This is NOT the new Colorado Mountain painting... 
When you read here about my painting process, you get the inside scoop: My friend Lisa in WI was distraught that someone beat her to my 5x7 painting titled "View from Vance's Cabin" on ebay (image attached.) 
Lisa is the honorary president of my non-existant fan club, because she spends all of her disposable funds on art and cards, (not just mine) when wedding gifts and car repairs don't cramp her style.  Therefore, when she attempts to hypnotize me into making another Colorado painting, I am happy to succumb. 
Especially since it is so darn hot here!

Nan Henke

Texas Hill Country Art

www.texashillcountryart.etsy.com

I rarely share what happens to my paintings, but this has been such and interesting journey with you, through several versions.... The two small Umbrella paintings quickly sold on ebay to a man in Canada. The large one is there, but not getting nibbles yet, even at $45. And since it is ebay, I have to remember to relist it every week!

Nan Henke

Texas Hill Country Art

www.texashillcountryart.etsy.com

Umbrellas Watercolor Lesson 4

OK, Deep breath! Lets use a quarter sheet of really good 300 lb. watercolor paper.  You are worth it!

Draw in just the miniumum of what you need to work with.  Simplify everything, then look at the dark and light black and white photos to add only the details that mean the most to you. 

I got excited about the light on the ground and the way you see one pair of legs under an umbrella that is ahead of the pink one.  And then there are squiggly reflections of those legs on the wet pavement.

Take each umbrella slowly, painting the right and left thirds, them moving on to an umbrella that does not touch it so that it can dry before you come back and do that critical middle third.  The light section on the top of each third is what makes it look real and taut, but the umbrella are not all lit equally.

I am not good at painting ruffles, so I mostly symbolized them with dark pink and black shadows around the edge of the pink umbrella.  I could have left them off entirely, but they add character.

I got couragous and made one umbrella plaid, like in the photo.  The light did not turn out as well on it as on the other umbrellas, but it makes a nice inturruption in the long row of umbrellas.

I'm very happy with the way this turned out.  Since it is not Texas Hill Country, I will post it on ebay.

Nan Henke
Texas Hill Country Artwww.TexasHillCountryArt.etsy.

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