In today's master class we will show in detail how to paint a winter landscape in watercolors. We chose a snowy park as the subject.
To work you will need:
- watercolor paints;
- paper for drawing with watercolors;
- synthetic brushes (round) No. 7 and 3;
- plastic palette;
- the water is clean;
- eraser;
- a simple pencil for sketching.
Drawing stages
Step 1. Apply with a simple pencil rough sketch of the landscape. To do this, it will be enough to draw a park path, along it several tall lanterns and several nearby fir trees. 
Now, so that the translucent texture of the paints can cover the sketch, we decolorize the pencil lines with an eraser.
Step 2. Use cadmium yellow to paint the warm light of the lanterns. 
Then mix brown and black paint on the palette and dilute it with water. Using this shade we draw the support and decorative parts of the lanterns. We perform this operation with a thin and elastic brush. 
Step 3. To create dark areas on the snow-covered spruce trees, you will need indigo and black watercolor. Mix them and outline the lower parts of the spruce branches. We paint the closest tree (in the lower left corner) with ultramarine and indanthrene blue. 
Step 4. To create shadows on the path and under the trees, more saturated and dense shades are needed. Wet the bottom of the sheet first clean water While the water is absorbed into the paper, make a mixture of indigo and cobalt blue on the palette. Before we start applying shadow accents, we shade the road with translucent blue watercolor. Next, apply the shadows using the created shade. 
Now the lower part of the drawing should dry thoroughly, so let's move on to its upper part.
Step 5. For a beautiful sky gradient, we need to dampen the paper before applying the paint. Then we apply several shades directly onto the paper: turquoise, ultramarine and cobalt blue. Using a large wet brush, blend the borders of the shades. 
Step 6. Use neutral black to highlight the darkest areas of the nearest objects. But we complement the background with tall dark blue tree trunks. 
Step 7. Shade the upper part of the lanterns with cadmium orange. On the branches we create a warm glow of lantern light. 
Step 8. The furthest spruce trees do not need detailed drawing, but you can still add a little contrast to them. We use a ready-made mixture to draw shadows. We saturate the shadows under the spruce trees with ultramarine and paint the small branches. 
New Year and Christmas have given us a creative spirit and a thirst for change. All the salads have been eaten, all the shows have been watched, even all the jokes have been told by friends. There are still a few holiday free days, let's try a gift for ourselves and our family.
Firstly, you will have a great time, even if you are too critical of your painting, while still working, you can still be visited by that same Inspiration. This wonderful, very deep feeling will be remembered by you. Secondly, the result of your labors will be a sign of tenderness and special attention for the person you give it to.
How to paint winter in watercolors step by step for beginners
We will paint a winter landscape. This option is suitable for people with different levels abilities. Watercolor will give the work more touching and charm. All the details that will help you paint this picture perfectly in this master class.
All necessary art materials you can easily recognize it in the photo. It is advisable to purchase watercolor paper in advance that does not blur from moisture. And we will definitely need white paint, you can use absolutely any paint, even silver gouache. It will add freshness, festiveness and sophistication.
The main thing is to make a proportional schematic drawing in pencil. Indeed, this may be the most time-consuming part of the evening. Relax, immerse yourself in the world that is written in the sample picture. Pay attention to the main shades and bright details. When drawing the initial drawing, use a ruler. Even professional artists Don't neglect this tool or resort to the grid.
With a large brush (size 4) we boldly cover the sky and mountains with blue and the dark green color of the spruce. Use a piece of cardboard or a saucer to let the rest of the brush water sit on the surface before touching the paper.
To make it easier and faster to use the paint, carefully fill the required cells with a few drops of water. It is better to use soft natural brushes, smaller – size 2.
Vertical brush movements will only be needed in buildings. Enjoy the strokes and unique distribution of color in the strokes. Color the red and green elements. We add snow and stars and highlight the space with white paint.
Here is our long-awaited result. Take a photo of your work too. Perhaps in a year you will want to repeat this particular landscape. And you will notice the progress and style you have acquired over the year.
Let's paint this calm snowy landscape using various equipment work watercolor paints.
Fluffy snow cut changes the appearance of the landscape, softening the outlines of objects and completely changing color scheme. Particularly strong contrasts arise on a sunny winter day, when the silhouettes of naked trees begin to clearly appear against the backdrop of dazzling white snow.
When painting a winter landscape in watercolor, according to the laws of logic, you should move from light to darker tones, while keeping large areas of the paper clean. In the finished painting they will depict snow cover. In order to write small parts- for example, drifts of snow on a bridge railing, - use masking fluid.
In winter landscapes, the contrasts of warm and cold tones are especially noticeable. The shadows in a melting landscape are usually blue-purple. These expressive shadows were loved by the Impressionists because they contrast brightly with the yellowish-orange tones of the snow reflected from the surface. sunlight. In our case, the contrast is created by the warm brown and orange tones of the trees and the cold blue shadows stretched out on the snow.
For the watercolor lesson you will need:
Stretched sheet of thick watercolor paper
Adhesive tape
Pencil 2B
Round brushes No. 4, 7 and 10
Palette
Masking fluid
Old brush
9 watercolors: yellow ocher, windsor blue, burnt umber, ultramarine, cadmium orange, cadmium red, raw umber, raw sienna, sepia
1 Drawing landscape elements
To finished painting framed with a white frame, cover the perimeter of the sheet of paper with strips of adhesive tape. Take a 2B pencil and outline the main elements of the landscape. Do not touch the snowy areas - the white surface of the paper itself will create them. Lightly outline the background of the painting, and then sketch out the outlines of the bridge and the tree standing in the foreground. At this stage of work, do not get carried away with details.
2 Apply a graduated wash
Turn the picture 180 degrees and tilt it slightly. Moisten the area of the sky in the painting soaked in clean water brush no. 10. Draw a line of thinly diluted yellow ocher just above the horizon. Then paint the sky with stripes of liquid wash of Windsor blue. In this case, the yellow and blue colors will mix together along the edge.
3 Designate the trees in the background
While the paints are still wet, outline the trees in the background. Paint the darker trees with a mixture of burnt umber and ultramarine. For lighter trees, dilute red and orange cadmium. The colors should spread slightly and form shapes with soft edges. Let the drawing dry before continuing.
4 Adding dark trees
Paint another row of trees in the background using a more intense mixture of the same colors. Paint the darkest areas of the forest in the background with Winsor blue mixed with burnt umber or cadmium orange using the wet-on-wet technique. While the paints are still wet, add a few small strokes of Windsor blue mixed with ultramarine at the edge of the forest. Continue working only when the paints are completely dry.
5 Apply masking fluid
Before you start applying masking fluid to the plants on the left, cover the adjacent areas of the painting with sheets of paper. Dip an old brush into the masking fluid and tap it with your finger to splatter specks of masking fluid onto the paper. Wait for the masking fluid to dry.
Having decided on the main areas of the composition, you can move on to the details. Gray shades will make the color of the picture cooler and at the same time help create a subtle contrast with the cloudy sky. In addition, proximity to gray tones will visually add brightness and expressiveness to green tones.
6 Masking the bridge
Apply a layer of masking fluid to the bridge and the horizontal surface of the lower bridge crossbars. Add narrow strips of masking fluid to the horizontal surfaces of both railings. Wait for the masking fluid to dry completely.
7 Painting shadows on the snow
Wet the paper with clean water in the areas where you are going to draw shadows. Take a size 7 brush and apply a very light, almost transparent wash of cadmium orange on the right where the snow is illuminated by the sun. While the paper is still wet, prepare a weak wash of ultramarine and apply it to those areas of the picture where shadows cast by objects will be visible. The orange and blue colors will softly blend around the edges. Dry the painting.
8 Painting a stream and shadows from trees
Dilute Windsor blue and paint a stream with a No. 7 brush. Bye blue paint before it has dried yet, draw reflections in the water of the trees standing on the shore. To do this, apply a little burnt umber to the surface of the stream on the right. Randomly scatter specks of cadmium orange across the water.
How to Draw Winter Trees
In order to draw a naked winter i, you need to think carefully about the shape of its trunk and the pattern of its branches. The thick branches of the tree taper towards the end. To show this, start drawing the branch from the trunk and gradually lift the tip of the brush. In this case, the line you draw will taper towards the end. Thin small branches should be painted with the very tip of the brush
9 Adding background details
Mix some Windsor blue into the raw umber. Take a #4 brush and lightly outline the trunks and main branches of the distant trees. Paint smaller branches with the very tip of the brush.
10 Adding Foreground Details
Paint the hedge on the right side of the painting with a mixture of burnt umber and cadmium orange. Moisten the paper in the left part of the foreground of the picture and use the tip of the brush to paint dry plants sticking out from under the snow. Add some Windsor blue and ultramarine to the mixture and finish painting the plants. Scatter small specks of raw sienna here and there. Dry the painting.
11 Drawing a bridge
Go back to brush number 4 and paint the bridge in sepia. This building is the focal point of our composition. At the same time, the clear geometric shapes of the bridge contrast sharply with the soft shapes of all other parts of this painting. Before continuing, dry the painting.
12 Drawing trees
Using your finger, carefully wipe off the masking fluid from the bridge and the trees adjacent to it. Load brush #4 with sepia and paint the trees near the bridge. These trees should be darker and their outlines clearer than the trees in the background. This will help you create the illusion of depth in the painting.
Now our picture is almost ready and well conveys the atmosphere of a cold winter day. This effect is achieved thanks to the contrast between the warm reflections sun rays on the snow and cold blue shadows stretching across the snow cover. There's still a little more work left to do on the foreground texture.
13 Adding shadows
Take a brush number 4 and use an ultramarine wash to paint the shadows lying on the path trampled in the snow in the foreground of the picture. Using the same wash, paint the clear shadows that the bridge railing casts on the snow.
Adding a Shape
We painted a very calm, lyrical winter landscape. Now look at how a human figure introduced into the plot can amazingly change the atmosphere of the picture. Seeing a person walking towards the bridge, we immediately involuntarily think: who is he, where is he from, where is he going and why? In addition to the figure of a walking man, our artist added another tree here on the left. This tree gives the composition additional dynamics and forms a counterpoint that helps balance the human figure and lead the viewer’s gaze into the depths of the space of the picture.
Using your finger, carefully wipe off the masking fluid from the bridge and the trees to the left of it. Load brush #4 with sepia and paint the trees near the bridge. These trees should be darker and their outlines clearer than the trees in the background. This will help you create the illusion of depth in the painting.
14 Applying a speckled texture
Cover the areas of the painting adjacent to the bank to the right of the bridge with sheets of paper. Dip a #4 brush into the ultramarine wash. Tapping the brush with your finger, apply to open area There are a few specks of paint in the lower right corner of the painting. Repeat the same process, loading the brush with a wash of raw sienna.
15 Drawing dry grass
Dilute the raw umber and paint with clear strokes of the tip of the brush No. 4 individual dry blades of grass sticking out from under the snow in the left part of the foreground of the picture
Painting winter with watercolors - the result of the lesson
A snow-white paper A
The snow in this painting is represented by the clean, unpainted surface of a white sheet of paper, covered in places with a light wash of yellow ocher and ultramarine.
B Cold shadows
The cold violet-blue shadows contrast sharply with the warm orange tones of the sunlight reflected on the snow and thereby create the mood of the landscape.
In Sharp Contrast
Dark, clearly standing out against the background of snow, the bridge forms the focal point of the composition and helps to lead the viewer’s eye into the depths of the painting’s space.
Good afternoon
In this video master class, I tell you step by step how to paint a winter landscape in watercolors.
We will need watercolors, brushes, watercolor paper or A4 Whatman paper, a cloth or napkin, and water. Beginners can use a simple pencil and eraser to outline the design. If you want to dry your work faster, you can use a hair dryer.
The video shows step by step how to draw basic contours, mix colors on a palette, how to depict the sky at dawn (wet), a forest in the background, a reflection in the river, how to draw trees, bushes and snow in the foreground.
When painting with watercolors, the paint should always be mixed with water. The role of white paint is played by paper. The more water we add, the lighter the paint.
In bright places we add warm shades (yellow, ocher, orange), in the shadows we introduce cold colors (blue, violet, cyan).
The painting can be a wonderful gift for New Year or Christmas, which you can make yourself. Thanks to detailed explanations, parents can draw together with their children.
It is very useful to periodically step back and look at your work, analyze whether you want to change something, add some detail or some color.
