Intermediate Watercolor March 2024 – Session 3

Thursday Apr 11th 2024 – 1pm-3pm EST

Click here when we’re due to start Zoom link

Something a little more relaxing this week. A snow scene (one of my favorites). The wide value range between the snow and the darks makes this easier than a full summer foliage scene.

I will record the drawing ahead of time and send out a link to it (it will also be on the youtube playlist too). Please do the drawing ahead of time please go ahead. I know that often people want to take time over this and it gives us more time in class for painting.

(All session materials are linked off the main page)

Materials:

  • Student paper for mixing color swatches
  • 100% cotton paper for the full painting (I’ll be using 10″x10″)
  • Value scale (See the Useful Tools page)
  • Pencil/Paint/Palette/Water/Paper towels/masking tape
  • Brushes: A larger brush for the sky and snow washes. A slightly smaller (10 or 12) for the buildings and more detailed areas.
  • Colors: Cobalt blue, Ultramarine, Burnt sienna, Vermillion/napthol/cad red (orangey red), Cad lemon/hansa yellow (greenish yellow), yellow ochre, black.

I will be using the new ChromaMagic app for mixing. Definitely not necessary for the class and the free version is always available. The app does have a nifty new feature for showing swatches that you can mix from though which will be handy in class.

Reference Photo (click to enlarge and right click to download)

New England Snow Scene Reference
New England Snow Scene Reference

Reference Photo with grid

New England Snow Scene Reference with grid
New England Snow Scene Reference with grid

My version

New England Snow Scene Reference my version
New England Snow Scene Reference my version

Drawing Video:

YouTube player

Class Video:

YouTube player

Bonus video: Small tweaks to values.

YouTube player

(All Videos)

11 thoughts on “Intermediate Watercolor March 2024 – Session 3

    1. Lovely. The colors are perfect. Beautiful blue grays in the snow and the slight greenish tinge to the background mountains complements the brown of the barn. I would like to see a little more value contrast between the front and the sides of that front barn. Maybe lifting some color from the front to bring up the value a little.

    2. I enjoyed the class too. I tried warming up before class this week by doing some painting earlier but it backfired and I ran out of focus about halfway through! Here is what I finished today but could probably use some touch ups. I put too many trees on the right side it is a bit distracting.

      1. It’s tricky. Painting is suprisingly draining and I find watercolor doubly so. I find two hours in a watercolor session is plenty whereas an oil session can go on for four hours or so before I lose focus.

        1. Painting looks good though. I don’t think the trees are too dense. I might take down the width of the trunks a little and maybe lose some of the white parts of the trunks in the light. That value relationship is just a bit too wide for me.

  1. Here’s my first attempt – I’m going to have another go and see if I can sharpen up the buildings and improve the stream! Loved this lesson! Fabulous picture! Thanks Michelle

    1. The stream could probably do with some attention yes. But the buildings look pretty good to me. Those white uprights draw the eye a little as do those square white panels on the right. A quick glaze to take the value down slightly would help.

      But really nice. Lovely clouds.

  2. Enjoyed painting the snow scene. Lots of challenges, but am happy with how it turned out. Always places to improve.

    1. Looks great Carol. Nice sky. And you just about avoided the potato problem in the trees. Maybe those left hand side ones could have a few less gaps between the dry brush branches. Really nice though.

      1. I wondered about that as well. Will try to add some dry brushing, and repost. Thanks for the suggestion
        Carol

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