Color of Snow: The Process in Photos

With some projects, it's easier to show than tell, and our current lesson, The Color of Snow by Birgit Snodgrass, is one of those. Here are the steps in photos--it's absolutely no substitution for the workshop, and the actual lesson is much richer, but maybe the photos can serve as reminders of the sequence.

1. Draw in simple trees with pencil and fill in the trees with Maskoid:Remember to say it clearly: Maskoid is the product we're using. "Mastoid" is a part of your skull. ;)

2. After the Maskoid has dried a minute or two, wet your whole page with a sponge, quickly add watercolor (be sure to leave some lighter "misty" spaces), and before that has a chance to dry, add a generous amount of coarse salt:

3. Let that dry a little (time will depend on how wet the paper is). Then (this is the fun part) peel off the Maskoid:

4. Next, use brown watercolor on a dry brush or old gift card to make the tree-bark texture, and to make the trees more dimensional. Birch trees have horizontal dark marks in their pale bark:5. All done! The salt should stay on the painting until it falls or shakes off--don't try to wipe off the salt or you may smear the painting: