| First step was to sketch out the composition, then mask the white flower heads and stems plus a few leaves and some spattering. Then I wet the whole of the paper and started added colour - quin. gold deep, rhodonite, ultramarine and a little brown madder - encouraging them to mingle and mix on the paper by moving the board. This is the first layer, and the aim is for the colours to shine through the second wash. | 
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| Next stage!
I waited for the paint to dry then re-wet using a soft squirrel mop brush. I repeated the process as before, using fairly strong colours (all of the paints I used in the first wash, plus azo yellow and indanthrene for more varied greens). The original colours can still be seen through the second wash. Instead of letting them settle I created lighter blades of grass etc. by stroking in clear water.
Once this layer was dry I removed some of the masking and washed in light greens on the foliage. |
| I checked that all the paint was dry before removing the rest of the masking - there's nothing worse than smearing wet paint all over your reserved whites! Now it's important to make the white areas fit in with the painting as a whole. Some of the hard edges will need softening to merge with the background, others need to be exaggerated. | 
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| Penultimate stage - colour added to the last flower heads, some adjustment and softening where needed.
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Finally, I darkened the background in a few places to accentuate the flowers, plus other tiny adjustments.
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