here and there. As reached

continued as before,
the white mountain peak,
switched to ultramarine blue, cobalt blue,
except
and a touch of charcoal gray. The round mountaintop
in the middle center has the same colors, but they're

them

deeper

in

value.

DEMONSTRATIONS/EVERGREENS AND PALM TREES

149

Young

Forest (Step

3)

continued with the earthy foreground, using charcoal gray, burnt sienna, and ultramarine blue in a direct painting method on dry paper.
painted in the scrawny evergreens that had
Last,
survived a forest fire. The technique was painting
knife and drybrush, and the colors were Hooker's
green and charcoal gray. Private Collection.
In this final stage,

Assignment: Complete the sketch of evergreen trees

to the left. For further details, see Evergreens and Palm
Trees, p. 45.

150

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

Birch

Couple (Step

1)

Whatman paper mounted on heavy cardboard, 15" x

22". My palette was cadmium
yellow medium, cadmium orange, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, Vandyke
brown, ultramarine blue, Antwerp blue, and charcoal
With no preliminary pencil drawing,
started
with the heavy birch trunk, using a thin
shade of
charcoal gray and ultramarine blue, applied
with a 1"
wide bristle brush. While this wash was wet, applied
gray.

darker values of the same color to the softly

modeled
shade.
scraped the fine line details into the wash
before it dried with my brush handle and
painted the
dark spot near the bottom where the white
bark had
peeled off. went through the same procedure with
the other birch on the right, painting the
heavier light
branches behind the other trees.
I

DEMONSTRATIONS/DECIDUOUS

TREES

151

Birch
I

Couple

(Step

2)

wet the paper with

distant

autumn

forest

wide bristle brush where the

blended into the sky. First,

painted the dark treetrunk area of the forest, using

charcoal gray and Vandyke brown wash varied with

a
a

touch of burnt sienna. A light wash of cadmium

orange and burnt sienna followed, indicating the
foliage part of the forest. Note the happy accident of
backrun between these two washes in the low center
of the painting. The thin trees were defined with the
brush handle, indicating the edge of the forest. The
soft washes of the weeds, done in yellow ochre, burnt
sienna, and Antwerp blue, created the playful bounce
in the foreground and the middleground.

152

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

Birch

Couple

(Step

3)

painted the clumps of foliage,

to the next, back and forth,
switching brushfuls of color, and allowing them to
used cadmium yellow meblend here and there.
In

this final stage,

bouncing from one clump

I

dium, Antwerp blue,

brown

burnt

sienna,

to give variety to the leaves.

and Vandyke
continued with

the fine branches which connect the foliage with the

heavier branches. applied the final details to the fine
weeds with a small brush and the edge of a painting
I

knife. After a

few more

details

on the treetrunks,

defined with drybrush strokes, the painting was

ished. Collection Mr. and Mrs. L. R. Kingsland.

fin-

Assignment: Add some deciduous trees to the scene

on the

left.

For details, see Deciduous Trees,

DEMONSTRATIONS/DECIDUOUS

p. 44.

TREES

153

Birch at Hart Lake (Step

1)

Whatman paper mounted on heavy

My

cardboard, 11"

was charcoal gray, ultramarine blue,

yellow ochre, burnt sienna, Vandyke brown, and
brown madder. Beginning without any preliminary
pencil drawing,
started with the background.
wet
the top three-quarters of the paper with clean water,
avoiding the birch treetrunk area, as well as the young
15".

palette

painted the threatening, stormy sky with

heavy layer of Vandyke brown, ultramarine blue,
and charcoal gray, using a soft, 1" wide brush. Then
birch trunk.

painted the dense, leafless forest in the distance, using

the same colors, but darker in value.
swept a few
strokes of heavy pigment, indicating blurry dark trees
in the middleground, using a small sable brush with
I

hardly any water. Before these washes had a chance to

scraped
brush handle.

dry,

154

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

few young trees

in

with the

tip of

my

WATERCOLOR

II

Birch at Hart Lake (Step 2)

After these washes had dried, finished
the birch tree
with burnt sienna, charcoal gray, and
I

Vandyke brown.

