Be inspired by the colours of autumn as you glaze transparent colours, use Clingfilm and salt, and practise the wet-in-wet technique, with Tessa Spanton

Watercolour

Tessa Spanton

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

■ Make the most of bright transparent colours

■ Practise glazing, salt and Clingfilm techniques

■ Be creative and play with your colours

Autumn trees put on a spectacular show as the greens gradually turn to scarlet, ochre, russet, orange and burgundy. On a clear day the light becomes golden as the days shorten and the sun is lower in the sky. The show lasts a few weeks and I often collect falling leaves for their colours and shapes. Unless I am quick to paint them they soon become like brown crisps. To make a quick record I scan them on both sides and save the digital images.

All the colours I have chosen for this project are Winsor & Newton’s Professional Water Colour. With the exception of cadmium yellow, which I only used in the base wash, they are all transparent or semi-transparent colours, unless used very thickly. If you don’t have these colours, use the nearest equivalent. To see whether a colour is transparent or opaque look on the tube or at the manufacturer’s leaflet.