Elegant Misty Forest With Watercolors

1. Welcome to the Class: When we talk about watercolors, it's one of the most versatile art medium that you can explore. In this class, we're going to paint a beautiful, elegant, misty forest using the medium of watercolors. There is going to be a very minimal color palette that we are going to use and some easy painting techniques that you can follow. Using minimal elements, we're going to create a beautiful forest painting. Everybody, myself, the Rick Patel. I'm a self taught independent artist and an interior designer by profession. I personally love to explore different art forms and styles and not stick to one particular thing. If you are joining me, you'll find a variety of classes that I create. We're going to understand all the art supplies that you will need for the entire class. No need to worry at all in case you're missing out on any particular art supply. You'll find it very easily in any nearby local art store. We're going to start by creating the background trees using a dense green color. Once we are done with the background, we're going to paint some beautiful pine trees in the foreground. Using solid black color. There are going to be basic and easy brush techniques that we can use to create these beautiful pine trees in the foreground. It's a short class in which you can create this beautiful, misty forest painting, and you're free to explore and experiment with the class project. The class is absolutely suited for beginners and also intermediate and advanced level artists can try it. So without any delay, grab your art supplies and join me on this creative journey. 2. Art Supplies: Everybody. So before we start with the class, let us talk about all the art supplies that you will need for the entire class. No need to worry at all in case you're missing out on any particular art supply. You'll find it very easily in any nearby local art store, or you can go for any other good alternative as well. So the first art supply is a simple color palette. You can observe there are these beautiful sections to take out some colors and mixing space as well. Then the next art supply is a simple pair of scissors that we will need to cut the extra portion of the watercolor paper. Now, let's talk about the watercolor tubes that you will need. No need to worry about the brand. You can go for any good alternative. So the first one is sap green, black, deep green, light green, and ocher yellow. These are the five basic colors that you will need for the entire painting. Then the next art supply is a simple ruler, as you can observe. It's having some beautiful dimensions in centimeters. So we are going to use this particular ruler to remove extra amount of the watercolor paper that we are going to use. Then I have a simple eraser. Now, let us talk about the watercolor papers. The watercolor papers that I'm using are from Canson. It is an A five size sheet and 300 GSM, which is basically the thickness of the watercolor paper so that we can apply heavy washes on it. Now, let's talk about the next art supply, which is the important art supply here. There are three basic brushes that you will need. Two of them are quill brushes of size two and size fur, which is also known as a mob brush. Then we have another brush which is going to be of size fur, which is basically a round brush, which we are going to use to add some minute details and paint our pine trees. Then I have a simple pencil in case there is a requirement of a rough sketch. Now the next art supply is a simple tissue paper that you can always keep side by whenever you're working with water colors to remove axis amount of water and color whenever required. Then the last art supply is a simple glass container, which is having some green water in it, as you can observe. Of course, we're going to take some clear water. These are all the basic art supplies that you will need. Don't worry about having the same art supplies. You can go for any other good alternative as well. Now, let us move towards the next part. 3. Lets Cut the Paper: Everybody. So before we start with the painting, we are going to remove some extra portion from the watercolor paper. So as you can observe, I have placed my watercolor paper on the desk surface, and the papers that we are using are from sen. It is a five size sheet, and it is 300 GSM basically. So you just have to take care of the GSM, which is basically the thickness of the paper so that we can apply heavy washes on it. So you can observe that this particular paper is in a rectangular form. I'm just going to remove some portion from the bottom part. So I'll be just using a ruler, take 5 centimeters from the bottom and just put a simple mark using a pencil on zero. Similarly, you can add one more dot to get two points so that you can draw a straight line. Now simply use your pencil and draw a line so that you can get a nice reference to cut. Now, I'll be using a simple pair of scissors to remove this extra part. In case you want to use the entire rectangular sheet of paper, it is completely fine. I'll just use a pair of scissors and carefully remove the extra part. Follow the pencil line and try to get a nice parallel cut. No need to hurry at all, do it carefully. So we have removed the extra part and we are ready to paint. Now let us move towards the next part. 4. Background Trees: Hey, everybody. Now let us start with the first step, which is painting the background trees. So in the background trees, the major color is going to be green. We're going to add some additional colors as well. But let us place the paper first. There is going to be this unique technique, simply flip your paper. Apply a nice coat of water on the entire surface. Now, again, flip the entire paper and place it on the desk surface. Now we're going to apply another coat of water on this surface that we are getting right now. You'll observe that the paper will get completely stuck with your desk surface. Now we have applied a nice coat of water on the entire surface of the paper, and it is very much required to get a beautiful mist