Please note that you can view the painting via the link below in the author’s biography. This demonstration is also available as a book via link below.

First let me introduce the materials. My brushes are a 1″ landscape, no.4 fan, no.2 script liner and I also use a palette knife. My colours are Titanium White, Phthalo Blue, Lamp Black, Alizarin Crimson, Van Dyke Brown, Sap Green, Bright Red, Cadmium Yellow Hue and liquid white. I’m painting on a 12″ x 10″ canvas board securely fixed to my easel at almost 90 degrees.

Before we start painting, apply a thin, even coat of liquid white across the entire surface of the canvas board. This will allow us to spread the paint on the canvas more easily.

Take the 1″ landscape brush and mix Phthalo Blue with just a touch of Lamp Black. Using small criss-cross strokes, paint in the sky starting at the top and work your way down. As you near the horizon your brush will pick up some of the liquid white and automatically your sky will get lighter at the bottom. Using a clean brush and a very light touch, use broad horizontal strokes to blend all your sky together.

Next we need to put in the water. Using the same colours as the sky and starting at the bottom, use broad horizontal strokes from either edge of the canvas, stopping just short of centre so as to create a lighter area in the middle. Work your way towards the horizon and again use a clean brush to blend everything together.

Now we need to add some trees on the horizon line. Load your no.4 fan brush with the sky mix and just a touch of Sap Green. Use short stabbing strokes to indicate some trees in the background. Use a clean 1″ landscape brush to pull down some reflections.

Take your palette knife and cut across some liquid white to create a small roll of paint along the edge of the knife. Run the knife along the bottom of your trees to cut in a waterline.

Mix a little Phthalo Blue, Lamp Black, Alizarin Crimson, Van Dyke Brown and Sap Green to an almost black colour. Load a 1″ landscape brush with your dark mix and block in the basic shape of a tree on the left hand side remembering to leave plenty of holes to see your sky through.

Take your no.2 script liner brush and mix some of the dark colour with a little paint thinner to an ink-like consistency. Add some branches where you left the holes in the tree.

Mix loosely some Cadmium Yellow Hue, Sap Green and liquid white and with just the corner of a 1″ landscape brush add some highlights to your tree remembering not to kill all the dark.

Load your 1″ brush with your dark mix and block in a river bank in front of your tree remembering to pull down some reflections. Highlight as you did the tree but remember to repeat your highlights in the water.

Mix some Van Dyke Brown and Titanium White and cut across with your palette knife. Add a muddy shore to your river bank with the knife. Clean your knife and cut across some liquid white. Run the knife along the shore to cut in a waterline.

Repeat the process on the right hand side but make your tree and river bank a little smaller as they are slightly further away.

Go back into your dark mix with a 1″ landscape brush and block in some reeds and grasses in the right hand foreground. Again, add the highlights using Cadmium Yellow Hue, Sap Green and some liquid white using just the corner of the 1″ brush.

Finally, sign your painting and then sit back and admire!

Author Bio: Steven Cronin is artist and author of oil and watercolour painting tutorial books aimed primarily at beginners. Visit his bookstore at http://www.LearnToPaint.net To view the painting please visit http://www.steven-cronin-art.com/2010/03/still-waters-12-x-10-oil-on-canvas.html

Category: Arts and Crafts
Keywords: watercolour,watercolor,painting,oil,learn to paint,brush,brushes,hake,oil painting,step by step