Mixing Gum Tree Foliage Colors

Australian gum trees’ foliage generally have a dull green color.  We will start by mixing three greens with our watercolor paint, light, medium and dark tones. If you do not have the same watercolors as I am using then just use the colors above as a guide and mix similar ones with your watercolor paints.

Before you touch your paint however, place three puddles of water in your pallet. You will have more water in the puddle for the light tone, less for the mid tone and even less for the dark tone.

The first and lightest tone is mixed with Cobalt Turquoise, Aureolin and Raw Umber.  This will be the lightest tone of your foliage greens.

The second mixture is made from Cobalt Turquoise, Aureolin , Raw Umber and some French Ultramarine.  This mix has less water in it as it is a stronger tone. It will not flow in your pallet as much as the first mix.

The third mix is made of just Raw Umber and French Ultramarine and is even stronger in tone and with less water than the mid tone mixture.

I do not rinse out my brush when creating each of the above mixes in turn. Consequently a little of each colour gets carried to the next mix in my brush.

Continue to: Gum Trees, painting their foliage