Orchard in snow, watercolour and gouache, (35 x 28 cms)

Haidee-Jo Summers usues Strathmore Gemini 500 to paint a snowy orchard scene which follows on from her main report on this series of watercolour papers.

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About Strathmore

The name Strathmore led me to believe that the makers of this paper would be based in Scotland and an embossed thistle trademark in the corner of the sheet would seem to support this.

With a little research I was surprised to find that Strathmore is an American manufacturer of a whole range of different papers including not only watercolour sheets of various weights and surface but cartridge, charcoal and drawing papers together with an array of sketchbooks.

The name of Strathmore was inspired by a visit to the Strathmore valley of Scotland in the mid 1890’s, a couple of years after manufacture began, by the founder Horace A. Moses.

Preparation for a watercolour painting

The particular paper I used for this demonstration was Gemini 500. I used the sturdy 638gsm paper which didn’t need to be stretched.

I began by flooding water generously over the surface. I then brushed and dripped warm yellows and reds onto the wet paper.

After several wet on dry washes of colour I started to apply creamy gouache paint to describe the warm sunlit snow of Orchard in Snow.

The gouache also went on like a dream with the slightly rough paper texture creating a pleasing amount of drag, or dry brush, effect but not too much.

How to paint an Orchard in Snow

Stage 1

Onto wet paper I flooded warm yellows and red.

Then, while the initial wash was still a little damp, I applied a darker wash for the background trees and branches which softened and spread into the lighter warm colours.

Stage 2

When the first stage was dry I used a sympathetic but darker mix to paint in the closer trees with crisp edges.

Stage 3

I continued building up the dark colours on the closer trees.

Stage 4

Using blue watercolour washes to describe the shadows across the snow before restating the warm sunlit areas of snow using gouache.

Finished painting

Orchard in snow, watercolour and gouache, (35 x 28 cms)