http://www.painters-online.co.uk artistMarch 2020 47
PRACTICAL
TAstructure and character of each species
of tree by studying and painting winter
scenes.
Colour in snow scenes
It is extremely important to look
carefully at colour. You may be surprised
how much colour is actually present and
realise that snow is not just white in the
light and grey in shadow. The colour of
snow in sunlight largely depends on the
sky. On clear, bright days the sky can
be blue throughout much of the day,
but nearer to sunrise and sunset, a full
range of yellows and oranges can be
apparent. These colours will be present
in sunlit snow as shown in the painting
Sunset Approaching, Egton (left).
Snow in shadow can carry a full range
of blues, purples and warmer greys. You
DEMONSTRATIONSheep in the Snow, Egton, North Yorkshire Moors
This subject shows how to use masking
uid to reserve areas of bright sunlight
that are surrounded by mid-tones and
darks
MATERIALS
� Watercolour paper Saunders Waterford
Extra White Not, 140lb (300gsm)
� Winsor & Newton artist-quality
watercolours in 14ml tubes: raw
sienna, raw umber, cobalt blue,
cerulean, ultramarine blue, permanent
magenta and burnt sienna; Holbein
cobalt violet light
� Craig Young enamelled brass box
palette
� Brushes: Escoda Perla Nos. 6, 8 and 12
rounds; No. 2 Acrylix Pro Arte rigger
� 2B pencil
� Daler-Rowney masking uid, yellow REFERENCE PHOTO
This photograph was taken in 2010, when snow lay on the ground for several monthswill need to look far more carefully for
colour changes in shadow as they are
often much more subtle. Winter and
snow scenes in particular often reveal a
range of quiet, subtle colour. The purer,
often more strident, colours of summer
and autumn, become a thing of the past
and soft grey-purples, grey-blues and
grey-browns dominate the scene.
At the end of the painting I always take
time for evaluation by asking myself
some of the following questions:
� Does the composition work? A
successful painting should have a visual
path through the painting, leading to a
strong focal point.
� Does the tonal sequence and colour
harmony work? Tone is all-important
and it is prudent to make a few small,
tonal studies before starting to paint. Snow Drifts, Egton Near Whitby,
watercolour on Arches 300lb Not, 9¾ 11¾ in
(25 30cm).
This small watercolour is one of my favourites
and I have painted it in all media. Although it
is a simple subject, the early evening light on
the snow is wonderful, providing a contrast
of warm and cool colours. The painting also
works well compositionally, as the sunlit
foreground leads the eye into the painting
and through the open gate. For many of my
watercolour snow scenes I rely on masking
uid to keep the light whilst introducing
the initial, overall wet-into-wet wash; here,
masking uid was used extensively in all of
the sunlit areas of snow
It is also important
to ensure that the
colour harmony works.
Never have too many
strident colours
opposing each other
in your paintings.
� Do any of the
edges require
strengthening or
softening? Too many
hard edges scattered
around the painting
will destroy the
balance and lead-in.
In general, eliminate
most of the harder
edges around the
outer areas of your
painting. It may help
to squint your eyes to identify the worst
offenders. By softening a few edges and
retaining some of the harder ones, you
will be able to move the emphasis and
strengthen the focal point.
First and foremost, you must love
painting and striving to capture
whatever excites and stimulates you.
Without this, the end product will often
be a lifeless rendering of the scene.
Secondly, motivation tends to spring
from this love of painting and any
successes you may have should be
enjoyed and be harnessed in order to
progress.
Always stay positive, don’t be too
impatient and remember, progress
comes in small increments, often in fi ts
and starts and the more you paint the
better you become.