Some

horizontal lines on the dark parts were scraped

into wet washes with the tip of my
brush handle. On
the stem of the young tree,
used an abundance of
burnt sienna, brown madder, and yellow
ochre. The
I

fine branches

hanging off sideways were done with

painting knife strokes freely dragged into
the dry
paper.

DEMONSTRATIONS/FORESTS

1SS

Birch at Hart Lake (Step

3)

wet the foreground, which, so far,

painted splashy touches of
had been untouched.
burnt sienna and brown madder, which allowed
greens to peep through. The green was made from
yellow ochre and a touch of ultramarine blue. The
crisp weed lines were scraped with the tip of my brush
handle into the wash. While this area was drying,
carefully painted the few dry leaves clinging to the
branches. Burnt sienna and brown madder silhouette
these leaves nicely against a light background.
applied the few thin blades of grass on the lower left
with the edge of the painting knife after the paper
dried. Collection Mr. and Mrs. ]. W. Bessey.
In this final stage,

Assignment: Complete the forest sketch to the

noting that there's forest

in

the foreground. For further details, see Forests,

156

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

left,

the distance as well as

in

p. 46.

Beech Tree Against the Sky (Step

1)
Whatman paper mounted on heavy
cardboard, 11" x
My palette was cadmium lemon, warm
15
sepia
cobalt blue, Antwerp blue,
and charcoal gray A
vignetted freedom gives this
sketch its spring-like
feelrng. To achieve this,
wet the top half
.

of the paper
with clear water, using a soft
sponge. painted a wide
wash o cobalt blue, Antwerp blue,
and charcoal gray
on the left center of the sky,
I

then dragged two more

wide sweeps into the wet area
directly above the first
stroke, achieving the wind-swept
feeling of the sky

DEMONSTRATIONS/SPRING

157

/r

''

Beech Tree Against the Sky (Step 2)

wet the bottom half of the paper, using a wide but
thin bristle brush, then went on to the grass in the
used cadmium lemon, Antwerp blue,
foreground.
and cobalt blue to get my variety of greens.
I

158

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

afssmmwimmmm

Beech Tree Against the Sky (Step

the

tall

3)

painted the loose green foliage of

young tree on top of the dry background with

In this final stage,

medium

size sable brush, then painted the main

treetrunk with the same brush, using Antwerp blue,
a

cadmium lemon, and

charcoal gray. used a painting

knife to paint the loose, wiggly, thin branches which
1

connect the foliage to the main trunk. Next, carefully

placed the two dry, scrawny trees next to the live one,
creating a gentle contrast.
used Antwerp blue and
I

charcoal gray for

painting knife,
left

foreground

Finally,

this.

added
for

with the help of a

few thin weeds in the lower

the last touch. Collecdon Mrs.
a

Marjorie Sutton.

Assignment: Complete the sketch to the

in

left

of a day

early spring. For further details, see Spring, p. 39.

DEMONSTRATIONS/SPRING

159

Passing of

Day

(Step

1)

Whatman paper mounted on heavy

My

cardboard, 11"

was Antwerp blue, ultramarine blue,

cadmium lemon, raw sienna, burnt sienna, sepia, and
brown madder. With no preliminary pencil drawing,
put a bit of
wet the sky area with clear water.
15".

palette

Antwerp blue

into this wash, starting at the top with

horizontal strokes of a wide, soft brush, and losing

advanced toward the horizon.
color strength as
I

blurred foliage of the foreground

trees into this moist wash, continuing their trunks into

painted the

soft,

the dry lower

160

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

half.

