EXERCISE 2

Create a simple meadow

Now you may already be thinking that this is a bit complex. Let me assure you, even if you are a complete beginner, this level of preparation is crucial if you want good results. Once the palette is ready, the painting is a breeze by comparison. Take a piece of watercolour paper, any size you like, and practise combining these prepared colours.

Step 1

Fill a No. 8 brush with the first loose khaki Mix 1 and, holding it at a low angle, gently release the paint by swishing the brush across the paper. You may need two or three brush loads of this so that the area of paint on the paper is wet. If you skimp on the amount of paint initially, the soft blending won’t work.

Step 2

Touch the brush into Mix 2 and swish this across in bands here and there, allowing it to bleed into the first layer.

Step 3

Take a little of Mix 3 and do the same.

Step 4

If the result looks stripy or harsh, quickly wash the brush, dab off the excess water and feather over the whole area to disperse the paint and soften the blend. Keep repeating this until you have a feel for it and achieve positive results; it takes practice. This shows the finished sample after it has settled and dried. Here you can now see a multitude of green shades that have mixed and blended on the paper.

Step 5

To achieve darker tufts of grass, repeat this exercise but, whilst it is still wet, pick up a touch more of the dark Mix 3 and, using the tip of the brush, jab it into the blended meadow in a series of light touches. Providing the meadow is still wet, these darker touches will fizz out a little and grass will ‘grow’ in the active paint.

Step 6

The finished example, after it has settled and dried. Notice how the active water has affected the different intensities of green and formed natural tufts of grass. This is watercolour magic!