Art-Along Gum Tree Branches 30/04/2020

posted in: Online Classes

Hello all, here are the details for our online class this Thursday evening, 30th April.
This week you can paint some gum tree branches with me.

We will be introducing negative painting techniques, as well as using our familiar glazing techniques for the branches and leaves, plus some wet in wet techniques to give extra depth to the leaves.

This painting is inspired by one of my morning walk photos, this is a mighty tree that lives on Victor Avenue, Beaumaris, its trunk and branches are very pale, and in the strong morning light they contrast beautifully against the dark foliage.

Do check out the colour suggestions below – I change them every week to match the painting we are doing.

Gum Tree Branches © Karen Smith

If you’d like to join in, you can download my original line drawing  image:

Gum tree Branches Line Drawing © Karen Smith, April 2020, you may download this line drawing for personal use only, this image may not be reproduced or copied in any form.

For our session you will need:
  • Your Gum Tree Branches printout, ordinary copy paper is fine for this exercise.
  • A spare piece of paper to try out your paint mixes on before applying colour to your painting.
  • Watercolour paints: cool and warm yellows, cool and warm blues, a yellow- green, a pale brown, a grey or black and a cool brown.
  • Watercolour brushes, (small – round 3 or 4)
  • 2 pots of clean water
  • Rag or kitchen roll (for wiping your brushes on)
Here are some of the watercolour paint name colours you may want to use.

Lemon yellow or Hansa yellow (mix for leaves) – (C03 swivel paints)
Cadmium yellow (mix for leaves) – (C05 swivel paints)
Cobalt Blue or Ultramarine Blue (for sky) – (C34 or C36 swivel paints)
Sap green (leaves) – (C25 swivel paints)
Yellow ochre (tree trunk and branches) – (C38 swivel paints)
Burnt Umber (tree trunk and branches) – (mix C43 & C40 swivel paints)
Paynes Grey (tree trunk and branches) – (mix C43 & C37 swivel paints)

Gum Tree Branches reference photo © Karen Smith
Here’s some of the colour names you may want to use from the 36 Inktense pencil set:

Sherbet Lemon (a cool yellow you can mix with blue for leaves)
Cadmium Yellow (a warm yellow you can mix with blue for leaves)
Bright Blue or Iris Blue (sky)
Felt Green, Leaf Green, Ionian Green , Iron Green (leaves)
Tan (tree trunk and branches)
Bark or Willow (tree trunk and branches)
Paynes Grey and charcoal Grey (tree trunk and branches)