The original Autumn watercolor landscape…. it held promise.
The thing I love about watercolors…. well, one of the many things! Is when an image doesn’t quite gel, I can return and Re-color it.
Fix It!

Even if its Later. Much Later!
Thats exactly what I’ve done with this Autumn Watercolor Landscape.
Promises of Watercolor
It held promise.
Yet, wasn’t quite what I was looking for. Not quite how I was feeling. I wasn’t “Feeling It” yet.
But, this morning I thought I’d tackle a few projects. This Autumn scene was first on the list.
How did I fix the watercolor landscape?
Help is on its Way: Conte and Pastels
Hard Media
I gathered a lovely box of colored Conte crayons.
They’re really more like hard pastels actually. But great as they have edges and points that allow me to get just a wee bit of detail in.
Soft Media
Then I also opened up my box of new, hand made soft pastels.
Made by Mount Vision Pastel Company, they are soooo gorgeous, so soft. They’re a Delight to use. I will be getting some more.
Lush lilac. Beguiling cobalt teal. Seductive peach. Creamy pale butter and Vibrant sunflower yellow orange. Yummy.
Steps to Fixing and… re-coloring
- I’ve used purple to add recession, depth and a bit of needed coolness.
- Cobalt Teal was ‘danced about’ to liven up any flat, dead patches.
- Sunflower yellow orange created more intensity, joy and drama.
- White Conte provided the much needed Light tones!
- Butter Yellow added amongst the trees, shrubs, borders as a little ‘pick me up’
- Square format was retained, I liked it best
- A clear Evident focal point, right lower area Tree Trunks, helps the design now
Did you enjoy this post and painting ?!
- You all are Welcome to Pin this on Pinterest!
- The more you repin and Share my paintings,
- the more people can actually …….. Find My Website!
Below – this is a look at just part of the older, original watercolor landscape.
Not super exciting, a bit ‘rough’ and not quite there yet. Fixable though.

You can also find me at debiriley Pinterest where I have 40+ art boards with watercolors, pastels, oil paintings, collage and alot more super fun collections.
An Array..of Colour, 1st beautiful impression!!.” .My soul was waiting to be fed..so Iingered, hoping..waiting..Sadly, I turned to leave and only then : did the early morning dawn Fully display Her crowning glory.. Colour upon colour, boldly, loudly..with out doubt, shouting ” Here Am I.” ..I COULD NOT Even avert my glance for one Moment..I stood in still amazement- “——🎶🎵 ode to a painting..
J.
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oh I am so excited to hear you were stirred and so moved by the transformation this little lady went through!! Your description was Inspiring Joanne 🙂
and, ‘those cool Mt. Vision pastels’ are going to be featured more – seeing as I have LOTS that need fixing. LOL
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An amazing transformation, Debi. The new version just dances with autumn colour! Also I don’t think I’ve read such a sensual description of pastels: if the company doesn’t use that in their marketing they’d be mad!
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thank you Michael! glad you’re liking the new improved model as well 🙂
its amazing what just a dash and smudge of color will do LOL cheers, Debi
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Wow! Awesome transformation! I love the look of this. Thank you for sharing 😃
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thank you so much for your comment and feedback! glad to hear you enjoyed this old painting’s ‘Rejuvenation’!! cheers, Debi
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HSW HSW HSW!!!! I bought a little box of pastels, but not sure where to begin – LOL! I bought a box of 20 half Sennelier soft pastels. Any recommendation with what to do to start? 🙂
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thanks Jodi!! so glad you enjoyed this. you’ll love those Sennelier soft pastels I’m pretty sure 🙂
To Start!!
well, first I’d suggest testing the colors out to just see what they all look like.
Next… rub white down and blend A Color into that.(use your fingers) See what happens. after you’ve seen what the colors do in those 2 Applications – Then – I’d suggest a simple sky. dark, mid, light. in Various Colors. keeping the colors clean by only using a couple colors.
now. I’d suggest getting some old, unresolved, toss away watercolors. pick one. lightly, apply 1-2 pastels to accent (Hight LIGHT and Deepen DARK) just 2-3 areas. Stop. Move to Another one. Review. How do they look? a bit more interesting?
Then. try some pure pastels. Did you know, you can wet the paper and apply pastels?! yep! its fun. just don’t get mud… limit to 2-3 colors.
you asked for… Where to Start? there’s many ways … but, these can help Simplify & not overwhelm.
thanks again!
and……… I love those RePins very much!! muy gracias 🙂
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thank you so much! Can’t wait to play! You are the best!!!! 🙂
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you’re very welcome Jodi 🙂
Yay to – play!
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Oh, Debi, this is heart stopping gorgeous!! WOW! Love your work!!! Did you see the link I gave you? I nominated you for the Healer’s Award. I am an award free blog but this one I just had to accept and in so doing, I passed it on to you. Much Love, Amy ❤
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Gorgeous!
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thank you Susan, this one – worked. Glad you enjoyed this! the muse must have been smiling, lol
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Yes Debi the muse was smiling.
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thank you Susan, 🙂 cheers, Debi
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It’s vibrant and yet there is a lovely moodiness to it. Like slightly grey skies that make the colours deepen to their most golden hue. Bravo!
