Step 1
Follow along as I demonstrate the whole watercolor painting process on how to paint the cliffs of Zion National Park. I will demonstrate the watercolor techniques of “wet-into-wet” and layering with “glazes.”
Step 2
Once again I begin by establishing the sky area. This only takes a few minutes and is done wet in wet to keep the colors fresh and lively. I then begin laying in the lightest glazes and the softer shadows on the rocks. The detail is reserved for much later in the painting.
Step 3
A close-up of the sky lets you see how the pigments mingle freely. As I start to paint the cliffs I keep my washes very light. With the first washes dry, I do a little light sketching with a 4-H pencil to help me define the edges of the ragged cliffs on the rock face.
Step 4
Notice that the darkest darks and the lightest lights are always in the foreground. Because I kept the distant mountains lighter in value they seem to recede into the distance. The light branches in the lower lift part of the painting were done by negative painting around them, not masking.
Step 5
This painting was juried into the prestigious Paint America “Paint the Parks top 50 Mini” competition which toured America in 2007 and 2008.
