Five Watercolour Techniques for Autumn Landscapes

Simple techniques for adding texture, movement and atmosphere to your paintings.

Autumn is one of my favourite times of year to paint. The changing, vibrant colours; the light through trees; textures of fallen leaves - all these offer such brilliant inspiration.

But how do we capture all that richness in watercolour without getting caught up in painting every leaf and branch?

One of the things I love about watercolour is how much we can suggest with just a few simple marks. A little broken colour, a splash of paint or a fine line can say far more than carefully painting every detail.

Here are five of my favourite ways to create expressive marks for autumn landscapes. All you need is some watercolour paper, a few brushes and paints, and a willingness to experiment!

Colours used are: burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, alizarin crimson, gamboge hue.

Materials: 140lb cold pressed watercolour paper, rigger brush, no 12 round brush, toothbrush, cut up plastic card, table salt.

Five watercolour mark-making experiments

1. Dabbing – Building Autumn Foliage with Colour

You don't need to paint every leaf to suggest a tree full of autumn colour!

Start with a fairly large round brush and dab on your lightest colour, leaving little gaps of white paper between the marks.

While the paint is still damp, introduce a second colour, allowing the colours to mingle in places. Then add a few darker touches to suggest shadows and give the tree some depth.

Try varying the size, shape and direction of your marks rather than making them too regular.

The important thing is to leave some of the white paper showing. These little spaces help create a sense of light filtering through the foliage and stop the tree becoming one solid shape.

It's a simple, enjoyable way to paint autumn trees without getting caught up in detail.

2. Spattering – A Scatter of Autumn Leaves

This is one of the easiest ways to introduce a little energy and spontaneity into a painting.

Load your brush with paint and gently tap it against your finger or another brush to create a scattering of small droplets.

Experiment with different colours and consistencies of paint. A wetter mix will create softer, larger splashes, while a slightly drier brush will produce smaller marks.

Try spattering yellow, crimson and burnt sienna over one another to suggest a flurry of autumn leaves.

And don't worry if the paint doesn't land exactly where you intended. That's part of the fun!

3. Salt – Let the Watercolour Do the Work

Salt can create beautiful, unpredictable textures in a watercolour wash.

Paint a small area with a generous wash of colour. When the surface is still damp but no longer covered in puddles, sprinkle on a little ordinary table salt.

Then leave it completely alone until the paint has dried.

As the salt absorbs moisture, it creates interesting patterns and lighter areas in the wash.

Brush away the salt once everything is dry and see what has happened.

The results will vary depending on how wet your paper is, the pigments you're using and how much salt you add. That's what makes it such an interesting technique to explore.

4. Rigger Brush – Fine Branches and Grasses

A rigger brush has long, fine bristles and is wonderful for creating delicate, flowing lines.

Mix a little paint with enough water to allow it to move easily from your brush.

Try making long, sweeping lines, short flicks and little branching shapes. Vary the pressure and direction rather than making every mark the same.

You can use these marks to suggest bare branches, twigs, grasses and seed heads.

Try holding the brush further back along the handle. You'll have a little less control, but often create much more interesting, natural-looking marks.

5. Plastic Card – Scraping and Drawing Through Paint

An old credit card or piece of stiff plastic can be a fantastically useful painting tool.

Apply a wash of colour to your paper and, while it's still damp, use the edge or corner of the card to scrape or drag marks through the paint.

Depending on the wetness of the paper and the pressure you use, you can create fine lines, pale scratches or darker marks where pigment collects.

It's a lovely way to suggest grasses, branches, tree trunks and other natural textures.

Try working at different stages of dampness to see how the marks change.

Now Have a Go!

Once you've experimented with these five techniques, why not try combining two or three of them in a small autumn landscape?

You might use a loose wash with salt for the background, dab with a brush for the foliage, a little spattering for falling leaves and a rigger brush for the final branches and grasses.

You don't need to use every technique in one painting. In fact, choosing just a couple will often give you a more interesting result.

The important thing is to experiment, enjoy the process and discover the marks that appeal to you.

Remember, you don't have to paint every leaf to capture the feeling of autumn.

Happy painting!

Ione

If you've enjoyed experimenting with these techniques and would like to explore more ways of painting expressive landscapes, take a look at my watercolour workshops. I'd love to paint with you!