Watercolor Backgrounds

There is a new free online workshop at Strathmore Artist Paper website.  This one is titled Watercolor Sketching & Journaling; Instructor: Gay Kraeger.  You have to register for these, but it is easy.  Once you register, you can view the videos, join public discussion forums, and post pictures of your work for critique or comment.

The first lesson dealt with materials and also how to do a wash.  Then very quickly, Gay showed us how to do a landscape using watercolors.

This is my attempt at the landscape.  The wash for my sky was not too successful, but I had never seen anyone do a wash like this instructor, using the side of a small brush.

This one will probably be cut into strips for bookmarks!

There was also a lesson on mixing secondary colors from the three primary colors, and I had fun making my oranges, purples, and greens.

I have done a few watercolor backgrounds and fun things just splashing color on paper.

I think the last one looks like an abstract mountain/river scene and I like the colors.