An abstract background pattern painted in a warm Sienna and Umber mix adds to the overall Mediterranean feel of this palm-leaf project. Painting the palms at different angles gives the composition interest, while the blocks of color help to retain a modern look.
MATERIALS
› Hot-pressed watercolor paper
› Pencil
› Mixing palette
› Scrap watercolor paper for color testing
› Water jars
› No. 10 round brush
› No. 4 round brush
Sap Green
Emerald Green
Raw Sienna
Burnt Umber
Greens
Sap Green + Emerald Green + Raw Sienna + Burnt Umber
Use only touches of Raw Sienna and Burnt Umber
Make three mixes, a light (top), mid- (centre), and dark tone (bottom) by adjusting the ratio of water to pigment
Background
Raw Sienna
1/ Map where the two palm leaves will be positioned on the page by drawing in their spines. Add in the leaflets. The top palm leaf should cascade downwards and the bottom leaf should curve upwards, with only one row of leaflets visible.
When you are happy with the leaves, draw in the three background rectangles, varying them in size, with one roughly at the top, one in the middle and one at the bottom.
2/ Starting from the top of the first leaf, use the No. 10 brush and the lightest green to paint each leaflet. Drag the pigment over each leaflet to achieve a variation in tone. Hold the brush upright and position it at different angles to capture the way each section descends to a fine point. Let dry.
3/ Work wet on dry with the smaller No. 4 round brush to shade the leaf with the midtone green, adding the impression of shadows and depth by defining the edges of each leaflet and where it meets the spine of the leaf. Let dry.
4/ Working wet on dry again, use quick upright motions with the darkest green to add more linear, deliberate shading marks to each leaflet. Make sure the previous greens still come through. Repeat steps 2–4 on the second palm leaf and let dry.
5/ Wet the No. 10 brush and load it with a dilute mix of the background color. Paint a horizontal line of pigment for the bottom line of the first rectangle and drag the pigment upwards. Rotate the brush to use the bristles at different angles to carefully work the areas in between the leaves. Working wet on wet, drop more pigment at the base of the rectangle, and shade the edges so that it doesn’t look too flat. Repeat for each rectangle, working wet on wet and letting the paint mix on the page to create fluid textures, giving the design an abstract feel.