Passing of Day (Step 2)

The rocky point of land

in the middleground was

followed by the lush bushes and trees. First, painted
the rocks with simple washes of burnt sienna, brown
madder, and a touch of sepia. While these washes
were still wet, scraped in some rock design with the
painted the lush foliage with
tip of my brush handle.
rich loads of cadmium lemon, Antwerp blue, and
sepia, allowing the separate brushfuls of color to
blend slightly wherever they touched each other. For
the tall pines,
used a No. 6 round sable brush,
applying a quick wash which encouraged the edges to
painted a few
remain as loose drybrush touches.
I

branches and twigs with a painting knife, using a

wet the area directly below
scraping motion. Next,
the rocks with clear water and painted in the reflections while the paper was still saturated.
I

DEMONSTRATIONS/SUMMER

161

Passing of

Day

(Step

3)

While the reflections were drying,

painted the
distant shoreline and the reflecting breeze mark into
the white water area directly below it. The foreground
rocks followed next. Medium strong washes of burnt
sienna, Antwerp blue, ultramarine blue, and cadmium yellow were blended slightly to create an
interesting color pattern. Cracks in the rocks were
I

done with

the tip of

my

brush handle; the thin, dark

were done with a fine brush. Finally, did the

fine weeds in the foreground with a painting knife.
Collection Mr. and Mrs. L. R. Kingsland.
lines

Assignment: Complete the sketch to the

summer

162

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

day. For further details, see

left

Summer,

of a

p. 40.

Swamp (Step 1)
Whatman paper mounted on heavy

Lawrie's

My

cardboard, 11"

was vermilion, yellow ochre, burnt

sienna, ultramarine blue, sepia, alizarin crimson, and
charcoal gray. With no preliminary pencil drawing,
wet the top third of the paper with a soft sponge.
painted heavy loads of ultramarine blue and charcoal
15".

palette

gray washes, indicating the distant forest. Vermilion

mixed with burnt sienna and yellow ochre were the
colors
dicate

used

autumn

in

equally heavy concentration to in-

foliage at the top of the forest.

A few

loose ultramarine blue and charcoal gray washes

the very top gave the effect of an overcast sky.

DEMONSTRATIONS/AUTUMN

at

163

Lawrie's

Swamp

(Step

2)

wet the bottom portion of the

paper, the sponge touched still-wet paint (right half of
the painted area) and created a quick, blurry run. This
indicated reflection and was particularly successful
with the yellow ochre weeds in the top center area.
On the left center, painted the massive, pale green
weeds and rushes in the distance and dragged their
reflection into the lower edge on the left hand side.
While the bottom half of the paper was still soaking
wet, applied a large wash of a gentle shade by mixing
ultramarine blue and charcoal gray.
Immediately

after

164

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

^-% *-

.^le^

,
jtSaL

Lawrie's

With

Swamp

(Step

<*

3)

painting knife, using sepia and charcoal gray,

painted in the dead, scrawny trees on the top left, as
a

well as the other branch covered,

dead trees in the

background and the center middleground. The
two stumps and the dead tree with the birdhouse are
the result of brush application on a dry background.
For these,
used burnt sienna, sepia, and charcoal
right

gray, loosely intermingled. Next,

tions of the trees

wiggly water

and stumps,

painted the reflec-

carefully painting the

movement

near the lower edge of the

painted the floating leaf in the
lower right foreground.
used yellow ochre, burnt
sienna, vermilion, and alizarin crimson. Last came the
reflections. After this,

birdhouse on the tree and its reflection, painted with

ultramarine blue, sepia, and a touch of charcoal gray.
Collection Dr. and Mrs. N. A. Sleeva.

Assignment: Complete the autumn scene

For further details, see

Autumn,

to the left.

p. 41.

DEMONSTRATIONS/AUTUMN

165

Wanapetei River (Step

1)

Whatman paper mounted on heavy

15".

