Sponging and Salt For Trees and Foliage - Intermediate Level
Secrets For Fast Professional Looking Trees
Landscapes: Sponging + Salt For Technique Value + Edges For Composition
Trees and foliage may seem very complex, but, if you learn to balance applying paint (with sponging and/or salt), with values and edges, you can create amazing landscapes fairly quickly. Even when used for just one tree, these techniques add so much realism to your composition.
In this lesson, a bright spring morning gives you a head start on success. I've included some figures in silhouette but you can paint this with or without the figures. (Photo from Pixabay.)
Included are downloads of reference photo as 8 x 10 pdf and jpg form, outline page and written instructions (containing black and white figuresphoto), video demonstration of the walk in the park, and an extra hand out on tips for landscapes.
Since painting all green can be confusing when you're first beginning to learn sponging, I'm including an extra reference photo in 8 x 10 pdf form and jpg of the road to my old home in fall, which you can also use to paint different areas of color with sponging.
Sponging in layers takes a bit of thought, but is entirely doable for painting watercolor realism for landscapes and foliage, not to mention a fast technique.
Happy Painting!
Your Instructor
Hi, I'm Deb Watson - a self taught artist and long time watercolor teacher
My story is simple.
I loved drawing from childhood, but was discouraged from art as a waste of time. So, I became a nurse, worked at a lot of hospitals and raised a family. But I kept painting.
Over time, I became better at the realism I loved, and just kept working toward improving through painting and self-study. I've always enjoyed painting scenes from my life and small town community (which I call my Small Town America series).
My paintings are not usually famous or majestic subjects, often they're just everyday stuff I see around. But I see so much beauty there, and show it to the rest of the world by painting it.
Now, my watercolors have been in exhibits and won awards across the nation. Yet, it's when my art connects me to other people that it's really done what I wanted, and teaching certainly does that!
Happy Painting.