Landscape Demonstration

Step-by-step photo guide following the demonstration given in class on 7 June. 

1. Use heavy (e.g. 300lbs) watercolour paper with a deep textured surface and paint surface with a watercolour or thin acrylic wash (in this case light blue) OR use coloured pastel paper that ha a rough surface texture. Firmly apply masking tape to all four corners at 45 degrees, then apply masking tape to all four sides with the tape on the paper  edge to create a hard border when removed (see step 6 below).  Then lightly fix masking tape to the horizon line and start working on the lower portion. 

2. Build up colour and draw using pastel powder scraped off a stick onto the surface building up the intensity as you go. Lightly spray fixative (no closer than arms length). 

3. Blend with a finger tip or cotton bud to create the soft blurry reflected sky. Start drawing the horizontal lines of the narrow strip of sea and blend lightly using pastels rather than fingers to create contrasting texture with the soft edged reflections. Lightly apply fixative (no closer than arms length).

4. Mask off the lower part along the horizon line with stiff card.  Draw the top half clouds/sky by scraping pastel sticks to deposit powder on the surface. 

5. When you have the colours scraped on, blend lightly with the fingertip/cotton bud. Then apply some  further colour depth by using the pastel sticks on the surface.  When happy with results lightly apply fixative (no closer than arms length).

6. Keep working the surface and fixing as you go. When done,  remove the masking tape from all four sides to see the painting properly. If necessary, apply only a few highlights using pastel sticks. Do not fix the highlights so they remain bright.