Step-by-step: Paint a giant mushroom

1 A portrait image shows the height of the central fungus best. I draw with the Precise Pencil setting, on a paper with reduced grain size. I work across several layers, merging them later. My pencil work includes some directional shading to help describe form.

2 I add warm watercolour tones on layers set to Multiply, and opaque body colour for selected elements on standard layers using the Chalk tool. I block in background colour values on layers behind: a clear sky and greens and ochres for the ground.

3 I carry on building up values and forms, still relying on Pencil, Chalk, Watercolor and Palette Knife (Blender). The final part is introducing the finishing details, many of which are rendered opaquely on a layer above the rest. Just have fun!