The Beauty of Watercolour Mushrooms
Watercolour mushrooms offer a unique and beautiful subject matter for artists to explore. The soft and delicate nature of watercolours brings out the organic and intricate details of mushrooms, making them a captivating choice for any watercolour painting. Mushrooms are fascinating in their various shapes, colours, and textures, ranging from tall and thin to short and stout, and from vibrant reds to muted greys. By capturing the essence of mushrooms in watercolours, you can create stunning and realistic paintings that capture the beauty and enchantment of the natural world.
One of the key aspects of painting watercolour mushrooms is understanding their structure and form. Mushrooms have distinct shapes and features, from the cap to the stem to the gills underneath. By closely observing these details and understanding their function, you can accurately depict mushrooms in their paintings. It's important to pay attention to the subtle curves and contours of the cap, the textures and patterns on the surface, and the delicate shadows and highlights that give the mushrooms depth and dimension. Taking the time to study and appreciate the unique characteristics of each mushroom will enhance the accuracy whether you are heading towards realism or a magical wonderland in your mushroom watercolour paintings.
In addition to capturing the physical attributes of mushrooms, you can also experiment with different techniques and styles to convey your artistic vision. Watercolours are wonderfully versatile, allowing artists to create a range of effects, from bold and vibrant to soft and ethereal. You can choose to paint mushrooms in a realistic style, focusing on intricate details and nuanced colours, or opt for a more impressionistic approach, using loose brushstrokes and washes of colour to capture the essence of mushrooms. The choice of colours is also important in watercolour mushroom painting. While many mushrooms have earthy tones, you can also play with unexpected colour combinations to add interest and excitement to your paintings. The key is to let your imagination guide you and to experiment with different techniques and styles until you find your own unique voice in watercolour mushroom painting!
Illustrative Style
We will explore six different illustration styles to paint mushrooms in. From realism and neutral colour shades to exaggerated shapes and bold colour palettes. Each style has its own unique approach!
New Watercolour Palette
This palette will be revealed to my "Cosy Watercolour Mushrooms" students first! My Colourful Landscapes palette houses 37 beautifully vibrant colours, with a couple of pastels, deeper and muted tones too!
Pigment Separation
A whole class is dedicated to the speciality colours. We will discuss some of my favourite granulating and pigment separating watercolours. There will be a separate demo showcasing how to create realistic mushroom texture!
Adding Detail
Although this is a watercolour focused course, coloured pencil is a great companion. With a bit of shading and blending coloured pencils create a beautiful depth and dimension. Adding more flair and drama to your mushrooms!
Textures in Mushrooms
One of my favourite ways to create instantaneous visual texture is using super granulating and pigment separating watercolours. I will also share with you my tips on how to create a "wet" looking finish on a mushroom cap. Enjoy lots of watercolour techniques!
Bonus
Amanita Muscaria is one of my favourite mushrooms to illustrate. It's just so iconic and flamboyant with its bright red cap and white dots. I will also share with you my red palette designated to this stunning mushroom!
Example Curriculum
More Online Courses
You may also like some of my other online courses!
