How to Paint Shadow Grass

Shadow grass is a calming concept that adds a lot of dimension to any painting or artistic endeavor. The light layering effect used in this is applicable to anything from a border to a full wall mural. The technique used to paint this is very simple to learn and a lot of fun to practice.

Things You'll Need

• Watercolor paints
• Thin and medium thickness brushes
• Rag, cloth or tissue

Instructions

1. Paint the area you want the shadow grass to be with a dark green. Mix plenty of water in the paint so that the color is rich but still lightly opaque. After the first layer of paint dries, continue to add a dark brown that will blend into the green. Wait for this to dry as well and repeat with darker earthy tones. Red, watered down black and terracotta are good. The goal is to make a dark layer to work off of.

2. After the dark layer has completely dried, start adding milder colors. This can be a forest green or red. Some oranges are acceptable at this point to. Be sure not to color the entire dark area with these shades. Instead, paint strategically in vertical lines so at least some intermittent parts of the area retain the dark complexions. Use a medium size brush and make large strokes. Each series of strokes should resemble a somewhat distance clump of grass. One way of achieving this is layering vertically---the topmost layer can be the darkest color while each subsequently layer going down the page is a little less intense. This gives the affect of distance and depth.

3. For the shadows of the grass to really pop out, use a golden or orange-brown with a thin brush near the bottom of the shadow grass. This will accent the shadowy tones in the back of your painting. Use very light and frequent brush strokes with a thin angle at this point. Add finishing touches by making random thin and short strokes in the background with light colors just to accent the varying depths and levels. Use light green and light browns with a varying angle of strokes.

References

• Grass:jeshannon.com