effect in the entire painting. This is also known as a wet on wet technique in which we apply a thin coat of water initially, and then we apply the color. So make sure that you apply an even coat of water on the entire surface of the paper. Now the background trees are going to be a little bit less saturated, and the major color is going to be green. So we have light green, sap green, and dark green. You can observe it in the color palette. I'm adding a little bit of black and cer yeow in it to make a beautiful dense green color. No need to hurry at all, take your time and mix the colors well in the color palette. Add a good amount of water in it. Now simply use the tip of your quill brush and apply it in the entire paper. You can observe the movement of my quill brush. It's a simple vertical movement, and I have just created a beautiful green patch on the entire paper. You will also observe that the color will automatically spread since we have already applied a thin coat of water in the background. Now, the background trees are basically pine trees which are going to be pointed on the topmost portion, so you can use the tip of your quill brush and simply add these little vertical lines on the topmost portion, having some color in it. Whenever you're working with a quill brush, always try to keep your hand very much lose and free. No need to make it stiff. You can observe the movement of my quill brush right now. I'm using the tip of the quill brush, and slowly, I'll be creating these little vertical movement. You can observe there is a little bit of variation between the background color and the color that I'm applying right now. For this, you can add a little bit of dark green and black into the mixture of the color in the color palette and slowly apply this beautiful vertical movement. You can observe the saturation of this particular color is a little bit darker than the first coat of color that we applied. Now, slowly, we'll move towards the left hand side as well. No need to hurry at all. Just try to paint in a comfortable manner. Also, no need to worry about painting it in the exact same way I'm painting right now. You can create your own composition by adding a variation in the pine trees that we're painting in the background right now. Right now we have created a beautiful green patch in the background. Let us define a little bit of trees. For that, you'll need a round brush of size fo, which is basically a detailing brush only. We'll have a beautiful tip of the brush and we'll just use some green color from the color palette. Now you can just simply add a simple vertical line, and then add these little strokes, starting from the topmost portion, slowly, you can move towards the bottom area, creating these little lines. As you move towards the bottom portion, you can increase the size of the strokes that you're making. Using the same color that we created in the color palette, mixing dark green, light green, and sap green together so that it can blend with the background color. Now, slowly, I'll add these pine trees randomly. It is not at all compulsory for you to paint in the exact same way I'm painting right now. You can decide the position of the pine trees according to your convenience. It's a simple process, you'll definitely enjoy it. Just simply create a vertical line, add these little strokes, starting from the topmost portion, slowly move towards the bottom area. You can have variation in the size of the entire pine tree. You can have variation in the height, and you can also create some random strokes. Now, you can simply observe these steps carefully and follow them. So I hope that you got an exact idea of how you have to create these beautiful background pine trees. If you follow these steps carefully and you control the capacity of water in your brush, you'll be able to paint these beautiful pine trees, and you'll definitely enjoy the entire process as well. Just make sure that you do not worry about painting it in the exact same way. You're free to paint according to your convenience. So we are done with the background trees. Now let us move towards the next part. Oh. 5. Foreground Trees: Hey, everybody, now, let us paint the foreground trees. So as you can observe, we are done with the background trees, and you just have to let the entire paper and color dry for a while. I'll be using my round brush of Sizepo. I have created a simple reference line using the same green color in the color palette. So before we start painting the foreground trees, this line will help you to follow the variation in the entire foreground trees. You can create it according to your convenience. Just make sure that the background trees are visible. Now, create a good combination of water and solid black color in your color palette. Make sure that you have good amount of color and water together. So Mx it well in the color palette. No need to hurry at all. You'll need a good saturated solid black color. Now I'll be using my quill brush of size four. Start applying these vertical strokes, starting from the left hand portion. Can have a good variation in the vertical strokes as you can observe carefully. You can follow the line that we created using the green color. Now, slowly, I'll be moving towards the right hand side. No need to hurry at all. Just carefully observe the movement of my hand and always try to keep your brush very much loose and free. No need to make your hand very much stiff. Now once we are done with the topmost layer, just use the surface of the entire brush and apply the solid black color in the entire bottom portion. Make sure that you do not leave any space on the entire paper. In case you find that there is any space left, you can reapply solid black color in that particular area. So we are ready with the entire base of the foreground trees. Now we'll add beautiful details. Now, again, we are going to repeat the same steps to paint the pine trees. But this time we are going to have a beautiful variation in the height of the pine trees. I'll be using my round brush of size fo. I've created a beautiful