Paint an Early Morning in Acrylic

Print out the two A4 size template sheets and align them using the marked arrow pointers. Tape the two sheets securely and transfer the outlines to your canvas support. For this lesson a black carbon paper was used.

Ultramarine Blue and Crimson Red plus white is used for the sky mix. For the clouds a touch of Cadmium orange is added to some white. Don’t make it too pink.

Add a slight orange glow to the sky on the horizon and paint in some cloud streaks with the pastry brush.

For the early morning glow on the mountain gently touch in some of the cloud colour as shown. Don’t overdo it.

Add some orange to Viridian to reduce the brilliance of the green colour and with the pastry brush paint the trees behind the house. (To preserve the sharp lines of the house stick small sections of masking tape to the inside edges of the house)

Remove the masking tape and block the roof in with Raw Umber. Block in the walls with a lighter tone of Raw Umber.

With varying mixtures of the green and yellow paint the area as shown. For the shadow areas add a tiny touch of red to the green mix. Sharpen up the sunshine area near the house with a little bit of white mixed into the Cadmium Yellow.

Add the purple/brown shadow area between the trees and suggestions of some young trees. Paint the tree trunks with Raw Umber.

Add all the smaller branches and twigs using a #2 rigger brush. Remember that all the branches and twigs get thinner towards the ends.

With some orange, add the highlights to the tree trunks. Using a small round brush, dab in the undergrowth with dark green and some lighter green for the leaves in sunlight.

With a purple mix add the shadows across the pathway as well as the foreground shadow.

Block in the wooden fence with Raw Umber and then also block in the immediate foreground with Raw Umber and a bit of purple.

Use a bristle fan brush for adding this grass.  Flick in the grass with the fan brush with an upward motion. Use a variation of colours for interest.

Don’t paint the head too big – just a small dot. Add the highlight to the side of the figure. Add the cast shadow on the pathway.

Randomly dot in a few flowers for interest.