Paint an Atmospheric Blue-Pink Sunset Over a Lake, Hazy Landscapes Series

1. Welcome to the Class: Hello. My name is Evgenia, and welcome to the class. Today we will paint a magical blue pink sunset over a peaceful lake. This lesson is part of my hazy landscape series, where we'll explore romantic, misty scenes inspired by the quiet poetry of nature. Let's get started. Master the secrets of watercolor and paper to achieve stunning results. By using three colours, learn to mix a wide range of soft natural tones for nature painting. Together, we'll explore beautiful techniques to blend two colors into a smooth gradient and create light on the water surface without using white paint. By adding finishing details, we will complete an inspiring piece to spark your creativity. I've been professional artists for many years, focusing exclusively on watercolors. I've always been captivated by the magic of this medium. I started to paint when I was a child, but as I grew, I had no idea how to improve or how to create effect that I wanted. I didn't know any of the techniques or how to use them. Now I've taken part in exhibitions and been fortunate enough to win rewards from such highly regarded organizations as International Watercolor Society, Helvetat light space time. Archo International and Royal talents. Watercolor can be challenging to manage for those who start to use this medium, which is why it's my intention to help you to enjoy watercolors and to learn it in an easy and fun way. In the step by step lessons, you can see the hunt and brush movements clearly from different points of view. We will explore versatile and fundamental watercolor techniques that you can use in all your paintings and sketches. The approach of my classes is to start with an easy wash. As we proceed with the painting, step by step, we will add more details completing the artwork. If you have any struggles or difficulties along the way, you can start a discussion and I will read and respond to all your questions. Remember to hit the follow button next to the class title just below the video. By doing so, you'll stay updated and be among the first to receive updates on my upcoming classes and exclusive giveaways. Discover free watercolor tips and tutorials by following me on Instagram and YouTube. Jump to the next lesson, and let's start painting. 2. Your Project: Before we begin with the class, I want to thank you for joining me today. Let's discuss our project. In the resource section, you'll discover my completed painting as a helpful reference, along with pencil drawing that you can trace. You have the freedom to select your own object to paint or to closely follow my painting as a guide. Additionally, you'll find a reference photo and a selection of other images that can serve as inspiration for your very own artwork. It's a great pleasure for me to give my students feedback. So after you put so much effort in your artwork, why not share it? You can do it by taking a photo of your painting and share it in the student project gallery under the project and Resources tab. I'd love to hear all about your painting process if you had any difficulties or what was the most enjoyable part of the painting process. Upload your artwork by clicking Submit project on the project and Resources tab. Upload a cover image. It can be your artwork photo, but it will be cropped. No worries. You can upload a full photo father. Share your thoughts about the class and your painting process. Under the field where you write, you can find three small icons. Click on the first one image and upload your artwork. You can see your photo appearing under your text. Scroll to the top and click on the button published to share your project. If you have any struggles or questions during the class, please start the discussion, and I will be sure to answer your questions. I highly encourage you to explore the work of your fellow students in the student Project Gallery. Viewing other creations can be truly inspiring, and also to receive support can be incredibly reassuring. Therefore, please consider engaging by liking and leaving comments on each other's project. You find this class too easy or too difficult, you can choose from my different classes available for learning varied watercolor skills. The approach of my classes is to start with an easy wash. As we proceed with the painting, step by step, we will add more details completing the artwork. Remember to hit the follow button next to the class title just below the video. By doing so, you'll stay updated and be among the first to receive updates on my upcoming classes and exclusive giveaways. Jump to the next lesson, and let's prepare our colors and color mixes. 3. Colour Palette - Making Swatches and Mixes: Let's prepare our colors and color mixes. The three colors we'll use are beautifully mixable and give you a wide range of tones and shades with very little effort. These colors are indigo, rose red, such as a zaran crimson or Mer lake and yellow ocha Mina from Vangg watercolors, but the brand doesn't matter. If you have the right hues, you'll perfectly set. Why did I choose these three colors? After hours of experimenting, I found that this trio can create an exceptionally rich dark mix deep enough to replace black and offers a full spectrum of natural tones, shades and tints. Using only three colors also brings harmony to a series of paintings, especially if you create several small pieces. For example, this painting was made with these three colors and fits beautifully with others in the series. Another piece painted with different pigments looks noticeably bluer, simply because the colors were different. Color appearance also depends on the paper. These two sheets have slightly different tones. One is warmer, the other cooler, even though I use the exact same colors for both paintings. Papers vary in whiteness. So like Cleo fontain are extra white while others like arches have a natural creamy tone. The same colors will look different on these papers. Notice how the blue appears here, much cooler and brighter on pure white paper than on natural white. Let's begin. You can download the blank sword sheet to print on thicker paper and fill in yourself or use it as a template. A finished colour palette sheet is also attached in the class. We'll start with our first colour, rose red, such as a isaran crimson or Mer leg diluted with plenty of water to create a gentle pink. Next is yellow ochre, a beautiful earthy yellow I use often. Add lots of water to create a soft light yellow. The third color is indigo, one of my favorites. Used concentrated. It behaves almost like black. With a little water, it becomes a deep dark blue, and when heavily diluted, it turns into indelicate natural light blue. Now let's mix our colours. Mix rose red and indigo to create a lovely purple. Add more indigo for a cooler reddish dark blue. Adding highly concentrated indigo stretched from the tube or with very little water will give you