vertical line as you can observe. I've started from the bottom portion. Now you have to use the same brush of size fo, which is basically a round brush. Start from the topmost portion, create these little strokes as you can observe right now. Now, there is no specific way of painting these little strokes. You can randomly apply them. But make sure as you move towards the bottom area, you just have to simply increase the size of the strokes that you're making. A The entire process of creating this beautiful huge pine tree is going to be very much satisfactory, and you'll definitely enjoy painting in detail. Now, slowly, I'll move towards the bottom area, increasing the size of the strokes that I'm making right now. No need to hurry at all. In case you find that your color is getting finished from the brush, you're free to take some more color from the color palette. Make sure that you have a good, highly saturated solid black color. In case you find that your brush is having more amount of water in it, just simply dab it onto the tissue paper so that axis amount of water will be removed and you'll be able to get a beautiful, saturated solid black color. We are slowly going to move towards the bottom area, blending the entire pine tree with the bottom portion. Oh. So now you can observe that we have painted this beautiful huge pine tree, and I'm just going to blend it with the bottom portion. It is very simple and easy process. Just add the strokes and combine it with the bottom area that we created using solid black color. Now, similarly, apart from this huge pine tree, you're going to define a few more pine trees and create some nice foreground trees. So the process is going to be absolutely same. You're free to explore and experiment with the size, shape, and position of the pine trees. So no need to worry about painting it in the exact same way. I'm painting right now. So let us start adding a few more pine trees in certain areas. If you observe carefully the entire foreground pine tree basically acts as a sellout, which is having a nice solid black color. Now, in case you want to make your entire pine tree look a little bit more beautiful. What you can do is you can use the tip of your round brush and add minute leaves on the outskirt of the entire tree, which is basically adding these little strokes. It will make the entire pine tree look a little bit more beautiful, and the entire salut will look really nice. Now, similarly, we are going to repeat the same steps. We're going to have a beautiful variation in the entire foreground trees. So it's a simple process. We'll repeat it. We'll add a simple vertical line. You can add the vertical line and start creating these little strokes from the topmost portion. And as you move towards the bottom area, just simply increase the size of the strokes that you're making. If you observe carefully, there is a beautiful contrast with the background trees and the foreground trees. And if you observe carefully, there is a misty effect of the green color that we used initially. Now, you can observe that we have created these beautiful pine trees on the left hand portion, having variation in the size. Let me repeat the same steps. You don't have to worry about following and painting it in the exact same way. You're free to explore and experiment. You can have variation in the size of the entire pine tree. You can even decide the position of the entire pine tree according to your convenience. If you want to even explore with the color palette, you're free to do that as well. Now we have another area in the right hand side where we are going to add a few more solid black pine trees, having variation in these sizes, of course. So let us start, repeat the same steps and follow them carefully. So I hope that you got an exact idea, how we have created these beautiful foreground trees using a solid black color. Now apart from that, in case you want to make the entire forest look a little bit more dense. What you can do is you can use the tip of your round brush, and you can add little vertical lines in between the pine trees. No need to hurry at all, try to keep your hand very loose and free. No need to make it. Ose the tip of your round brush and add these little vertical lines in between the pine trees. While you're applying a simple vertical line, try to apply very less pressure on your brush and use the tip of your brush. This will help you to get a nice thin line, and the vertical lines will get a beautiful blend with the solid black color. While you're using any particular color, if you find that your color is getting finished from the brush, you are always supposed to take some more color from the color palette because we do not want to decrease the saturation of the color that we are using. As you can observe, we have almost painted the entire foreground trees, and it is looking really beautiful. We're done with the entire painting. It's a very minimal painting using some basic elements. We have created this beautiful mysty forest. Let me take you a little bit closer so that you can observe all the details carefully. I hope that you enjoyed creating this particular painting and got to learn something new. You're free to explore and experiment with the entire class project. Now let us move towards the next part. 6. Class Conclusion: Everybody, are most welcome to the class conclusion. I hope that you enjoyed the entire class and got to learn something new. It's a short class with minimal color palette and easy techniques to paint. For the class project, it would be really great if you try to create the entire painting. You're free to explore and experiment and create your own composition. Add your projects to the project gallery. It would be really great if you leave a review for the class as it encourages me a lot, and my class can reach many more students like you. Feel free to ask any questions or doubts you have related to the class in the discussion section. At the end, I would like to say, keep learning, keep practicing. Thank you so much for joining the class and happy painting.