Learn to draw by Tissa Hewavitarane

Portraying mist and rain

There can be a few atmospheric effects which are fascinating and mysterious. Mist lends itself ideally for portrayal in watercolour. It is composed of fine particles of water suspended in the atmosphere, virtually a cloud on the ground. These particles are like a veil between you and what you are looking at. The greater the distance the more the veils and the less you see. Do not make the mistake of painting everything woolly and soft.

Use a strong interest in the foreground and always paint it strong and rich so that your picture will have a firm anchor to it. Start your picture from the furthest point you can see. Paint from light mist which has a distinct colour of its own which may be a cold grey or even have a yellow tint. The local colours of individual objects will take on some of this mist colour.

For example, when the sun is struggling to break through the morning mist everything in the picture is in various tones of this golden colour. Nearly all modelling is eliminated in mist and you will mostly be painting silhouettes, to the objects in your pictures which should have interesting contours retaining their crisp, sharply defined outlines. Remember to make the near objects warmer in tone than the distant ones which will then increase the effect of contrast.

I have often painted outside on the river bank in early morning mist. I needed plenty of patience. With all that moisture in the air the washes seem to take a longer time to dry. You may find this a good time to try out a smoother paper. Study the painting I have done. I wanted to emphasise the mist. The sky was painted with a wash of cobalt blue mixed with raw amber, before it dried. Observe how sunlight falls on to the ground. A pale yellow wash is applied across the road.

The picture is composed entirely of greys, ranging from the palest tint to the deepest grey. Certain decisions have to be made even before you start to paint outdoors. What kind of day is it? Where is the sun? High or low? Is it going to be a rainy day? If it is about to rain you have to study the dark clouds around. Next choose the colours that you are going to paint dark grey clouds. The whole sky should be planned beforehand - what sort of weather conditions you are going to have, whether it is a windy, sunny day or is it rain clouds, or an approaching storm, or even a clear blue sky.

The paper used is Kent with a slight grain 150 gsm. No. 6, 8 and 2 and No. 1 soft Sable hair brushes.