MASTERCLASS
- Make cloudy waters
The colours of the sky are reflected in the
river, so I took the opportunity to use some of
my cloud colour to make a start on the water.
I used the same mix of browns and creams
and also added a touch of Alizarin Crimson
to create a dusky pink colour.
As with the sky, the direction of the marks
in the water are key to the success of this
painting so I was careful to keep my
brushstrokes (this time with the size 4 brush)
distinct from each other and following the
same horizontal direction.
- Paint around clouds
If you study Monet’s original painting, the
blue of the sky is painted around the clouds- an unusual way to paint which gives the
picture a distinctive appearance. For my sky,
I used my size 6 brush and mixed Cerulean
Blue with Titanium White and a touch of Raw
Sienna. I varied the brushstrokes as I filled
in the sky and brought form to the clouds.
As I painted, I mixed small amounts of
French Ultramarine, Raw Sienna and
Titanium White into my blue mix in order to
ensure that the sky was not a uniform colour.
5. Warm the waters
While I had my blues mixed up for the sky,
I added a next stage to the water with some
further horizontal marks in amongst the
reflections of the clouds. The colours in the
water were slightly warmer than those in the
sky so I added a small amount of Alizarin
Crimson to some of my blues.- Mix warm and cool
The first layer of paint on the leafy tops of the trees was a mix of warm and cool blues, applied
with a size 4 flat brush. For the far trees, I mixed Cerulean Blue with a small amount of Winsor
Yellow and Titanium White to create a cool blue, which makes these trees appear further away
than the warmer colours of those close by. As with the clouds, applying paint to these farther
trees at an angle helps create an impression of movement.
For the trees in the foreground, I switched to a mix of French Ultramarine, Alizarin Crimson
and Winsor Yellow to create a range of warmer blues tinged with green. I used less white for
this section of the trees, so that they were darker than those in the distance.- Plant some trees
I started on the trees by painting the trunks
of the closest ones, as they were a key part
of the composition.
This first layer of paint was a mix of French
Ultramarine, Alizarin Crimson and Titanium
White. I used my size 2 flat brush to roughly
add the tree trunks to the picture (not
forgetting their reflection in the water).
Top tip
Suggest the form of
your chosen subject
by angling your
brushstrokes in one
direction