It's a new year and there's a new project waiting for you!
In this tutorial I will show you how to create the different textures of wood, rust and stone ~ but don't worry if you think this looks a bit scary ~ I will show you some ideas on how to simplify this project and make it less time consuming! The individual techniques are actually quite easy ~ so even if you're a beginner this one is worth trying as there are lots of techniques to discover.
In this painting we will recreate a section of this tool shed which contains an amazing array of vintage gardening equipment. I discovered this selection of beauties on a visit to Parham House & Gardens in West Sussex. This is an absolutely magnificent house and garden and well worth a visit ~ there are some particularly good cakes in the teashop too! I visited using my 'Historic Houses' pass. If you've not heard of this membership it's well worth a look as there are some fabulous places you can explore.
Once your drawing is complete we will start with the tools, applying a base colour to the wooden handles. Then we will tackle the rusty metal. This is a lovely technique as we will mix colours on the surface and use salt to add texture.
Once the tools are complete I will show you a simple technique to add the wood grain pattern onto the planks ~ observation is key to this technique so looking carefully will help you to recreate a believable texture.
In this project the stone work is completely optional, but it does add a little more character to the finished painting. But for a more modern look you could choose to leave it white. The stone block work again is an easy technique to master but will be more time consuming the more blocks you include! To start we will add a soft, muted wash across the remaining white of the paper and once dry, we will draw in the individual blocks and then add a number of colours onto a dappled, wet surface and use salt to create an uneven, mottled effect.
I think one of my favourite parts of this painting is putting in the final cast shadows. To achieve a soft appearance we will work onto wet and use a damp brush to manipulate the shapes.
To find out more about the techniques used in this project, take a look at the short video below.
I hope this project has whetted your appetite for another year of watercolour wonder!
Wishing you all good things for 2025!
Happy Painting!
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