Bushwalking near Lawson in the upper Blue Mountains can be a sheer pleasure. As you descend down the mountainside through Dante’s Glen, you can follow a mountain stream with huge beautiful cliffs and high waterfalls. The terrain is breathtaking and full of wonder … you can see how the water has carved this canyon over the centuries. I was awestricken by the colours of the Wattle and the beautiful ferns.
STEP ONE
I soaked my Arches 140 watercolour paper in cold bathwater for about 15 minutes. I then stapled it down to my treated plywood watercolour board and sketched my initial image in light pencil. Then, with a mixture of grey made up of Alizarin Crimson, Burnt Umber and Prussian Blue, I painted the scene to give me an idea as to where I would splash on the colour. The one dominant tree was also roughly painted in at this time.
STEP TWO
After everything was completely dry, I covered the foreground rocks with liquid masking fluid; along with some of the rocks in the stream. I also splattered some masking fluid near where the waterfall would be – to give a spray effect.
STEP THREE
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