Ways with Watercolor continues with more ideas on altering formats and designs, but this time with previous paintings of trees.

Ways With Watercolor – Trees
This first painting in near monochromatic palette was a long horizontal originally. It did not work that way. It does better in the square format.
Small trees in silhouette, are suggested in a very Zen, wabi sabi way.
This painting was from my imagination; it was a place I wanted to go, but hadn’t been to yet. On a recent trip to Albany, Western Australia I discovered the near exact view of my imaginary dreamscape years before.
It would be a good place to live, with its green lush fields and cool temperate climate!

Trees in Watercolor – More
All of these watercolor tree paintings needed a little cropping, a new format, some softening of edges, perhaps even a focal point. As you saw in Ways with Watercolor, with the floral painting by changing into a square format it gave it a much more interesting look.

Fire in the Sky- also has been resolved with the cropping into a new format and enlivening the depth of saturation via cold wax medium.

Golden Lake was cropped along all four sides, but quite abit on the right. A rewetting and and melting pale wash of quinacridone gold and prussian blue pb27 mix nearly finished it. I still need to return once it is completely dry and then will need to do a softer and more subtle ‘green yellow.’ I’m not liking the stark sharpness of the quin. gold. Its too abrupt.

Soft Light needed further cropping into a more vertical format along with smudging of edges that were too dark and sharp; as they were too distracting to my eye.
Tree Texture Ways
The Following tree image is really ‘reference source’ showing ways with watercolor to create tree textures and to enhance the background naturally.

In this sample, the tree trunk itself was done by using several layers of dry brush technique.
The Background, was created with a simple Charging technique. A pale wash of blue all over first, then dripped down some grey green part way, then a bit lower burnt sienna. The green yellow was tapped into the wash quickly while damp.
Wet in Wet or Charging
The first painting shown, A Place Not Yet, had its sky created with a wet into wet technique.
The secret is…. It is a different way, than the charging. As wet in wet is begun dampening the paper with fresh clean water. Charging…you use a pale wash of color to cover the area.

“Autumn Watercolor Trees”
will be an upcoming addition to my debiriley shop at Society 6
Enjoy your Wednesday Watercolors!!
Dear Debi, you are a very good observer, you carry the beauties in nature into your art work. This is great and so precious. Thank you, Loved them all, Love, nia
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my thanks Nia! I was just perusing all your lovelies!! great colors 🙂
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You have a tallent. Beautiful work
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hi Sherry, thank you so much for a lovely comment! 🙂 cheers, Debi
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wonderful trees in all colors, Debi. Cheers Mitza
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As I slowly scrolled through this post I kept going back to your first painting. It’s haunting, Debi. There is so much potential there as if the painting itself is waiting for the painter to continue. It’s like a pause, an expectancy. It pulled something within me as a chord vibrating long after the guitar string has been plucked. I think it represents that place I am in Life perhaps. I don’t know. Really gorgeous work, my friend. You are so talented!!! ❤
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Amy, yes. That was the sense and emotion I’d felt when painting it. quite some time ago really….
I may have shared this before (ignore if so) the word Moed means an appointed Time. and that is what that painting was about. Waiting… for the appointed time.
I love your comments, Amy. Always so thoughtful and uplifting!! thank you.
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You are welcome, Debi. I think that painting will be waiting patiently for you until you are ready to complete it. I can’t wait to see!!!! 🙂 ❤
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I love that dry brush technique! And I can’t stop gazing at A Place Not Yet…it’s stunning!
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thank you so much, Teresa! and it serves as a good lesson for me too; not to throw things out because someone else at the time… Did Not Approve!
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Yay she’s opened a shop!!!!!!! And posted a link!!!! Debi, I can NOT WAIT to go over there and “promote” like crazy. Oh, so crazy in the office but holy goodness. You tempt ussss with the beauty coming straight out of your pocketssssssssss precioussssssss…..these paintings are amazing. Seriously, I may just run back to watercolor, and haven’t even really discovered acrylics yet! Love these, every one! You are the master! Thank you for sharing! Wish I had more time to read and comment in more detail. I will catch up later!
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I did dear Laura! I wanted to get it “perfect” before giving the link – but you’d already asked like 2x so I just went for it anyway. lol YOU are so cute!!
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Even though it makes me think of winter I like the “Soft Light Upon the Trees.”
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thank you! yes, winter is over there!
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A Place Seen. Love that b
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Oops. Love that!
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fabulous David!! I got not one, but TWO ‘love that’ comments
definitely smiling now 🙂 THANK YOU!
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I enjoyed your explanations and tips for today’s watercolor lesson. Each painting has so much to give the viewer. Thank you Debi.
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thank you Sharon 🙂
I thought I’d better not be so ‘lazy’ on this post and should give a hint, tip, or some suggestion!!
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I just love how you love colour and make the very most of that essential element–water!–diving into washes and then seeing what they are telling you comes next. So nice.
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hi Lance!! great to hear your comments!
and thank you very much 🙂
‘seeing what they tell me to do next’ Thats – THE hardest part of the WC journey!
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I love these! Especially the colors.
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thank you Nico, glad you are enjoying them – that is wonderful!!
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Landscapes of the imagination – my favorite 🙂
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yes. Mine too.
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