Create Winter Landscape Cards: Watercolor and Masking Fluid

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Start by drawing the outline for your snow covered tree on your card. Off center it slightly for a better composition.

When applying masking leave space between the branches for the darker greens of the tree. It doesn't need to be too detailed at this stage. Dry completely.

Dampen the area behind the masking and paint the background trees wet in wet. They need to be a medium dark value. When they dry slightly use clear water on a round brush to create water blooms for snow on the background trees. Dry again.

When it is totally dry add the dark green under the masking/snow. Dry again. Then remove the masking.

While the tree area is drying you can dampen the foreground snow area and add some blue-gray color wet-in-wet under the tree. Very soon we'll add a small pond, you may want to sketch that area in lightly.

Decide which side of the tree is going to be your sunny side. Paint light blue-gray shadows on the shadow side of the snow on the branches where you removed the masking. Blend of the top edges so it looks soft and rounded. skip around so you are not painting next to a damp place. Let dry and then decide if you need to add more green to give the snow a better shape.

Use a damp clean flat brush to gently lift the lighter part of the birch trees from the background. Dab the softened paint of with a paper towel. Rinse your brush often as you lift up the paint. Dry the birch trees completely.

Use a plastic card (credit card) to add the darker bark texture to the dry birch trees. Add a few bare limbs to the birch trees to help push the background back.

Now add the water to the foreground of your card. It's important to keep the water's surface looking flat. It's easier to paint the shape of the pond in a pale blue then add the darker colors around the reflection of the snow covered tree when the pale blue is dry.

The snow around the water will need to have some soft blue-gray contours on the backside above the water. Keep the snow soft looking by using clear water on a damp brush to blend the snow shadows.

Add a couple snow dimples using your blue gray mixture and when they're dry add a few sprigs of dry grass sticking up in the snow.

When it's dry.... sign it!