My

palette was

Antwerp

cardboard, 11"

blue, ultramarine blue,

charcoal gray, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, sepia, and

brown madder. With no preliminary pencil drawing,
I

wet the top quarter area where the distant forest is

applied a
indicated. Using a 1" wide bristle brush,
wash of varied density mixed from sepia, Antwerp
blue, and ultramarine blue. let the color concentrate
only at the lower part, where the forest meets the
snow covered hill. scraped the hints of many trees
into this wet wash with the tip of my brush handle.
I

166

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

Wanapetei River (Step

I

painted

the

2)

the large boulders

in

weedy rocks

right center.

brown madder

in left

center, as well as

below the cedar clumps in

used burnt sienna, sepia, and a little
directly

to get the color of the rocks.

loosely

handled ultramarine and sepia wash followed to show

the thickness of the snow on the rocks and the
modeling on the right, directly below the distant
forest.
used the same color to show the shadows of
painted the
the cedar clumps on the snow. Next,
rushing water in the center, below the rocks, with
yellow ochre, Antwerp blue, and charcoal gray.
Across the lower third of the painting, on dry paper,
painted the blue-green water showing through the
I

cracked

used a medium size sable brush with a

which proved an excellent tool to render

ice.

fine point,

the cracks

in

the breaking

ice.

DEMONSTRATIONS/WINTER

167

Wanapetei River (Step

3)

painted the cedar clumps onto a

dry background with a large size sable brush, using a
drybrush technique to show the silhouette form of the
In this final stage,

foliage.

used burnt sienna, yellow ochre, and Ant-

werp blue

in

freely varied concentrations.

Then

painted into these wet treetrunks with a small sable

brush, using charcoal gray and Antwerp blue. While
applied the thin,
touches were still wet,
scrawny branches with a painting knife by dragging
the existing washes away from the treetrunks in rapid
sequence. also used a painting knife to indicate the
loose twigs under the cedars. The last touch was the
gentle reflection on top of the melting snow on the
extreme bottom. The blue-gray color of this wash
helped give this painting its three dimensional feeling.
Collection Mr. F. j. Robinson.
these

Assignment: Complete the scene to the left of winter

snow and ice. For further details, see Winter, p. 42.

168

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

The Weak One

(Step

1)

Whatman paper mounted on heavy

My

cardboard, 11"

was yellow ochre, burnt sienna, sepia,

Hooker's green No. 2, ultramarine blue, and Antwerp
blue. First,
wet the whole paper.
painted on the
arge, modeling washes of the snow with a soft, 1"
wide, flat brush, using ultramarine blue and sepia for
15".

palette

color.

DEMONSTRATIONS/CHOOSING YOUR SUBJECT

169

The Weak One

(Step

While the paper was

2)
still

moist,

applied quick, small

strokes for the pine branches. As the edges softened,

scraped in the needles with the tip of my brush

connected these little branches and
handle. Later,
painted the heavy snow on top to exaggerate the
delicacy of the young tree. For the thin trunk, used a
painting knife with sepia and ultramarine blue color.
I

170

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

The Weak One (Step 3)

The delicate grass blades were done in this final stage.
In order to complement my composition, they had to
be painted individually, and
had to take great care
I

used yellow ochre, burnt sienna,

sepia, and Antwerp blue in varied combinations to get
the color of the dried weeds. Collection Mr. and Mrs.
with their design.

T.

%.

,:.V;

a.-r

Beckett.

Assignment: Complete the painting

in the sketch to
the left, noting that there are three distinct planes:
foreground, middleground, and background. Choos-

ing which plane to emphasize is also part of choosing

your subject. For further details, see Choosing Your

Subject,

p. 26.

DEMONSTRATIONS/CHOOSING YOUR SUBJECT

171

Yesterday's

News

(Step

1)

d'Arches rough finished paper, 22" x 30". My

palette was yellow ochre, burnt sienna, sepia, ultramarine blue, and charcoal gray. First, wet the paper.
painted the top edge of the hill, using ultramarine
found my
blue and sepia in varying combinations.
chisel tipped, 1" wide bristle brush ideal for the effect
300

lb.

went on to indicate the soft modeling of

snow and weeds. As drying permitted, added

wanted.

the

details of grass

combinations.

