Paint Realistic Watercolour and Botanicals - CHASING AUTUMN

Choosing our subjects comes down to refining what we've collected to some specific choices, and in this case the focus was on manageability and exploring specific focus techniques in the watercolour medium as an introduction. Narrowing our swag down to 7 leaves, I have selected each for the learning opportunity each presents.  

The materials needed for watercolour painting, at least in my world, is pretty simple. Once you are set up with the basics, it is an extremely economical medium to work on. Here you'll find information on the specific materials required for this tutorial, as well as the high resolution A3 (297x420mm) colour copy print out we will be using for our reference template. I have also created the template into A4 sheets to make it workable for you if you dont have access to an A3 printer. These sheets are created from my own photographic reference using images that I have cleaned up for you as a clear working guide to our paintings. This is the easiest way for these tutorials to be structured, and the most straight forward, consistent way for you to learn about the painting processes. 

The materials list is here for your reference, however I have also attached a printable file of the materials list for your reference. 

CHASING AUTUMN ~ Materials List ~ HEIDI WILLIS

• 2B pencil or a pure 2B graphite stick

• Mechanical pencil 0.5 mm HB (or harder)

• White plastic eraser

• Scotch tape  

• Taklon or good quality detail brushes (sizes 3/0, 1, 5 with GOOD points and a cover sleeve on them)

• Palette (a KLIK Palette)

• Masking Fluid (colourless W&N please)

• Ruling pen

Watercolour paints artist quality Windsor and Newton

Paint colours

• Sepia

• Windsor Violet

• Perylene Maroon

• Permanent Rose

• Permanent Magenta

• Windsor Red

• Indigo

• Raw Sienna

• Burnt Sienna

• Permanent Sap Green

• Windsor Lemon

• Cadmium Yellow

Paper/board

• Langton Watercolour Board (18x14in) This board can be cut down to size if need be, otherwise the 10x14in board will be fine.... just fit the printout to the smaller sheet. 

*PLEASE NOTE ~ The challenge of sourcing materials individually can be a huge and daunting task, so I have collaborated with Eckersley's Art Supplies store to supply all my students with a complete start up kit. The kit offers you a one-stop shop for all the materials you'll need for my tutorials, and at a discounted rate... and they will ship internationally. The kit is available through Eckersley's Art Supplies Online, or you can locate it on the 'CLASSROOM' tab of my website. My Start-Up Materials Kit includes a 10x14in sheet of Langton watercolour board.

In preparation for painting Leaf 1, we take a quick look at our objectives and strategy for this painting, as well as our materials, our colour selection and at the drawing up process before getting started. 

Painting Leaf 1 explores a small Japanese Maple leaf in brilliant red Autumn colours. I have selected a small, simple subject to start with so that the sizes, shapes and areas we are dealing with are manageable as a starting point. We explore simple washes, simple form and tone, some beautiful colour and we refine the finished painting with some steady line work to complete... It is a perfect introduction to painting leaves as a subject, and to the watercolour medium.  

In preparation for painting Leaf 2, we take a quick look at our objectives and strategy for this painting, as well as our materials, our colour selection and at the drawing up process before getting started.

Though still fairly simple, painting Leaf 2 digs a little deeper into the complexity of shape and texture, and the watercolour medium. Working in far lighter tones we explore greater tonal ranges and diversity, as well as introducing some subtle variations in colour. We move into more intricate shapes in leaf 2 as well, making it a perfect progression from the first.

In preparation for painting Leaf 3, we take a quick look at our objectives and strategy for this painting, as well as our materials, our colour selection and at the drawing up process before getting started.

In Leaf 3 we start to step up the level of complexity in our subject, and in the watercolour painting process. Taking what we've already explored in the first two leaves, we develop this further into the third. We explore more diversity in tone and colour, using far richer pigment washes over larger areas now too. Working in delicate layers of glaze, we expand on our use of the watercolour techniques to develop the information held within Leaf 3 into our darks, our detail and our textures to completion. Leaf 3 is a perfect opportunity to practice the most essential techniques needed for realistic watercolour painting and botanical illustration. It is delicious! 

To cover this thoroughly enough, I have divided this process of painting Leaf 3 into two Lectures. This, the first, looks at the first layer, laying our basic foundation washes down and creating texture to the our subject.

In Leaf 3 we start to step up the level of complexity in our subject, and in the watercolour painting process. Taking what we've already explored in the first two leaves, we develop this further into the third. We explore more diversity in tone and colour, using far richer pigment washes over larger areas now too. Working in delicate layers of glaze, we expand on our use of the watercolour techniques to develop the information held within Leaf 3 into our darks, our detail and our textures to completion. Leaf 3 is a perfect opportunity to practice the most essential techniques needed for realistic watercolour painting and botanical illustration. It is delicious! 

To cover this thoroughly enough, I have divided this process of painting Leaf 3 into two Lectures. This, the second, we explore the process of developing our initial wash into our mid and dark tones, improving the richness of our pigments, and we practice creating the delicate textural information Leaf 3 presents with a little dry brushing and fine line work to complete.  