an extremely rich dark color, almost black with a warm undertone. In the next column, we'll mix a sarin crimson and yellow Oca. This mix gives you a beautiful reddish brown. Add more yellow oca and you'll get a wonderful earthy orange brown. To the same mix, add a touch of indigo for a deeper balanced brown. In the last column, we'll mix indigo and yellow Oca. Mix these two colors to create a beautiful olive green. Add more indigo for a cool blue green. For the last switch, increase the amount of saturated indigo and just a little yellow ocha to create a very dark cool tone, almost black, but with a cool undertone. We're now ready with our color palette. So let's jump to the next lesson and start painting. To 4. Painting the Background on Wet Paper: Mask the sun orb with masking fluid and let it dry before you start wetting the paper. The drawing should be thoroughly wet on both sides. Play the drawing on a wet tea towel and gently smooth it flat. Brush the painting lightly with a broad, slightly damp brush to absorb excess water. We will start with the sky gradient. Take a suitable round brush and with yellow ochre paint around the sun. Then mix rose red into yellow and paint the sky above. Use the belly of the brush to stray the color. Adding a bit more rose red on the sides of the sky. Now you'll have two separate sky colors. We'll connect them. Take more yellow and pat in between, diffusing the colors together. Brush lightly with the tip of your brush on the upper sky to mingle the tins properly. Add some more rose red on the left and a bit more yellow around the sun. Now we'll paint the water in the same warm tints. Start with a mix of rose red and yellow. Straight the color using the belly of the brush. Mix a little more orange if needed and add it to the water. Take a clean brush or tissue and dup the sun reflection in the water. Add some light pink and yellow tins, mingling them gently with your brush. Place the yellow stain under the sun's reflection and add rose right above it. Clean the brush and softly diffuse the colours. Now we'll begin adding the blue tones to our landscape. Mix indigo with a bit of rose red and applied below on the water area. Add a touch morose red and blend it slightly with the previous blue mix. Mix a little orange again and add it above the pinkish colored diffusion. Those two will merge beautifully on paper. You'll see the gradient becoming harmonious with colors flowing softly into each other. Take some light blue and paint the reflection of the trees and the water. Mix indigo and draws red to create a purple blue tone and add playful strokes to mimic reflections. Mix indigo with water and paint the reflection more darker. Add a bit more pink to the blue mix and diffuse the blue reflections into the orange water with short pinkish strokes. Add more blue to the lag reflection area. Take a fine hair thin brush and mix rose red and yellow. Add small fine strokes along the edge of the big reflection and sprinkle the same color here and there into the purple wash. Use a touch of yellow or the pinkish mix to enhance the area around the sun. Now take a flat, medium sized brush, wet it, and dab it on a tissue first, then draw horizontal lines on the steel down paper. The pigment will lift easily, leaving beautiful light lines. Dan paper is easily adjustable. You can erase any bleeding colour with a damp brush by gently rubbing it. Now with some blue, paint the trees in the distance. With a hairthin brush, add pink streaks to the trees reflects in the sunlight. Using a fine brush, add pink tops to the larger trees and create playful stains. Leave small gaps for a more natural look. Then mix indigo and rose red for a very dark, saturated tone and paint the trees and the stretch of ground reflected in the water. With a clean wedge brush, diffuse the dark color into the pink areas. With a dump brush, gently tickle the edges of the dark shapes to soften them and give a more natural appearance. Add a few dark dots on the wet paper. Paint a few dark lines in the water with a fine tip of the brush. Then soften them playfully with a clean damp brush. The final touch before drying the paper is to add scattered grasses in the water. Use blue and add dots and short strokes here and there. This gives the landscape character. Add a few darker lines meeting the sun's reflections. With a flat brush, as before, you can leave some light lines as well. 5. Finishing Touches - Painting the Details: The paper is now dry. I used to hair dry to speed up the process. The colors as always appear a bit lighter once dry. That's why you need to use more saturated mixes with less water to maintain vibrancy. The first step is to remove the masking by gently rubbing it off. You'll notice the sun is now sharply outlined. To make it glow, take a damp brush. I use an old filbert brush and lightly rub off the sunspot. The pigment along the edges will lift, creating a soft glow. Do the same for the sun's reflection in the water. If your distant trees look too light, you can add more color. Just take some blue mix from your palette and cover the distant tree slightly. On dry paper, work quickly to diffuse the edges before they leave hard outlines. You can do it by gently rubbing on the edges of the strokes and stains with a clean damp brush. Enhance the grasses with a darker color. Now we can paint the foreground and the contrasting dark grasses. Use a small brush and mix indigo and rose red. Use a high proportion of rose red for the grasses touched by the sun's glow. With the tip of your brush, playfully paint the grasses. For the large grasses on the left, use a darker mix. Try to use only the tip of the brush creating light, loose strokes. Paint the reflections, mirroring the shapes in the water. Use a slightly lighter tone for the reflections, than for the grasses themselves. Congratulations on completing the soft blue pink sunset. I hope you had fun painting it. If you enjoyed the class, I would be really grateful for getting your review on it. I hope to see your artwork after you put so much hard work in it, and I love to hear all about your painting process. If you had any difficulties or what was the most enjoyable part of the painting process. Share your artwork in the StudentPject gallery by clicking on Submit Project under the Project and Resources tab. Every piece of art, no matter the level, represents time, effort, and personal expression. But most importantly, it's a part of your artistic journey. It's a visual record of your growth as an artist. If you have any questions, I'm happy to respond and to help. Just post your thoughts in a discussion thread. If you prefer to share your artwork on Instagram, please tag me. I would love to see you painting. Skillshare would also love to see the artworks of my students. So please tag them as well. I hope you enjoyed the class and found it inspiring. I'm looking forward to seeing your beautiful artworks in the project gallery. Bye for now and see you soon.