How to Paint Crisp Autumn Foliage (It's Easier Than You Think), by Jackie Peacock on YouTube. 10 min 25 s.
- Video length
- 10 min 25 s
- Time to do it
- 45 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Tape your cold press paper to a board so it stays flat while it dries. Mix a puddle of cadmium yellow and a separate puddle of cadmium red on your palette.
Paint the trunk and main branches of the first tree with permanent brown. Keep the lines thin and slightly broken so the tree looks natural.
Load your brush with yellow and touch it into the red to blend orange on the paper. Dab loose clusters of foliage around the branch tips.
Add olive green and permanent brown dabs into the same clusters for depth. Leave small gaps of white paper showing between the leaves.
While the first tree is still damp, sprinkle a pinch of salt over the wet paint. Let it sit and dry fully before brushing the salt away.
Paint the second tree with a warmer mix of red and yellow. Vary the shape of the clusters so the two trees do not look the same.
Drop clean water into a damp patch of paint to make a bloom, then tilt the board slightly. Let the color spread on its own.
Let both trees dry completely. Lift any loose salt with a dry brush and check for bare spots you want to fill.
Tips and common mistakes
Let each layer dry before adding more paint, or the colors turn muddy.
Use only a little salt on damp, not soaking, paint or the texture will not form.
Test your red and yellow mix on scrap paper first to get the orange you want.
Questions
Do I need special salt for watercolor?
No. Plain table salt works, though coarser salt gives bigger, more visible textures.
Can I paint this on any watercolor paper?
Cold press paper handles the water and salt best. Thin paper may buckle and the salt effects will be weaker.
How long does the salt take to dry?
It depends on how wet the paint is. Give it at least 20 to 30 minutes, or use a heat tool on low to speed it up.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
