How to Celebrate Fall Through Mini Watercolors

Steps

Part 1

Preparing Your Design

1. 1

   Make a list of words that represent the season.  Just close your eyes and write what comes to mind as you think the word, "autumn."

2. 2

   Look in magazines, online and in newspapers to see how others depict autumn.  Ads closely track trends and are illustrated with nice photographs.  Newspapers list fall events.  Clothing ads show cooler weather apparel.  Keep these pictures as references as you work.

3. 3

   Cut a long strip, approximately 6" X 14" or use a piece of 11" X 14" watercolor paper from a pad.  Either format will work well and give you an opportunity to fill the space with many of your favorite fall things.

4. 4

   Draw freehand squares and rectangles, as many as you wish, any size you like, to use for your miniature "snapshots" or paintings of autumn. Use a pencil and break up the space on the entire paper.  Make various shapes.

5. 5

   Fill each space with something that represents fall. The possibilities are endless, but go back to your list of words and clipping for inspiration.

6. 6

   Start by filling a shape with a fat pumpkin, if you are having difficulty facing those blank canvases.  In another space, draw a fallen leaf.  Add apples on branches in another space and keep going until all frames are filled.

7. 7

   Set up a palette of primary and secondary tube watercolors.  If desired, use a set of watercolors with dry pads you need to moisten and activate with water.  You could also use water-soluable or regular colored pencils.  Colored markers would be fun, too.  Or, do a mixture of all those media.

8. 8

   Keep the hues of fall in mind as you begin to color your design.  This is an opportunity to showcase the warm colors;  orange, red, red-violet, gold, rust, brown and yellow.  Contrast them with the cooler ones from the opposite side of the color wheel.  Blue, green, blue-violet, an an array of neutrals from pale gray to black.  These will highlight the warmer, brighter colors.

Part 2

Painting

1. 1

   Get started by working on the main elements of each scene.  Use the brightest and boldest colors to bring out the subject of each rectangle.  Then color the backgrounds for each, working right up to the border.

2. 2

   Keep on painting until all miniature scenes are complete.  How detailed to make your painting is up to you.  Any approach you pick is acceptable and will show your own personality and style.

3. 3

   To do smaller details, consider outlining them with markers.  Either black Sharpie or permanent colored markers.  A small, pointed brush can be used for detail work, too.

Part 3

Adding Finishing Touches

1. 1

   Stand up your paper.  Take a look at your work from a distance and decide what to do with the white paper around the mini-paintings.  Anything you do is fine, including leaving it unpainted.  An all-over treatment of color will unify your page.

2. 2

   Keep in mind that any background you pick can be altered, even drastically changed.  Paint another color, up to three, layers over thoroughly dry paint.  Or, to remove color, use a scrub brush or a piece of white kitchen cleaning sponge called a Magic Eraser.

3. 3

   Allow the piece to dry overnight and evaluate it again. As the paper dries, the piece will brighten but the watercolors will appear slightly fainter.  Go back in at this point and heighten any colors that need it, add more detail, and remember to intermingle colors throughout the scene.  Do this by touching small areas with the color of another area.

4. 4

   Enjoy your foray into fall.  Don't be sad if you can't really have haystacks, scarecrows or smoking leaf piles at hand because through art, all things are possible.  Even a row of noisy crows.

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Tips

• If drawing objects isn't to your liking, fill each mini-picture with words, phrases, quotes, recipes, etc. Liberally color the page and your art will be as compelling and attractive as if you labored over drawing and painting representations of favorite fall things.
• Hang your work prominently to enjoy as the season progresses into winter. Bring autumn inside.
• Make place cards for a Thanksgiving table by cutting out the small pictures and adding guests' names. Make them self-standing by gluing a triangle to the back as some in some picture frames. Or, buy little dollar store frames for each painting.

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