172

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

clumps, using yellow ochre and sepia

Yesterday's

News

(Step

While the paper was

2)

still

damp,

painted the young

trees with a palette knife. Heavily concentrated

sepia

and charcoal gray supplied the right color. These

scraping strokes went soft where the paper was moist
and stayed sharp where the paper had

dried.

DEMONSTRATIONS/SIMPLE SUBJECTS

173

Yesterday's

News

(Step

3)

a worn-out, No. 2 sable brush

loaded with charcoal gray to touch the wire fence
with burnt sienna here and there to make it appear
painted the newspaper on the wire with
rusty. Then
yellow ochre and burnt sienna. finished the painting
In this final stage,

used

with the

the newspaper and the finishing

on the weeds, particularly the clumps

foreground. Collection Mr. F. I. Robinson.

details
left

snow on

in

the

Assignment: Complete the simple subject to the left,

emphasizing the detail of the chain as the focal point.
For further details, see Simple Subjects, p. 27.

174

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

Memories
300

lb.

sheet).

(Step

d'Arches

My

1)

medium rough

paper, 15"

22"

(half

palette was yellow ochre, burnt sienna,

Vandyke brown, brown madder, ultramarine blue,

and charcoal gray. With no preliminary pencil drawing,
wet the top half of the paper and painted in the
I

sky,

blue,

using heavily loaded brushfuls of ultramarine

Vandyke brown, and charcoal gray washes.

let

these strokes flow freely.

DEMONSTRATIONS/COMPLEX SUBJECTS

175

Memories

(Step

2)

painted the burned-out

After the sky had dried,
house. The brick walls and the rubble were done with
I

simple washes of burnt sienna and brown madder.

interior walls were dirtied yellow ochre tones.
painted the burned-out details as well as the fence on

The
the

right

center

brushstrokes.

176

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

with

well-defined

charcoal

gray

Memories

(Step

3)

In this final stage,

the foreground creates a lead-in

pattern toward the building.

used yellow ochre,

ultramarine blue, and Vandyke brown to create the

dried-up, weedy colors. As a final touch of ghostly
neglect,

dropped the lonely crow

and Mrs. f. Hersak.

in

above the

ruins.

Collection Dr.

Assignment: Add as much detail as you can to the

composition to the left without crowding the page.
For further details, see

Complex

Subjects, p. 28.

DEMONSTRATIONS/COMPLEX SUBJECTS

177

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Wendon,

Blake,

Guptill,

New

Acrylic Watercolor Painting,

Watson-

York, 1970

Brandt, Rex, Watercolor Technique, 6th ed., revised,

Reinhold,

New

York, 1963

Guptill, Arthur, edited by Susan

E.

Meyer, Watercolor

Painting Step-by-Step, Watson-Cuptill,

New

York,

1967
Hilder,

Rowland, Starting with Watercolour, WatsonNew York, and Studio Vista, London, 1967

Guptill,

Kautzky, Ted, Painting Trees

color, Reinhold,

New

and Landscape

in

Wafer-

York, 1952

Kautzky, Ted, Ways with Watercolor, 2nd ed., Reinhold, New York, 1963
Kent,

Norman, edited by Susan

E.

Meyer,

color Techniques, Watson-Guptill,

O'Hara,

Eliot,

New

WO

Wafer-

York, 1968

Watercolor with O'Hara, Putnam,

New

York, 1965

Olsen, Herb, Watercolor

Made

Easy,

Reinhold,

New

York, 1955
Pellew,

John C, Painting

Guptill,

New

Pike, John,

in

Watercolor,

Watson-

York, 1970

Watercolor, Watson-Guptill,

New

York,

1966

Whitaker, Frederic, Whitaker on Watercolor, Reinhold, New York, 1963

Whitney, Edgar

A.,

Complete Guide

Painting, Watson-Guptill,

New

to

Watercolor

York, 1965

BIBLIOGRAPHY

179

INDEX

Animals

in

Autumn
Autumn

foliage, of

knife techniques, 88-90; people

landscape, 65

deciduous trees, 45
landscape, 41-42; demonstrated, 163-165;

reflecting water in, 41-42; light conditions

in,

41

and animals, 121-

123; three dimensions, perspective, 97-99; rain, 115117; relationships, 91-93; rocks, 139-141; sand
simple subjects, 172-174; sky
soil, 109-111;

and
and

Basic washes, 15-16

clouds, 124-126; snow, 106-108; spring, 157-159; still

water and reflections, 130-132; summer, 160-162;