In preparation for painting Leaf 4, we take a quick look at our objectives and strategy for this painting, as well as our materials, our colour selection and at the drawing up process before getting started.

Oh I love Leaf 4, and i KNOW you will too! What captured me about this subject is its delicate warm palette, the exploration of delicious colour and that wonderful mottled texture it has. As a subject, it is a perfect manageable size for you to play with, to practice applying washes down to larger areas and to get a feel for the 'balances' we must understand to create beautiful water-colour paintings. This exercise is all about understanding these balances, timing, coverage, brushwork, wet and dry, the introduction of new information, working with and understanding that 'satin sheen' i speak about so often better, and of course it is an ideal opportunity to play with harmonious colour and to create gorgeous texture. Leaf 4 also introduces a little masking fluid use... just for fun. Leaf 4 is a playground of spontaneity, so much the realm of watercolour painting! 

In preparation for painting Leaf 5, we take a quick look at our objectives and strategy for this painting, as well as our materials, our colour selection and at the drawing up process before getting started.

Working in a more diverse colour palette now, Leaf 5 introduces a new challenge or element to our Autumn Leaf challenge ~ to develop and to maintain soft highlights in our washes. Our challenge here above all else, is to practice achieving this effect in our watercolour paintings, and Leaf 5 is an ideal opportunity to practice this feature in the simplest of terms. Of course this is a critical skill for all botanical painting, so its really important that we take a look at this in the Chasing Autumn tutorial.  

In preparation for painting Leaf 6, we take a quick look at our objectives and strategy for this painting, as well as our materials, our colour selection and at the drawing up process before getting started.

Leaf 6 is gorgeous! With its fine features, delicate serrated edges, gentle textural features and simple delicious palette, Leaf 6 is an ideal opportunity for us to practice the more intricate side of botanical painting. The sizes we work with are wonderful and manageable, which gives us time to focus more intensely on other points such as the beautiful, clear colour shifts from our yellow to our reds, and the delicate mottling we see on the leafs surface. Although in tiny doses, the tonal and colour variation in this subject is also more diverse, giving you an opportunity to practice including much information in smaller and smaller spaces. Shifting away from the larger areas and wash work, the demands on our techniques become more specific, delicate and refined in this painting challenge. It is a simply wonderful subject to play with, and to help you develop your watercolour painting techniques to the next level.  

Again, to cover the painting process of Leaf 6 adequately, I have broken it into two lectures. This, the first, covers the laying down of our initial wash and creating the foundations for the rest of our painting.

Leaf 6 is gorgeous! With its fine features, delicate serrated edges, gentle textural features and simple delicious palette, Leaf 6 is an ideal opportunity for us to practice the more intricate side of botanical painting. The sizes we work with are wonderful and manageable, which gives us time to focus more intensely on other points such as the beautiful, clear colour shifts from our yellow to our reds, and the delicate mottling we see on the leafs surface. Although in tiny doses, the tonal and colour variation in this subject is also more diverse, giving you an opportunity to practice including much information in smaller and smaller spaces. Shifting away from the larger areas and wash work, the demands on our techniques become more specific, delicate and refined in this painting challenge. It is a simply wonderful subject to play with, and to help you develop your watercolour painting techniques to the next level.  

Again, to cover the painting process of Leaf 6 adequately, I have broken it into two lectures. This, the second, covers the process of developing our initial wash into a completed painting.

In preparation for painting Leaf 7, we take a quick look at our objectives and strategy for this painting, as well as our materials, our colour selection and at the drawing up process before getting started.

Leaf 7 is just for the sheer fun of it! The idea behind this leaf exercise is to show you that although a subject can be baffling to consider sometimes, especially when starting out, with logic and good strategy it can be easily achieved. This leaf takes a bit of a different approach technically, as we split the process up into several very clear layers or steps in development. I think its the icing on the watercolour painting and botanical cake and I really look forward to playing with you on this leaf. 

Leaf 7 sees the end of the Chasing Autumn Tutorial, a conclusion to a fairly comprehensive yet appropriate tutorial for you to jump in to the medium and genre and have an explore. Once practiced and refined, the exposure that the watercolour techniques that these 7 leaves offers you is enough to see you making vast improvements not only in your watercolour and botanical work, but across the painting board. Play. Practice. Persevere. Perfection! 

In this course I really want you to focus on your own individual development, and your level of enjoyment throughout the painting process. There is always a bar, someone else's bar, that we can compare to. A pivotal moment is to return to yourself and to focus on raising your own bar in this work. With a little guidance and explanation, the painting subjects in this tutorial are all quite simple to explore. Repeating the process with consciousness about how to improve will serve you extremely well. 

What I look for in students, is to see an improvement from the first efforts to the last. This is what you must look for yourself, that personal improvement from one attempt to the next... This is progress! This is success! Congratulations on completing the Realistic Watercolour and Botanical Tutorial ~ Chasing Autumn!