Autumn Birch Tree

Before I jump into all the winter holiday cards, I thought I'd share a watercolor piece I painted recently. It's far from perfect, but it was a great practice for getting used to working with watercolor. I still feel like I have a long way to go before I'm anywhere near good with it, but it's a start. I watched a good dozen YT videos on painting before jumping into this piece (that helped!). There were some great tips on mixing color and just how much water needs to be on the brush. With a little more practice, I think I could really get into it.

For this piece, I used some new materials. I bought some of the Arches hot-press watercolor paper because it came highly recommended by several crafters and painters. It is on the expensive side, definitely, but it's a really nice paper and it makes a tremendous difference in how the colors behave on it. For the colors, I used the Koi Watercolor Sketch set and I used a new brush set I got from my local craft store.

I love the way the birch trunk turned out, and the topiary at the top is pretty fun. I used a sponge to give it extra texture and layered a few different colors. The grass at the bottom needs some major work (and a different color), and I need to work a little more on the contrast on the clouds.

All in all, I'm pleased with my attempt. It makes a fun fall-themed card.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~