Coffee Break Watercolor Technique

Step 1:

Using a pencil, lightly draw your design on a piece of watercolor paper or watercolor block. If you prefer, you can print off the pencil drawing provided and using a piece of graphite paper, transfer the design to your watercolor paper. Graphite paper works just like regular carbon paper, but is erasable. Press lightly, as you will be erasing this later.

Step 2:

Colors to mix:

Warm Brown-a thick mix (just a little water) of Burnt Sienna and a little Crimson

Dark Brown-a thick mix of Burnt Sienna, Crimson, and Black

Yellow Ochre (mixed with some water-not as thick)

Paint the background using the 5/8-inch Angular Shader. This will be a streaky wash to look like wood. You will paint carefully around the main image-leaving it white. Start at the top with the Warm Brown mixture, adding a few streaks of the Dark Brown, and gradually blend to Yellow Ochre at the bottom.

When dry, paint the background hole in the cup handle with the same colors and the No. 5 Round Brush.

Paint the coffee using the No.5 Round Brush. Start with Yellow Ochre at the top edge below the bubbles. Gradually go to the Warm Brown mix then to Dark Brown. Work wet colors into wet colors (wet-in-wet) and let the colors mix as they dry.

Step 3:

Colors to mix:

Medium Orange-a thin mix (lots of water) of Yellow Ochre and Vermilion

Thin mix of Yellow Ochre and water

Pink-a thin mix of Crimson and a touch of Lamp Black

Paint the muffin bottoms using the No.1 Round Brush. Paint the back one with Yellow Ochre-leaving the White areas unpainted. Paint the front muffin bottom with the Pink mix. Paint the muffin tops using a thin wash of Yellow Ochre on the lighted side and the Medium Orange mix on the shadowed side. Let bits of the two colors touch here and there so the colors will mingle as they dry. Leave random light areas for texture.

While colors are drying, paint the coffee bubbles with a very thin wash of Yellow Ochre. Don’t forget to leave the White of the paper showing for the highlights.

Step 4:

Colors to mix:

Purple-A very thin mix of Prussian Blue and a little Crimson

Blue-A very thin mix of Prussian Blue

Yellow-A very thin mix of Yellow Ochre

Crimson

Dark Red-Thick mix of Crimson and a little Prussian Blue

Paint the coffee cup using the 5/8-inch Angular Shader. Start on the left side with a thin mix of Yellow Ochre. Working across the cup, stroke in Purple, then Blue, then plain water. While this is still wet, drop in a very little Yellow Ochre on the right edge of the cup. Let the colors mingle as they dry.

Paint the cup handle and the inner edge of the cup with the 1 Round Brush and the same colors. Be sure to leave the paper white in the highlight areas.

Using a thin mix of Crimson, paint the cranberries on the muffins. Then, while still wet, drop in the darker red mix in a few places, especially on the shadowed edges.

Step 5:

Using the same color mixtures as above, paint the shadows and details of the napkin. Let the colors mingle on the paper as they dry. Do not try to put in too much detail. You will probably need to go back with 1 or 2 more washes to darken some of the shadow areas when it is completely dry.

Add another light wash to darken any areas that need it on the cup as well, especially around the rim and the left side.

Add another very thin wash of the same color for the reflections on the right side of cup.

Step 6:

Colors to mix:

Orange-mix Yellow Ochre, Vermilion, and a little Prussian Blue

Cerulean Blue

Dark Brown-use leftover background color

Dark Green-Viridian and Lamp Black

Very thin mix of Chinese White and water

Using the same shadow colors as Step 5, darken details in ridges of the muffin bottoms. Darken the shadow areas on the muffin tops with the Orange mix.

Paint the cross stitch pattern on the napkin. Use Cerulean Blue for the top x’s, the Dark Brown mix for the center, and Dark Green mix for the bottom.

Use a thin wash of the Brown mixture to add a very thin shadow under the coffee bubbles if needed.

Use a very thin mix of White to paint a few swirls of steam rising from the coffee.

Use the kneaded eraser to clean up any pencil lines that remain. Do not rub too hard!

Materials needed for painting:

Loew-Cornell® Simply Art™ Watercolors, Set #317

Loew-Cornell® Simply Art™ Brushes, Brown Nylon Set #322

Loew-Cornell® Graphite Paper, optional

Loew-Cornell® Plastic Folding Watercolor Palette #950B

Loew-Cornell® Brush Tub II

Kneaded Eraser

Drawing Pencil

Watercolor Paper or Watercolor Block, 7-inch x 10-inch or Larger

Water and Paper Towels