Autumn shades from blue to orange applied with a wet-on-wet blending technique highlight this canvas piece.

SUPPLIES

• water container
• palette or plastic plate
• paper towels
• tracing paper
• sandpaper
• #2 round brush
• #10 flat brush
• #4 flat brush
• #12 flat brush
• stylus
• #0 flat brush
• 3/4" oval brush
• 1" oval wash brush
• #10/0 liner brush
• white graphite paper
• 1/2" mop brush
• foam roller brush
• 1" mop brush
• #18 flat brush
• 1/2" filbert wash brush
• cradled wooden panel
• 1/2" oval wash brush

INSTRUCTIONS

NOTES:

Use the brushes indicated; otherwise use what you are comfortable with for each different technique.

1. For more details on each step-by-step instruction,[[thevideoforthisproject|http://onlinepaintingmagazine.com/the-colors-of-fall]]
2. Basecoat the wooden panel surface with one coat of Tangelo Orange mixed 50/50 with Primer & Sealer. Let dry. Wet sand. Let dry.
3. Basecoat the surface a second time with Tangelo Orange.
4. Paint the edges with Black Plum. Let dry.
5. Apply Drying Time Extender to the surface. Using a #1 oval wash brush, slip-slap the following colors to basecoat the upper left side at the top of the piece: Black Plum, Dioxazine Purple, Soft Black, and Burlap.
6. Continue with the section and basecoat it with the same slip-slap technique using Bahama Blue, Peacock Teal, Light Avocado, and Sour Apple.
7. Basecoat the next section of color with Tangelo Orange, Heritage Brick, Black Plum, and Soft Black.
8. Basecoat the next section with Desert Cactus and Sour Apple.
9. The last section is basecoated with Sapphire, Frosted Plum, Dioxazine Purple, and Heritage Brick.
10. Paint the lower section of the surface with Mississippi Mud; highlight with Burlap.
11. Basecoat the lower left and lower right sections with Heritage Brick. Basecoat the edges of the surface with Heritage Brick. Let dry.

12. Trace the pattern using white graphite paper and a stylus.
13. Apply Drying Time Extender. Using a 1/2" oval wash brush, base the stripes again by slip-slapping the following colors, starting from the left side: the first stripe with Black Plum, Dioxazine Purple, Soft Black, Burlap, and Frosted Plum.
14. Basecoat the second stripe with Bahama Blue, Peacock Teal, Light Avocado, and Sour Apple.
15. Basecoat the third stripe with Tangelo Orange, Heritage Brick, Black Plum, and Soft Black.

16. Basecoat the fourth stripe with Bahama Blue, Desert Cactus, Sour Apple, and Light Avocado. Paint some Burlap and Soft Black under this section.
17. Basecoat the final stripe with Sapphire, Frosted Plum, Dioxazine Purple, Heritage Brick, Burlap, Black Plum, and Soft Black.
18. Paint the middle right section with Burlap, Soft Black, and Heritage Brick.
19. Paint the lower right section with Mississippi Mud, Burlap, and Soft Black.
20. Paint the lower left section with Heritage Brick and Soft Black.
21. Paint the middle left section with Soft Black on the edges. Brush-mix Soft Black and Burlap; apply. Apply again, just with Burlap.
22. Paint the top left with Soft Black, Black Plum, Dioxazine Purple, and Frosted Plum.
23. Basecoat the brown section at the bottom with Black Plum; highlighted with Mississippi Mud first and then with Burlap. Add tints of Frosted Plum and Dioxazine Purple at the top right.

