With a B pencil lightly sketch the snowdrops and a suggestion of the horizon line in the distance.

Using an old brush apply masking fluid to each flower head and scatter a few small-scale brushstrokes into the background to suggest distant snowdrops.

Apply a small drop of masking fluid on the calyx of each flower head to retain a highlight.

Ensure the masking fluid is thoroughly dry before wetting the area of sky.

Apply ultramarine blue with a No.10 Round brush, followed by phthalo blue to give a variegated wash.

Prepare two pools of green using differing proportions of Hansa yellow medium and ultramarine to make a yellow green and a blue green.

Apply the yellow green mix to suggest the distant trees and the distant band of colour above the horizon. While still damp introduce the blue green to suggest the shadowed recesses.

Whilst still damp introduce a few branches and distant trees in quinacridone gold, adding depth with purple made from a combination of alizarin crimson and ultramarine blue.

When nearly dry, refine the tree trunks and branches with a deeper purple mixed from a combination of alizarin crimson and ultramarine blue, with a touch of quinacridone gold to give a greyish purple appearance.

Graze the No. 6 Round brush downward to suggest the density of the fine branches and add finer individual branches using the No. 3 Rigger.

Apply a stronger mix of green on dry paper surrounding the trunks on the left and give more depth of tone towards the base of the trees.

Diffuse to soften the edges.

Wet the lower area of the paper and apply a soft mix of Hansa yellow medium in patches, avoiding most of the area under the snowdrop leaves.

While still damp add ultramarine blue.

Combine Hansa yellow medium with ultramarine to make a yellow-green and apply with brushstrokes to give the effect of grass.

Finally add dilute phthalo blue in sweeping brushstrokes beneath and in the direction of the snowdrop stems.

Mix a yellow green from Hansa yellow and ultramarine and apply on the calyx using the No. 6 brush.

When dry, add a deeper tone on the shadowed right side.

Using a blue-green mix of phthalo blue and quinacridone yellow continue to add positive stems and leaves working from the top to the base so they taper off.

Combine this technique with negative painting: surround a leaf shape with a dilute wash, add water and diffuse the paint into the background.

While areas are still damp, drop in varying shades of green for added depth and contrast to the negative leaf shapes.

Working wet on dry add a warmer green in the foreground, leaving some areas with hard edges to suggest grasses and some with soft edges to blend into the area.

Increase the strength in the foreground; ultramarine and quinacridone gold creates a warm green.

Remove the masking fluid. If the pencil marks rub off, lightly redraw the lines.

Add varying shades of grey, wet on dry, on the petals to suggest form and light, leaving plenty of white paper.

Where one petal overlaps another, add a hint of grey.

Paint the final bright green decorative marking on the trumpet with phthalo blue added to Hansa yellow medium.

The finished painting

Snowdrops, watercolour, (27x21cm)

Stand back and look at your work. Do you need to add any final touches to complete your painting?

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