Tag Archives: glazing

Mystery Technique

Mystery Technique #163

June 20, 2026 – 7:12 pm

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ANSWER TO MYSTERY TECHNIQUE #162:

I started by getting the paper wet and painting the sky. While it was still damp, I used yellow to paint the first layer of the foliage. Next I painted the ground and distant trees. After these dried, I added another layer of trees. I waited for this to dry before painting the second foliage layer and starting the tree trunk.

When these were dry, I darkened the foliage in places and added more definition and detail to the tree trunk.

I used a stiff fan brush and darker green to suggest cast shadows under the tree. The final step was to add more detail with a 05 Micron pen. It’s fun to scribble in the foliage!

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Mystery Technique

Mystery Technique #161

April 20, 2026 – 10:51 pm

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ANSWER TO MYSTERY TECHNIQUE #160:

It’s surprising how little paint and water you need for this technique! After painting the yellow center, I worked on each petal separately. First I wet the petal shape; then I touched a damp brush to undiluted Quinacridone Magenta and quickly applied it in the direction of the petal’s growth, using another damp brush to blend it in and mimic the pansy’s texture. I continued painting with 2 brushes in the same way to finish the first layer of each petal. For the 2nd layer, I put a little undiluted Winsor Violet in a third brush and continued blending the strokes in the same way.

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Mystery Technique

Mystery Technique #160

March 20, 2026 – 6:29 pm

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ANSWER TO MYSTERY TECHNIQUE #159:

This painting was inspired by a dream! I started with an underpainting of yellow. After this layer dried, I used a Forsline & Starr Colour Shaper to apply masking fluid in irregular marks for the roots and patches of light. I temporarily covered the shape of the door with a piece of junk mail. When the masking fluid was completely dry, I painted the first layer of the root ball. I used a wadded-up piece of wax paper to apply more texture in darker browns. Next I painted some abstract green shapes to suggest foliage in the background. Masking fluid leaves hard edges, so after I removed all of it, I used watercolor pencils to add depth and dimension to the roots.

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