HOW TO PAINT A COTTAGE LANDSCAPE USING WET IN WET TECHNIQUES

Today we are going paint a cottage on the beautiful Welsh Dinefwr estate run by the National Trust using the wet in wet watercolour technique.

If you wish to learn more about the estate please click on the link below.

Dinefwr | National Trust

You will learn how to use wet in wet techniques with watercolour using masking fluid. Please also have fun with your colours. Try bold colours in the forground and don't worry about using too much water or paint. It is how you will learn. In the last stage of the painting I will discuss the different types of rigger brushes that can be used when putting in the final touches.

TIP Try to keep it simple and don't fiddle! Let the colours naturally merge and only move the paper around if you wish move it around a bit more.

MATERIALS

NOT 140lb/300gsm watercolour paper at least. I used Derwent Inktense Watercolor paper.

Watercolour paper is ranked by number of grams per square meter, generally between 190 and 800 g. What you need to know: The higher the grammage, the more resistant the paper is to paint and water. Under 300 g/m²: while less expensive, this paper has the defect of buckling faster.

1 x Large round watercolour brush (I used an 18) or a medium or large Chinese brush and a rigger brush.

Colours

Raw sienna, (or yellow ochre), Cadmium Yellow, Burnt sienna, cerulean blue, Alizarin red, White watercolour or gouache

Putty Rubber (A normal eraser is fine just try and use it lightly if needed on the watercolour paper)

Masking Fluid

An old brush to put on the masking fluid. (Do not use a nice watercolour brush for this or it will be ruined!)

STAGE 1

1. Draw out the picture in a very simplistic way. I have taken out all details from the cottage and just put in the basic shape with the chimneys and windows. Keep it simple!

2. Mark in the side tree and flowers where you want to frame the cottage. Be careful of the bush in the middle. Note from my painting I added a small overlapping bush so it doesn't distract the eye. Or it will act as a full stop.

3. Cover all the areas where you wish to protect the white of the paper with masking fluid. This includes along the top of the roof and put in some stems and dots to add interest to the foreground. Try using a stick or different tools to put on the masking fluid especially for the stems as you don't want them to be too thick. You want natural broken marks that will add interest to the foreground. If you are not familiar with masking fluid please try this technique out on a bit of rough watercolour paper first. TIP. Do not leave the bottle open for long. Always put the top back on asap or it will harden and your whole bottle will be ruined. Wait for it to dry.

4. Prop up your watercolour pad slightly with a box etc so it is at a slight angle so the paint runs down. Using your big brush or Chinese Brush to wet the sky area only and then load up your brush with a cerulean and starting at the top start stroking across with the blue overlapping as you go down until you reach the roof. The masking fluid will protect the roof from the paint.

5.Take out some clouds with a crumpled up tissue. A bigger one at the top and little ones beneath. Not too many and make sure they are different sizes. Maybe overlap one or two.

6. Wet the foreground area only (NOT THE COTTAGE) and drop in areas of yellow, blue and green. I would keep the stronger colours on the bottom and don't overwork. But you can drop in a few neat colours such as yellow or light green into the stronger darker areas.

LEAVE TO DRY AND DO NOT USE A HAIRDRYER. Or it will move the paint around unnaturally and cause cauliflowers.

STAGE 2-

7. Mix your light and dark greens in preparation. Take the tip of your Chinese brush or a smaller brush, load up with light green and in circular motion put in the brushes and trees in front of the cottage. While the light green is still damp load your brush with dark green and drop it into the right side of each bush and tree so you can see the light is coming from the left. This way with a circular motion you will retain a bit of white of the paper to add interest.

8.When your washes are completely dry remove the masking fluid carefully. You can either use your finger or rubber.

9.Use a rigger brush and the darker green mix to paint in some random stems of the flowers. Remember to overlap and put them at different heights. Also, paint in some heads that look like a fork. Do the same again with the white paint. Always paint the stems from the bottom up.

10. You can use your bristle brush or toothbrush with thicker white paint and dab in the white flower heads. When those are dry you can use some neat cadmium yellow for some of the centres.

STAGE 3-THE COTTAGE

11.Wet the roof and drop burnt sienna into the top of the roof so it gently runs down. Also, fill in the side of the chimneys with burnt sienna.

12. Mix a purple using cerulean and alizarin red and add the shadows. This includes the windows panes and also a diluted wash of purple over the right side of the chimneys and under the roof and on the fence.

Finished!

Well done! You have completed a lovely wet in wet landscape. I look forward to seeing your paintings and am happy to give feedback or answer any questions.

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Zoe James-Williams

Professional Artist & Teacher

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