A Master of Masking

Step 1: I start the piece with a drawing on tracing paper, which I’ll use for my template as the piece progresses. The drawing is taped to the top of the watercolor paper like a hinge so it can be swung in and out of place as I create the layers. After placing carbon paper under the template, I transfer the details one layer at a time.

Step 2: Before I begin laying in the colors, I mask off all the areas that will remain white. I often need to shade some of the areas on the watercolor paper with my pencil to keep track of images. The more intricate the details, the more interesting the piece, so I explore the detail by expanding the image on my iPhone. I keep the iPhone image readily available as I paint.

Step 3: I mask the sky “holes,” as well as a shot of color around the sun. As each layer is added, I’m considering value more than color, working from the lightest value to the darkest.

Step 4: With the sky holes and some basic color washes in place, I paint and mask the foreground trees. Once the foreground objects are masked, it’s easier to lay in uniform washes in the background.

Step 5: The foreground snow is represented by three to four different layers of masked blues (mostly cobalt blue with a touch of carbazole violet). I also mask off some of the lighter shades of texture on the big tree and some forest floor greenery. To create the forest floor branches, I mask around them so they can be painted black in the final layer.

Step 6: I add and mask off the forest greenery. A key element to the finished piece is the horizontal branches, so I’m mindful of masking them or masking around them. I also mask the warm colors at the base of the trees. The colors help to enhance the feeling of warmth from the sun on a cold winter day.

Step 7: All images and shapes that lie within a 1 to 8 value range on a 9-point value scale are masked and prepared for the final black layer. Some of the 7 to 8 range values can be overlooked, so I’m careful to find and mask them so I don’t overkill the black. I also enhance some of the warm colors on the horizon.

Step 8: I apply a couple of final dark, usually black, layers to ensure their intensity. (To create black, I mix ultramarine blue, carbazole violet, neutral tint, and sepia.) Because the painting is hidden behind all the layers of masking, I really have no idea what I’ve got until I remove the masking with masking remover block.

Final Step: After adding final details and adjustments, The Bright Beauty of Winter (watercolor on paper, 30×22) is complete.

Entering the work force as an architectural draftsman at the age of 16, Brian Turner worked for numerous architects and engineers over a 14-year period while earning his bachelor’s degree in education, with a fine arts major, from Brigham Young University, as well as a master’s degree in education from the institution. He’s an Elected Member of the Society of Canadian Artists (SCA) and the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolor, and an Associate Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists. His work has earned numerous awards, most recently the Mary Pratt Crystal Award at the 2023 SCA Elected Members Juried Exhibition.