Author Archives: esanford

Mystery Technique #146

January 20, 2025 – 7:39 pm

Curious about the techniques used here? You can learn more next month if you’ve signed up for email updates! 

ANSWER TO MYSTERY TECHNIQUE #145:

First I loaded one brush with French Ultramarine and another with Cerulean Blue, then wet the paper and quickly mixed the 2 blues wet-in-wet while carefully leaving white paper for the cloud shapes. Before the paint dried, I lifted out some wispy edges with a damp sponge. After this layer was completely dry, I gently rewet the paper and added a delicate wash of Permanent Rose to the cloud and the top of the sky, using a damp sponge to soften edges, make transitions and remove excess paint.

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Upcoming Classes & Workshops!

December 31, 2024 – 6:56 pm

Get a creative start to the new year by signing up for a class! My January workshop is already full, but you can still join us in February. Painting in Watercolor is perfect for beginners and meets on Tuesdays from 1 – 3 pm. This 4-week series starts on February 4 at the Franklin Recreation Center. To learn more or register, visit:

https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/wcpr/activity/search/detail/34237

Students with some experience can increase their skills and learn new techniques by signing up for Intermediate Watercolor at the Franklin Recreation Center. We meet for 4 weeks on Thursdays from 1 – 3 pm and start on February 6. You can find the details here:

https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/wcpr/activity/search/detail/34238

If you’re looking for a weekend workshop, join us at the Little Art House at Sylvan Park for Watercolor Landscapes on Sunday February 9 from 1 – 5 pm. Learn more here:

https://www.hisawyer.com/little-art-house/schedules/activity-set/1192670

I’ll be offering Watercolor Landscapes again on Saturday February 22 from 10 am – 2 pm. This workshop meets at the Franklin Recreation Center, and you can sign up here:

https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/wcpr/activity/search/detail/34236

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Mystery Technique #145

December 20, 2024 – 7:21 pm

Curious about the techniques used here? You can learn more next month if you’ve signed up for email updates! 

ANSWER TO MYSTERY TECHNIQUE #144:

After masking the main leaf, I painted the background with a wet-in-wet mixture of Daniel Smith’s Green Apatite Genuine, Blue Apatite Genuine, and Hematite Burnt Scarlet Genuine. While the paint was still wet, I dropped in kosher salt to add more texture. Next I let that layer dry completely before brushing off the salt, removing the masking, and painting the main leaf. The textures and patterns left behind by the salt became my inspiration for suggesting pebbles, sticks, and partially decayed leaves in the rest of the painting. I used a 0.5 mm Pentel Arts Hybrid Technica Pen to draw a combination of dots, scribbles, and lines for definition and detail. Next I added some light watercolor washes to create shadows and other finishing touches. Here’s a detail:

And here’s the whole painting:

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