24. Basecoat the large orange leaf with the following values, mixing between values to blend and add interest: highlight, Cadmium Yellow and Sand; light, Cadmium Yellow; medium, Tangelo Orange; dark, Burnt Orange; very dark, Heritage Brick; tints, Napa Red.
25. Basecoat the bottom brown leaf with Burnt Umber and Burlap. (Add more Burnt Umber to darker areas and more Burlap to the lightest areas.)
26. Shade the brown leaf with Burnt Umber first and then with Soft Black.
27. Basecoat the small orange leaf at the bottom left with Burnt Orange. Highlight this small orange leaf with Cadmium Yellow.
28. Shade this leaf with Heritage Brick and Burnt Orange. Paint the cast shadow over this leaf with Soft Black. Shade this cast shadow with Napa Red and Burnt Orange. Let dry.
29. Trace the inside lines for the pattern using white graphite paper and a stylus
30. Paint the cast shadow underneath the large orange leaf with Soft Black. Blend this with Black Plum and Soft Black.
31. Paint the veins of the large orange leaf with Heritage Brick. Paint the veins of the brown leaf with Burnt Umber. Paint the veins of the small orange leaf with Heritage Brick. Let dry.

32. Apply Drying Time Extender to the large orange leaf area.
33. Large orange leaf (second stage): Highlight the large orange leaf with Cadmium Yellow first and then with Cadmium Yellow, then Sand, and next with Tangelo Orange. Blend the highlights with Burnt Orange and Tangelo Orange.
34. Paint the darker areas with Cadmium Yellow and Tangelo Orange. Blend these dark areas with Burnt Orange and Heritage Brick. Tint the leaf in some areas with Napa Red.
35. Add dark stripes on the lower section of the leaf with Heritage Brick and Burnt Umber. Shade these stripes with Burnt Umber.
36. Shade the lower section of the leaf with Burnt Umber and Burnt Orange. Use Burnt Orange as your blending color to merge both colors.
37. Highlight the brown leaf with Burlap and Burnt Umber, blended with Mississippi Mud. Shade the brown leaf with Mississippi Mud and Burnt Umber. Highlight with Cadmium Yellow and Burnt Umber. Highlight the brown leaf with Mississippi Mud, Burlap, and Cadmium Yellow.
38. Shade the brown leaf with Soft Black and Burnt Umber; highlight this with Mississippi Mud, Burlap, and Cadmium Yellow. Blend with Burnt Umber. Tint the right side with Heritage Brick.

39. Paint dark spots on the top left section of the large orange leaf with Burnt Umber, Soft Black, and Heritage Brick. Shade the top with Heritage Brick, blended with Burnt Orange. Tint the left side with Napa Red. Also add a small tint of Napa Red on the right side.
40. Shade the small orange leaf with Heritage Brick and Napa Red.
41. Add dots of Cadmium Yellow and Sand to the large orange leaf. Use this same mix to highlight and to add light borders to the light sections of the leaf. Blend some of these borders with Cadmium Yellow and Burnt Orange.
42. Add light borders to the dark sections of the large orange leaf with Tangelo Orange and Cadmium Yellow. Highlight some of the veins with Tangelo Orange and Cadmium Yellow. Paint dark spots with Heritage Brick.
43. Paint some even darker spots with Heritage Brick and Soft Black. Paint the darkest spots with Soft Black. Add dots of Soft Black and of Heritage Brick. Highlight the borders with Cadmium Yellow and Sand on the light areas and Cadmium Yellow and Heritage Brick on the dark areas.
44. Paint dark spots on the brown leaf with Heritage Brick and Soft Black. Let dry.

45. Apply Drying Time Extender to the large orange leaf.
46. Highlight the large orange leaf with Cadmium Yellow in the light areas and with Tangelo Orange on the dark areas.
47. Highlight the small orange leaf with Terra Coral blended with Heritage Brick. Re-inforce the veins with Soft Black. Paint dots and defects with Soft Black. Paint some Terra Coral dots on the top highlight. Highlight the lower section with Cadmium Yellow and Terra Coral.
48. Highlight the brown leaf with Sand and Mississippi Mud. Shade with a float of Soft Black underneath the large orange leaf and on both sides.
49. Tint the lower left section of the large orange leaf with Terra Coral, blended with Burnt Orange. Shade the lower border with Burnt Orange and Burnt Umber.

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