Beaches, sandy, 52

sunsets, 127-129;

Brushes, 13, 17-18; chisel shaped bristle, 24; flat soft,

18; round soft, 17; using handle point of to get

of white space, 103-105; winter, 166-168

unusual effects, 25

Deserts, 52

Brushstrokes, 17-18
Buildings

in

landscape, 64-65; demonstrated, 118-120

interest, 32-33;

Center of

stumps and moss, 145-147; texture

and pattern, 79-81; undergrowth, shrubs, and
weeds, 136-138; value and form, 100-102; the value

demonstrated, 94-96; color

sequence of painting, 36-37; object as, 33;

stumps as, 49
Center of picture, location of, 33
Choosing your subject, 26-27; demonstrated, 169-171
as, 33; in

Direct, or conventional, painting, 16-17

Direction, sameness of in composition, 32

Drawing, preliminary pencil, 16

Drawing board, 12
Drizzle, 56-57

Dry painting, correcting a, 37

Drybrush, 17-18; demonstrated, 85-87

Clouds, 60-61
Color, 13-14; and value, 35; as center of interest, 33;
clean, 11; experimenting with, 14; in spring, 39; of

evergreens, 45-46; of snow, 58; of sunsets, 61-62;

selecting, 14; value of, 11

Color wheel, 14
subjects, 28-29; demonstrated, 175-177
Composition, correcting monotonous, 32; in landscape, 30-38; repetition in, 31-32; rhythm in, 31;
sameness of direction in, 32; space in, 30; value in,

Complex

Conventional or direct painting, 16-17; demonstrated,

73-75

paper, painting on, 19-20

Dark to

Equipment, see Materials and equipment

Evergreen trees, 45-46; colors of, 45-46; trunk and
branches of, 45
Evergreens and palm trees, 45-46; demonstrated, 148150
Fences, 63-64; demonstrated, 142-144
Fields, plowed, 52

wash, 15
Fog and mist, 55-56; demonstrated, 112-114
Foliage, of deciduous trees, 44-45
Forests, 46-47; demonstrated, 154-156
Form, and value, 34-35; visualizing, 35
Framing your painting, 67
Flat

30-31

Contrast of values, 34

Damp

Easel, 12

light, in

Dealers,

art,

sequence

of painting, 37

Gates, 64

67

demonstrated, 151-153; foliage of 44-45; roots, trunk, and branches of, 44;

General

twigs of, 45

Grass, 50

Deciduous

trees, 44-45;

Demonstrations, 69-117; autumn landscape, 163-165;

buildings, 118-120; choosing your subject, 169-171;
center of interest, 94-96; complex subjects, 175-177;

conventional or direct painting, 73-75; deciduous

trees, 151-153; drybrush, 85-87; evergreens and

palm

hints, 67-68

Graded wash,

Harmony,

in

15

composition, 31; of natural elements

in

landscape, 26
FHelpful suggestions, 66-68

Hoarfrost, 58

trees, 148-150; fences, 142-144; forests, 154-

70-72;

and mist, 112-114; know your environment,

masking technique and using the razor

blade,

82-84;

156; fog

133-135;

moving water, moving

reflections,

painting on wet paper, 76-78;

painting

Introducing watercolor, 11-14

Knives, painting, 13

Know

your environment,

26;

demonstrated, 70-72

INDEX

181

moving water in, 54-55

Landscape, autumn, 41-42; spring, 39-40; summer, 40Lakes, 53;

