Sketch the scene with a B pencil, indicating the building and the anemone flowerheads, stalks and their leaves.

Using a fine small brush or alternative applicator, such as a sharpened bamboo tip or a feather, outline the white flowerheads, the highlighted edges of a few stalks and the rounded buds with masking fluid.

Leave to dry.

Prepare the following colour mixes in preparation for the background building:

• Raw sienna (or yellow ochre)
• A mauve mix of French ultramarine blue and permanent rose
• A stronger creamier mix of mauve with a little raw sienna added to it, creating a muted mauve -grey shade.

Wet the base of the roof top and add a dilute mix of raw sienna, followed by the second mix of dilute mauve to produce a soft variegated mix with a No. 8 brush.

When still damp, add the deeper mix to suggest the shadow. Apply the paint in the direction of the slant of the roof.

Continue with the same method for the wall, using the same sequence of colours, wet on wet. Diffuse the edges with water.

The background

Prepare three pools of colour:

• French ultramarine
• Permanent rose
• A green mix of transparent yellow and French ultramarine blue.

Using a larger no 14 brush with a good point wet the background surrounding the flower heads and rooftop.

Apply the blue mix to suggest both sky and the base of the foliage on the top left-hand side. A hint of blue can be added in the area behind the anemone stalks.

Add the permanent rose mix to create a base for the pink hydrangea heads. Draw the brush towards the dry area of the wall on the right to give a profile edge of the flowerheads, wet on dry.

Finally add the yellow- green mix.

If extra white flowerheads are wanted, use a dampened paper towel to lift the paint out whilst the base is slightly damp.

Background foliage

Prepare a mid-green shade, made up of transparent yellow plus French ultramarine blue and a creamier blue-green mix of the same two colours but with the blue being the dominant colour.

Working wet on dry, with a No. 8 brush, apply the mid-green shade, leaving gaps of the dry blue base wash to suggest the light catching the foliage. Keep the paint moving. Diffuse with water to vary the shade of green and add the stronger blue-green mix here and there to suggest depth and recession.

A little neat blue French ultramarine could also be dropped into the damp base with the tip of the brush.

Add a little more yellow to the mid-green shade. Keep the paint mix reasonably strong but fluid so that positive leaf shapes can be added, wet on dry, to the outer profile of the shrub and the hydrangea plant.

Drop in a slightly stronger, creamier tone of green while damp to give added depth.

Remove the masking fluid.

Add detailing to the building using the initial mixes of mauve (permanent rose + French ultramarine blue) and raw sienna. Add a warmer brown mix. This can be a combination of raw sienna plus permanent rose, creating a muted orange shade, with a tiny touch of blue added to it.

Using the point of the No. 8 brush, add a few fine branches.

Add a little textured detailing to the hydrangea heads with a stronger permanent rose mix on the underside of the flowerhead.

Remove the masking fluid with a clean eraser to reveal the bright white paper.

Commence the flower heads. Add a tiny amount of a dilute wash of Transparent yellow wet on dry towards the centres. This can be diffused with water.

Prepare a pale and mid-shade of grey for the shadows: ultramarine blue with a touch of complementary orange (permanent rose mixed with raw sienna).

Apply the palest grey mix first, wet on dry, where one petal overlaps another, to create shadow. Add the deeper shade when dry.

Keep the flowers simple and leave plenty of white paper so they contrast with the background.

Once dry, add a mid-green mix in the centre of the flower, leaving a hint of light on the top to suggest its round form. Stipple a deeper mix with the point of the brush on top of the dry base.

Prepare a small mix of transparent yellow and a golden yellow mix of transparent yellow plus permanent rose. Stipple the stamens around the centre in the paler mix and drag a little colour towards the centre to create the filaments. Whilst slightly damp add the stronger golden mix.

Stems

Prepare a mid-green and deeper green mix, again using French ultramarine and transparent yellow.

Draw the loaded brush of the paler green along one side of the stem, wet on dry, leaving areas of white paper showing on the highlighted areas of the stems.

When dry, apply the deeper green mix on the shaded side. The amount of green can depend on whether the adjacent background is light or dark. If the background wash beneath the stem is dark, it can be left lighter in tone, to provide a contrast, and if the background wash is light, a deeper tone of green can be used.

Continue with the same mixes on the buds.

Leaves

Using the preprepared green mixes, apply the yellow-green wet on dry and drop in a warmer creamier mix, followed by a stronger blue-green mix. Keep simple and add a central vein when dry.

Finished painting

Late Summer Garden, watercolour, (28x28cm)

Remove any remaining pencil lines and check that the tones are well balanced to unify the picture.

About Julie King

Julie is a popular artist and teacher. Her love for flowers and the natural world shine through her paintings which vary from delicate translucent watercolours to bolder painterly acrylics. Julie regularly contributes to Leisure Painter, and has written several successful practical books on the subject of painting flowers in watercolour published by Search Press.

Find out more about Julie and her work, books and classes by visiting www.juliehking.co.uk

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