Demonstration Misty Forest

2023-11-17 -

Every summer, I paint a new winter-themed picture that I have professionally printed onto cards in time to sell at local Christmas fairs. This year, I decided on a snowy forest scene.

You will need

Surface Mixed-media paper or some other surface suitable for acrylics 6¾x6¾in. (17x17cm)

Brushes

Filberts Nos. 8 & 2 Fan No. 2

Spotter No. 10/0 2in. decorator’s brush

Acrylic Ultramarine Cobalt blue Titanium white Silk purple Velvet purple Deep violet Hooker’s green Sap green

Raw umber Payne’s grey

Step 3

1 For the far horizon, mix deep purple with a touch of Payne’s grey. Using the spotter 10/0, draw a suggestion of forest in the distance using upward and downward strokes.

2 While the paint is still wet, use the

No. 8 filbert to drag titanium white along the base of the distant forest, picking up some of the purple-grey colour.

Step 1

Cover the entire area in a blue-grey mix of ultramarine and titanium white with a touch of deep violet. This not only brings warmth to the painting, but also has the added benefit of allowing you to see where you’ve painted. Using white paint on a white background is never easy.

Step 4

Once this is dry, build more distance by taking a cloth, preferably cotton that won’t disintegrate or leave little bits behind in the paint, and wrap it over your forefinger. Dip it into titanium white and, using a circular motion, rub the paint over the horizon and up into the lower section of sky.

Step 2

1 Mix cobalt blue with titanium white for the sky and apply with a No. 2 fan brush and a criss-cross movement. Make the mix darker (less titanium white) in the upper most corners of the sky, and lighter to the centre and down towards the horizon. A touch of silk purple in the mix will add warmth.

2 Blend using a large soft dry brush, such as a 2in. decorator’s brush. If your paint dries too quickly to allow blending, dampen the brush bristles with a little flow enhancer.

Step 6

1 Return to your spotter brush and the mix of raw umber and Hooker’s green to paint three small trees in the middle ground on the right-hand side of the painting. Use the tip of the brush to create an uneven zig-zag shape that widens as it goes down. The bottom of the shape falls below the last line of trees painted. Use titanium white to dab the impression of snow onto the branches.

2 On the left-hand side of the canvas, paint two more trees, one bigger than the other with the smaller of the two set back slightly. These need more detail, but the process is much the same. This time the mix should have more Hooker’s green than raw umber. The snow on these branches will also need to be more defined as they are closer to the viewer. 3 Each cluster of trees you paint needs a corresponding shadow to anchor it into the painting. A smudge of Payne’s grey will work well. Blend the edge of the shadow into the snow with titanium white using a No. 2 filbert. 4 Apply layers of titanium white, using a side-to-side action, as you move into the foreground. Intersperse dabs of cobalt blue, silk purple and Payne’s grey to create shadows and the impression of undulating snow.

Step 7

1 It is now time to work on the main focal point of the painting: the two trees. Start with sap green and a dabbing motion with the No. 2 filbert to pick out the top of the tree before moving to mark out the zig-zag layout of the branches. The branches become wider as you move down the tree to the base.

2 The darker Hooker’s green can be used to suggest shadows on the undersides of the branches.

3 Add dabs of titanium white for the snow on the upper sections of the branches. More snow often features on one side of a fir tree than another, thanks to the wind. Remember to add a shadow at the base.

4 Once dry, it is simple to trim the painting to the pencil guides drawn at the start then mount onto the card base using glue, double-sided tape or sticky pads.

The finished painting Misty Forest,

acrylic on mixed-media paper, 6¾x6¾in. (17x17cm)