Techniques
As a start to 2012, here are the stages of a watercolour painting. I have chosen the dramatic landscape of Beachy Head near my home and have a photograph to work from. I always use good quality watercolour paper, and this one has a rough texture, good for the chalk cliffs in the foreground.
You will need
Good quality watercolour paper at least 140lb
Watercolour paints, I am using Daler-Rowney Prussian blue, burnt sienna, cyan, deep red
I large soft brush
Daler-Rowney brushes,round no4, flat shader no.5 or similar
light pencil,HB or 2B
drawing board and masking tape to attach the paper.
Palette, water and eraser
Stage 1
I start with drawing a light outline in pencil, of the cliffs and lighthouse.Starting with the sea/sky background, a wash is laid in prussian blue and cyan, starting at the top of the picture and working across evenly. I use a 1" wide chinese soft brush, leaving the white parts of the lighthouse blank. Then the cliffs are added in burnt sienna mixed with Prussian blue. The rocks below are a darker brown mix of the same colours and added with a smaller brush, with some of the rocks spreading on the wet sea.This is left to dry.
Stage 2
Another sky wash is added, watering down to the bottom and then more detail is painted into the cliffs , with the large and small brushes, using different shades. The gull is painted in grey and the base of the lighthouse and shadow in brown/grey. Left to dry.
Stage 3
The red parts of the lighthouse are added with a small brush, and deeper shadows added to the base in blue and brown. A very light grey shadow is added to the lighthouse. A few rocks are added and more texture to the foreground, using a dry brush in grey. The bird is painted in a deeper grey on its lower side. Rub out any remaining pencil lines.