41; winter, 42-43

Perspective, and three dimensions, 33-34; basic ele-

ments of, 33-34; in clouds,

Photography as a tool, 66

61; planes of, 34

Landscape at your feet, the, 48-49

Landscape composition, 30-38
Landscape painting techniques, 15-25

Planes, of perspective, emphasizing, 34

Learning to see the landscape, 26-29

Pricing your painting, 67

Plowed

Puddles, 54

autumn, 41
sequence of painting, 37

Light conditions, in

and dark,

Light

in

fields, 52

Presentation and selling ideas, 66-67

Rain,

Lighting, 57

56-57;

distant, 57;

Liquid landscape, the, 53-59

at

night,

57;

demonstrated, 115-117;

during storms, 57

Local conditions in landscape, 26

Rainclouds, 60-61

Location of center of picture, 33

Razor blade, in masking technique, 24

Reference sketches, 37-38

Masking tape, in masking technique, 23

Masking technique and using the razor blade, 23-24;

Mood,

in

in

summer

Rhythm, in composition,
Rivers and creeks, 55

made, 51; stratified, 50; volcanic, 51

Rubber cement, in masking technique, 23-24
54-55;

reflections,

demon-

Rushing water, 55

Sand and soil, 51-52; demonstrated, 109-111

Sand banks and pits, 52
Sandy beaches, 52

11

Saturated paper, painting on, 19

Seasons, painting the, 39-43

Object as center of interest, 33

Objects in landscape, 63-65
Oceans, 53; large waves in, 54

Opaque

31

Rocks, 50; demonstrated, 139-141; glacial, 50-51; man-

strated, 133-135

Nature of watercoior, the,

composition, 30-32; dem-

Repetition, in composition, 31-32

landscape, 40-41

moving

in

54; in

onstrated, 91-93

wet-in-wet technique, 36
water,

autumn landscape, 41-42

Relationships, of shapes,

Moss, 49

Moving

in

and still water, 53-54; in puddles,

moving, and moving water, 54-55

Reflections,
rain, 57;

demonstrated, 82-84
Maskoid, in masking technique, 23
Materials and equipment, 11-13
Matting your paintings, 66-67
Mist, morning, 56
Moist paper, painting on, 19

Monotony,

Reflecting water,

Sequence
37;

watercolors, 11

of painting, 36-37; center of interest in, 36-

dark to light

in, 37; light

to dark

in,

37

Showers, 37
Shrubs, 49

Simple subjects, 27-28; demonstrated, 172-174

Painting, conventional or direct, 16-17

Painting

on wet paper,

Sketches, reference, 37-38

19-20; demonstrated, 76-78

Painting the seasons, 39-43

Skies, clear, 60; cloudy, 60

Painting the sky, 60-62

Sky, painting the, 60-61

Painting knife, "drybrush" effects, with 18; for painting evergreens, 46;

on wet paper,

21-22; strokes, 20;

treating blade of, 20

Painting knife techniques, 20-22; demonstrated, 88-90

Paints, watercoior, 12-13;

list

of,

13

Sky and clouds, 60-61; demonstrated, 124-126

Slides, how to use, 66

Snow, 58-59; blowing, 42-43; characteristics

color of, 58; demonstrated, 106-108; early,
ing, 58-59; late, 58; sound and smell of, 59

Palette, 13

Snow

Palette knife, see Painting knife

Space,

Palm

42;

clouds, 60-61
in

composition, 30; white,

is

paper, 35-36;

value of white, 35-36

trees, 46

damp,
on saturated,

Paper, 11; as white space, 35-36; painting on

20; painting

of,

58; fail-

on moist,

19; painting

1919;

painting on wet, 19-20; stretching, 11-12; wet, and

drybrush, 19
Spring landscape, 39-40; color,

Split

in,

39;

demonstrated,

157-159

Paraffin, in

Squeezed pigment, unusual effects with, 25

Still water and reflections, 53-54; demonstrated, 130-

Pencil drawing, 16

Storm clouds, 61

painting knife, 21-22

masking technique, 24
Pattern, and texture, 22
People and

animals

in

landscape,

strated, 121-123

182

LANDSCAPE PAINTING

IN

WATERCOLOR

132; giving

64-65;