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thank you ! I’m happy you enjoyed this scene and its ‘re-color’!! great comment about the moodiness – yes, there’s alot of ‘feeling’ and mood in this I think too. cheers, Debi
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“Re-color” another Debi-ism that I am stealing 😉 love it
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you go for it Miss M!! share the love, LOL 🙂
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This is gorgeous. How did you achieve that lovely texture? Was it the type of paper or how you applied the media? Cheers, Beth
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hi Beth, thank YOU!! the texture…. it was simply the application. A light skimming of the pastel, over the uttermost top of the paper. Just ‘catching’ the peaks of the paper. its cool when it does that. but, i have to be kind of judicious, and not, overdo it. (which is way too easy!) do you have soft pastels?
thank you, for your feedback 🙂 cheers, Debi
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Oh my Word! Love this post! You beat me to the punch….I will be working on some “failed” watercolors with soft pastel. Mount Vision pastels are wonderful of which I do have several….you will have to check out Great American pastels, they are even more buttery but not as much as Sennelier. Not sure if you can get them in Australia but they are my favorites. Beautiful painting and I love you punching it up with color……you are such an inspiration Debi….love it!
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smiling!! thank YOU Miss M!!
nope, no Great Am pastels, have to order. i do have Unison too tho. anyway, thank you for the Inspiration – as well! I really liked the finale with this piece – it just went well – and was soothing and ‘melodious’. kind of like a Sargeant + Kandinsky + Monet + Fred Williams all rolled into .. me. LOL now, its one of my fav ones i have done. yippee for that.
ps. that other PIN, the blue green MT scene is now at 11K pins.
THANK YOU For RePinning it! you are my lucky charm Margaret 🙂
hoping this one, takes off too. as its a much better image.
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wow…..at 11 K? man….it took off! yippee! I love this painting and I can see it cyber flying 😉 I got very inspired and started a watercolor underpainting on a piece of light grey Colorfix paper but I covered up the watercolor and I am having fun with it…..oh boy! I also have Unisons….perfect in between hard and soft which you need but those Gr. American…..yummy! for that layer or so. 🙂
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yes, Thanks! yippee 🙂 when might we see this pastel over wc you’ve got going? i bet soon! maybe my sister can send me a pastel or 2 of those great american. YOUR fav colors with them?…..
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sure….I’ll have to take a look and see which ones. By the way, did you know that they make a line of them that are iridescent? I bought like 3 or 4 of them….oh boy! I’ll look into it tomorrow when my eyes are fresh. By the way, it is a good idea to make a color chart of your colors with the name, brand and number, etc. so when you are out or down, you can remember which ones they are. I usually take the labels off when I buy them. I hope to have that painting finished by tomorrow. 😉 I am liking it….in fact I am “feeling” it, not bad for a frustrated “stuck in the house” and can’t paint in the wide open spaces…..artist! lol
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yep! when you ‘feel it’ it just sings. and even if,
no one anywhere, likes it – still – It Sang for You. and that, is a lovely thing!!
great tips M!
color charts are our friends, yes. absolutely 🙂
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oh my…..your painting is at the top of this post, it in header area! talk about PURTY! lol
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love that word…. purty…..
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purty isn’t it? lol
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yes. its so much More…. than tight prissy….. “Pretty” LOL hahaha
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lol!
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My last comment should have said *last layer…..about the Gr. American pastels.
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okey!
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Lovely!
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thank you ! those colors do tend to put a smile on our faces! glad you enjoyed this, cheers, Debi 🙂
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Beautifully done. I need to re-visit some of mine and bring them alive like you have done so magically. P.S. I love visiting your Pinterest site – feel like a kid in a candy shop 🙂
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thank you Andrew – for such kind comments and for visiting my Pinterest site. To be honest, for years I’d veered from Tech and kept to ‘just painting.’
But now, learning these new skills is both fun and v. challenging. It is really – Appreciated, to receive your comment about the Pinterest site. thanks! cheers, Debi
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My pleasure.
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I love this one!
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thanks Annali, glad you enjoy this scene! its kind of like “happiness and joy – in Colors!”
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Yes, for sure!
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🙂 …. stay dry and out of flood waters !
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Fabulous! You knew exactly what to do …
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thank you so much Cynthia!
I kind of went by “FEEL” and imagined myself there once again.
then, the hard part – I had to Stop, Pause, and put those colors down, … about every 60 seconds. yikes, that was Hard. LOL
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Very beautiful Debi.
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hi Nico! this sure did come to Life! very glad you liked all the color sparkles going on with this! peace, blessings, and cheers, Debi 🙂
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Talking about revival, WOW! Delicious colors, I can eat them all up with my eyes at once but feel they individuality as well. Love your descriptions over each color and the role they play one by one.This is a perfect merging ending in a beautiful explosion of the color spectrum!
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you said it Eva!!
revival! 🙂 thank you for your kind and encouraging words! I’m glad you really liked this post/image.
I do too. for me, its how something can be older and tired, and not so …. ‘sparkly’ – but not to give up on it. It CAN BE, revived, re-colored and given a new lease on life. I think that it why, its my Favorite that I’ve done, in a long time!
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Thanks, for sharing the re-color steps you did on your Autumn painting. Such a bright and delightful painting.
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thank you Susan, I’m glad you liked and enjoyed her Transformation! 🙂
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I love the finished painting. It is like looking out my window when I lived in up state New York. Home. :o)
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thanks! my great grandparents’ folks came from New York, near Finger Lakes and painted around there I was told. one day … I’d love to See the area !
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Fall fabulousness you are a natural painting nature.. lovely use of watercolor and pastels!
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thanks so much Jen!! hope you saw the part about the brand of pastels… they are so, awesome. I think you would like them actually! 🙂
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Yes thanks for the information, I never heard of that company will have to check it out!
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no worries! you most likely already have what you need/want/like… but, its good to share info! 🙂
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Always like to try new stuff! Have a great weekend
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yes it is fun…. hope you get to do some painting/creating too 🙂
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