Umbrellas Lesson 3:
Do you have watercolor pencils? If not use a very light pencil to draw in the most basic shapes on a piece of 5x7 paper. I decided to do the backgrounds first this time and the umbrellas last. I also decided to keep a bit of the purple flowered umbrella. I changed some colors. Making one umbrella the same blue as the wall was not a good choice. It gets lost.

On the cement wall I did the ferns first, then filled in with cement color (a watery mix of whatever was left on my palette.)   On the blue wall I made the wooden slats look more straight than in the photo, so that I could focus on the blue squares. You can do just about anything in those blue squares to make them look weathered and different from each other.  I put a little extra color (once in dark brown and once in quinacridone gold) down the wood on the far end of each blue square, to make it look more three dimensional.
Are you finding it easier to paint this scene the second time?  And do you feel like you have more room to put in details?  Stick with me now and get some good paper, about 8x10 or 12x14 for the next step.  You will find it even easier and your results even better!

Nan Henke

TexasHill country Art

www.texashillcountryart.etsy.com

Umbrellas Lesson 2: On a 2.5x3.5 inch piece of watercolor paper (known as an ACEO and collected/traded around the world!) draw just a few lines to put the walls and umbrellas in place. Then paint the colors and shapes that you see, not worrying much about accuracy. Looking at mine, I have decided that I am going to eliminate the lad...y on the left in lesson 3, and just rough in some shadows for the folks down the alley. Shape and color of the umbrellas, plus that beautiful blue wall are key.

Painting tiny is a little hard, but you can promise yourself to be better when there is more room.

Nan Henke

Texas Hill Country Art

www.TexasHillCountryArt.etsy.com

Umbrellas Lesson 1: Study the B/W version of the photo with contrast adjusted bright, then one that is dark. Look for the way that darks and lights define shapes. What can you see that is still dark in the light picture? Still light in the dark picture? What details do you like and dislike? You don't have to put everything in the painting. And you can change what you keep. I am reducing the number of umbrellas and changing some of their colors.

Nan Henke

Texas Hill Country Art

www.TexasHillCountryArt.etsy.com

Umbrellas in a Chinese Alley

OK, I admit, this is not the Texas Hill Country either!  My sister just got back from China and I love her umbrella photo. I think that it can be reduced to a lot of simple shapes, so it is a good demo. In fact, its a photo for you to paint along with me, if you dare! C'mon, who's gonna see it? Do the first 3 lessons on cheap watercolor paper with kids paints. If it looks good, you can upgrade for lesson 4.

Nan Henke
Texas Hill Country Art

www.TexasHillCountryArt.etsy.com