plate no. 0055
The railway bridge in Karlovac
Alfred Krupa, 1989
study guide
est. 6 hrsapproach — 8 steps
- step 01
Lightly sketch the basic shapes: bridge, tree, and horizon line.
- step 02
Apply a light wash of diluted yellow ochre for the field behind the bridge.
- step 03
Paint the sky with a diluted blue and gray wash, leaving some areas white for clouds.
- step 04
Add a light blue wash for the water, varying the intensity for depth.
- step 05
Paint the bridge structure with a mix of dark blue and brown, using a fine brush for details.
- step 06
Add the tree trunk and branches with a darker brown, using dry brush strokes for texture.
- step 07
Add details to the foreground foliage with a mix of browns, reds, and greens.
- step 08
Refine the reflections in the water, mirroring the colors and shapes above.
color palette
primary · ultramarine blue · burnt sienna · yellow ochre
secondary · payne's gray · raw umber
Mix ultramarine blue and burnt sienna to create the dark tones for the bridge and tree. Dilute the colors significantly for the initial washes.
techniques
- ·wet-on-wet blending
- ·dry brush texture
- ·layering
- ·watercolor washes
- ·lifting
common pitfalls
- →Overworking the details of the bridge.
- →Using too much water, resulting in muddy colors.
- →Not allowing layers to dry completely before adding more details.
- →Making the values too uniform, losing the sense of depth.
materials
surface · watercolor paper 140lb
required
- ·watercolor paints
- ·watercolor brushes (round and flat)
- ·watercolor paper (140lb)
- ·palette
- ·water container
- ·paper towels
- ·pencil
optional
- ·masking fluid
- ·palette knife
- ·ruler
Use a good quality watercolor paper to prevent buckling. Experiment with different brush sizes to achieve various effects.
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