Rowing boat
October 11, 2026
På SvenskaThis painting was made using one of my favourite colour triads: French Ultramarine, Burnt Sienna and Raw Sienna.
Earth colours can easily be substituted with similar colours. Burnt Sienna can be replaced with any orange-brown colour. Burnt Umber can also work, as can other orange-brown iron oxide colours. The same applies to Raw Sienna, which can be replaced with Yellow Ochre or another yellow earth colour. However, I think French Ultramarine is essential for this particular painting.
Step 1
Once you have drawn the subject on your watercolour paper, start by painting the water with a light colour. It should not be too blue, so I mixed a little Burnt Sienna into the light blue.
The water should be slightly darker along the bottom edge of the painting. There are several ways to achieve this. I simply applied a brushstroke along the bottom edge and then added water to soften and dilute the colour.
The first three images in the step-by-step sequence do not do the water justice. The last two images give a better impression of how it has been painted.
Next, I painted the dry, yellow grass using Raw Sienna. Depending on which Raw Sienna you use, it may work well on its own, or it may be too clean and yellow. If your Raw Sienna is particularly bright, you can mix in a little Burnt Sienna and, if necessary, a little blue.
I prepared two different dilutions: one with plenty of water and another with less. First, I painted the grass using the lighter mixture. Then I added a little darker Sienna here and there to prevent the area from looking too flat.
Remember to paint the grass in the water as well, where it is reflected. Use a less diluted Raw Sienna for these reflections.
Steg 2
Mix French Ultramarine and Burnt Sienna until you obtain a fairly dark brown. Use this mixture to paint the darker blades of grass.
The darkest grass is most noticeable near the water and is darkest of all right along the water’s edge. You can also paint a few dark reflections of the grass in the water.
Continue using a lighter colour to create the impression of grass across the rest of the grassy area.
Steg 3
Once you have created a grassy texture across the entire area, you can, if necessary, continue adding progressively darker blades of grass. You do not need to paint every single blade. The light areas left unpainted are just as important as the painted ones.
Next, it is time to paint the boat. The boat’s reflection in the water is vertically compressed. The slight ripples on the water also make the lines appear a little broken.
Steg 4
Mix Burnt Sienna and French Ultramarine to create a very dark brown. Use this mixture to paint the large trees.
Leave the branches that extend outwards towards the viewer unpainted for now; you will paint them later.
Paint the reflections of the trees in the water as well. As with the boat’s reflection, the lines should be slightly broken to suggest the ripples on the water.
Steg 5
Paint the remaining branches and the smaller trees. Now paint the branches you previously left unpainted, leaving a narrow strip of untouched paper along their upper edges.
Add more reflections in the water. You can also paint a few small branches hanging down from the large trees.