demon-

movement

to,

Storms, rain, 57; snow, 59

Streaky wash, 15-16

53-54

Stumps, as center of interest, 49; cut, 48; rotting, 48;

uprooted, 48-49
Stumps and moss, 48-49; demonstrated, 145-147
Subject, choosing, 26-27
Subjects, complex, 28-29; simple, 27-28
Summer landscape, 40-41; demonstrated, 160-162
Sunsets, 61-62; demonstrated, 127-129

Value and form, 34-35; demonstrated, 100-102

Value, in composition, 30-31
Value of white space, the, 35-36; demonstrated, 103105
Values, contrast

Washes,

Texture

and pattern

and pattern,

22;

nature, 22; in textile, 22;

22

demonstrated, 79-81;

man-made,

in rivers, 55;

reflecting, in

22

Tracing, 16-17
Trees, colors of evergreen, 45-46; deciduous, 44-45;

evergreen, 45-46; foliage of deciduous, 44-45; palm,

46; roots, trunk, and branches of deciduous, 44;

and branches of evergreen,

45;

twigs

of

deciduous, 45
Trees in landscape, 44-47
Twigs, of deciduous trees, 45

shrubs,

strated, 136-138

Unusual

effects, 24-25

to

still,

53-54; in creeks, 55;

oceans, 53, 54;

in

puddles, 54;

moving, and moving reflections, 54-55;

in

97-99

Undergrowth,

movement

in lakes, 53, 54-55; in

in,

Three dimensions, perspective, 33-34; demonstrated,

trunk

34

basic, 15-16

Water, giving
Textile, texture

in,

and weeds, 49-50; demon-

still,

Water
Water

and

autumn landscape,

41-42; rushing, 55;

reflections, 53-54

carrier, 12

in landscape, 53-59
Watercolor, introducing, 11-14; the nature
opaque, 11; transparency of, 11

Watercolor paints, 12-13;

list

of,

of,

13

Waterfalls, 55

Waves, 54-55
Wax, in masking technique, 24
Weeds, 50

Wet

paper, painting on, 19-20

Wet-in-wet wash, 16; mood in, 36

White space, is paper, 35-36; value of, 35-36
Winter landscape, 42-43; demonstrated, 166-168
Wiping off, unusual effects with, 25

11;

Edited by Margit

Malmstrom

Designed by James Craig

Set in ten point Optima by Wellington-Attas Computer Composition,
Printed by Rochester Polychrome Press, Inc.
Bound by Riverside Book Bindery

Inc.

Photo Beckett Gallery,

Zoltan Szabo

Ltd.

one

is

of Canada's fore-

nnost landscape painters.

Born

in 1928,

now a Canadian citizen and makes his home in Ontario.

in

Hungary, he

is

Mr. Szabo studied

art in

Hungary, but

largely a self-taught artist,

making

is

fre-

quent forays into the Canadian wilderness to paint and gather material for his

unique

watercolors.

In

addition

painting, he gives private lessons

has taught

and conducted art

Canada and the Unit-

art classes

seminars both

ed

to

and

in

States.

Mr. Szabo's work has been exhibited

in one-man shows in the Tygesen and
the

Penell

galleries

Beckett Gallery

and

in

in

in

Toronto,

the

Hamilton, Ontario,

many group shows

in

Canada

and abroad. His paintings have also

been seen in numerous shows with the
of which
Society of Canadian Artists
he
of

is

member

and with the Society

Canadian Painters in Watercolor.

Mr. Szabo's paintings are owned by

private collectors
also appearing

as

all

over the world,

Christmas cards, pub-

lished by Coutts Hallmark of Toronto.

Jacket design by James Craig

ISBN 0-7736-0034-5

General Publishing
Printed in U.S.A.

i
(

r.l 5