Looking at Nature Close Up By Ken Schwager

Nature Paintings When painting from nature, it is important to look carefully at the objects you will paint. Use the objects themselves, or at least a photograph to examine the details. Pay careful attention to the details so you can make your painting more interesting. Before beginning the painting, carefully plan out the various elements of the painting to determine the best point-of- view.

Planning the Painting Start your painting by creating a Contour Line Drawing of the objects you are painting. Plan out the basic shapes and place them where you want them. Be careful with your composition to make it interesting to look at. Position the objects to run off the edges of the painting to make it a more dynamic composition.

When painting with watercolor, it is usually best to start with the lightest colors and then gradually add colors that are darker and darker. You can use the Wet-on-Wet technique for the base colors if you choose. Wet-on Wet is when you wet the paper first and then add the wet paint over the wet paper. The layers that get painted over the base will probably be Wet-on Dry. Wet-on Dry is when you add wet paint over the dry paint previously painted.

Nature Paintings by artist Marni Maree

Student Paintings

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