MATERIALS
• Arches watercolour paper.
• Drawing tools.
• Gouache.
• Artists’ quality watercolour paints.
• Selected brushes.
This particular painting was commissioned for someone moving overseas. The scene depicts the view from their family home. The client wanted the dam, windmill and gum tree in the painting.
The swamp hens in the foreground are frequent visitors to the house. They are local characters. Given a chance, they will make a mess on the verandah and steal the apples from under the apple tree.
For the painting I used my preferred medium which is gouache and watercolour on Arches watercolour paper.
STEP ONE
Before I began the drawing, I washed the paper blue and let it dry completely.
I accurately drew the swamp hen in first – from a series of photographs and some live sketches
STEP TWO
Once I was happy with the drawing of the bird, I began to block in the colour. When the basic structure of the bird was complete, I started to refine the detail. The bird was almost completed before I started on the background.
STEP THREE
I drew the tree and the windmill and lightly painted their forms. I then painted the horizon. Next, I drew – then painted – the grass in the foreground.
STEP FOUR
At this stage I wasn’t happy with the dam or the trees on the horizon. Both were too strong – so I washed them out and added the mist. I also added detail to the windmill and the main gum tree.
FINAL STEP
The whole painting was basically complete before I added the other birds. They were drawn and then painted.
I corrected any mistakes and added any details I had overlooked earlier.
Using white paint, I gave the tree and the windmill highlights; and I added detail and shadows to the grass.
