Watercolor Painting

A pretty watercolor painting by my daughter Hannah along with few of her and her sister’s favorite things.

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It was a gray and drab day outside and Hannah was working on her drawings and paintings just for fun.  I casually mentioned to her that  she needed to paint me a pretty spring picture.

A few hours later she handed me these simple pastel watercolor pictures, just a perfect addition to brighten up the day.

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Watercolor is one of my favorite mediums to paint with.  I will be sharing a few basic and simple ways to paint.  Things to keep in mind before getting started; be patient, stop painting when it becomes frustrating {continue later} and  remind yourself that sometimes less is more.
Now let’s get creative…

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watercolor paper {cold press/140 lb}
basic watercolor paint tray
watercolor brush {round/#2}
palette/tray {for mixing paint}
paper towel {to dab off excess paint/water}
container with water
a scratch piece of watercolor paper {test paint colors/brush strokes}

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step 1:  With a pencil, lightly sketch out a rough outline shape of an object {the sketch above was done intentionally darker for viewing purposes}.

step2:  Mix the paint with water to dilute and make it very light and transparent. Before applying the paint to the paper, make a few test strokes on the scratch piece of paper.  Put just enough paint on the paint brush {dab any excess that’s dripping on the paper towel}. Apply it to the object and leave some areas white {as if the sun was shining on it}.  Let the paint dry.

step 3:  Repeat step 2, but darken the paint slightly.  Apply a little more paint to the darker side of the object still leaving some white and lighter areas alone.

step 4:  Darken the paint a little more.  Add texture to the plant by gently dabbing it with tiny dots with the tip of the brush.  Paint the shadow at the bottom of the pot.  Let the paint dry.

step5:  Repeat step 4

step 6:  Add a touch of black paint to the color and repeat step 4.

Note:
It’s optional to continue painting the picture from step3 – step6, this will depend on the amount of details to add or not to add… it’s up to you.

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To paint flowers, apply the same techniques for painting the topiary plant starting with a simple sketch then apply a light layer of paint, let it dry {repeat and repeat}.

A great picture of Hannah and Dad – Bill was trying to stand as tall as he could next to her. How fast the years {16} have gone by and seeing our oldest growing and maturing into a young lady.

Thank you Hannah for sharing your beautiful paintings with everyone.
Print a copy of Hannah’s flower painting.
{click Here}

{all printables are for personal use only}

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posted by: Kay & Hannah