A HOUSE IN WINTER MUSIC: Watercolour winter landscape tutorial step by step

 

I painted this picture a couple of years ago on a snowy winter day. The house in the middle is the house of a music teacher. Many children have learned to play the guitar there, including my son.

A music studio full of life, but that winter day, everything was quiet, only some birds were flying and protesting with loud noises when our footsteps broke the silence in the snow. This is the reason why I called the painting “Winter Music.”

TIPP: Before starting painting read what I did and sear a house you like and paint a similar scene. Explore Watercolour: you will enjoy it!

 

Let's get started

 

 

MATERIALS:

PAPER:

• 30,5 x 45, 5 cm- 12“ x 18“ Rough Grain paper 100% cotton.

COLOURS:

• Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, Winsor Red or Permanent Alizarin Crimson,  Winsor violet,  or Winsor red + Ultramarine Blue or Alizarin + Ultramarine Blue) Cerulean Blue, Cobalt Blue,  Ultramarine Blue, Winsor Blue.

BRUSHES:

• ROUND No,1 or 2, 6 and 12 good pointed
• Flat: No. 25 or above to wet the paper and apply the flat wash in the background.

OTHER MATERIALS:

• Transparent Paper (tracing paper), Artist Graphite paper (Wax free) or a Pencil No 4 B.
• Masking fluid
• O,7 mm pencil to draw over the drawing lines.
• Rubber, tape, Kitchen paper, Salt

 

STEP 1:

• Copy and transfer the drawing onto the watercolours paper.

 

STEP 2:

1. Apply Masking fluid as you see in the picture below.

 

STEP 3:

This step is all done wet on wet in one go. If you do not feel confident with it, paint first the sky and then the background trees and foreground.

1. With a big flat brush wet the entire paper and let the water a couple of minutes to soak properly into the paper.
2. Meanwhile, mix a Cerulean Blue with a small touch of Burnt Sienna to get a light blue-grey. As soon as you see, the water has stopped running out of the paper, paint the sky with big diagonal brush movements. Paint, at the same time, the foreground.
3. Now, while the paper is still nicely wet and shining, apply to the sky, some brushstrokes of Cerulean Blue and a light Burnt   Allow the colours to get mixed on their own on the paper while it’s stills wet.
4. Do the same in the foreground and add a little of Ultramarine Blue in the lower-left corner

5. With the same flat brush paint now the distant trees on the left side of the houses with Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna and a little of Winsor Violet.
6. Paint also the lower distant trees with Cerulean Blue and Cobalt Blue.
7. Now, if the paper stills wet, fill the brush with Burnt Sienna and paint the foliage of the bush at the right low side. Allow all to dry.

 

 

STEP 4:

1. Fill now a No.6 round brush with Burnt Sienna and paint the walls of the houses. Allow drying. If once dry the brown looks more orange as red apply a glaze with Burnt Sienna and Alizarin Crimson.
2. You may also add a little Ultramarine Blue on the shadows line under the roofs.
3. While the brown fence dries, paint the foliage with a foliage brush or small sponge carefully suggesting a few dry leaves.
4. Mask a little of the foliage of the tree trunk if you can. Allow all to dry.

STEP 5:

1. Fill a good pointed No. 3 round brush  No.3  with a pale Ultramarine Blue and paint the tree trunks and branches. Once you reach the upper sides of them, change the brush for a No. 1.
2. Tip: You do not need to paint your tree branches as I did, remember to change the tones among them and paint the main and nearest to the viewer a little darker, but remember, from a distance, the viewer sees them all quite similar.
3. Paint the chimney Blue if you want now and some frozen plants on the front side of the white wall with Cerulean Blue.

STEP 6:

1. Remove the masking fluid from the trees’ trunks and soften the hard edges with a moist brush.
2. Continue painting the big tree with Ultramarine Blue.
3. With the side of a flat brush or a Rigger no. 2 paint some violet grasses on in front of the white wall of the side of the house. Allow all to dry.

STEP 7:

1. Remove all the masking fluid except on the upper side of the branches off the right side tree.

STEP 8:

 

1. Paint now the tree on the right side with Cerulean Blue
2. Paint with the same blue (Cerulean Blue and Burnt Sienna) some very pale shadows on the left side of the windows upper part and house edges. Soften the edges. (This is a cloudy day, and they are not real shadows)
3. Add a little Ultramarine Blue on the main branches and lower tree trunk side of the right side tree.
4. Mix Ultramarine Blue with Permanent Alizarin Crimson and fill a foliage brush. Taper some suggested foliage carefully on the plants of the middle.
5. Add a little water to make paler the mixture and spatter some foliage at the top of the left side distant trees.
6. Now, paint with Cerulean Blue the tree trunk of the brightest side. While wet add a little Burnt Sienna to the right side.
7. Fill a sponge with the foliage brush with Burnt Sienna and taper some foliage, let it dry.
8. While it is getting dry tapper some foliage also to the big tree but careful not to get big paint drops.
9. Add some Ultramarine Blue to get a darker brown and drops a few points on the foliage of the right side tree. Allow all to dry.

 

STEP 9:

1. Finally, paint the birds with a grey from mixing Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Sienna, taking care to paint some darker than the other ones.
2. Make the last revision, especially on the dry foliage. Do not overwork. Finished.