#simplycreate Creative Wood Slice Art Set

Using the flat wash brush begin by painting approximately ¾ of the wood slice with magenta paint in an arc leaving the top free. Fill the uppermost section in with light blue and blend this into the magenta while the paint is still wet to create the sky.

TIP: First give your wood slice a thin coat of white paint before starting your picture. This acts as a primer and helps to keep your colours bright. When this is dry squeeze a little of each of the paint colours out onto your plate; magenta, light blue, ultramarine, scarlet, white and black. Have some water handy for cleaning your brush in between painting and a separate cup of water for blending the white paint from the acrylic paint marker.

Block in the mountains with the flat wash brush using light blue and ultramarine. Create about 5 or 6 mountain shapes. Use a little black to darken the tops of the nearest mountains to suggest distance.

When dry use the white acrylic paint marker to outline the tops of the mountains where they meet the sky. Use the round brush dipped in a little clean water to blend the white paint from the marker pen up into the sky. This will soften it and give the effect of early morning light. Repeat this technique at the base of the mountains for clouds and mist. Add some thin washes of colour over the top for extra depth.

Mix some water with the black paint enough to create a fluid consistency for painting some finer detail. Using the round brush paint a tree with branches bending across the landscape. Mix up a few separate variations of pink for the blossom, experimenting with mixing different shades of magenta with white, scarlet and a little ultramarine. Paint the blossom on the tree using the tip of the round brush to create tiny petals in various colours.

Finish the effect of the blossom by adding a few tiny dots for highlights using the white acrylic paint marker.

Finally, paint a few birds in the sky using the tip of the round brush and some black paint.

Prime your wood slice to keep your colours bright.

Using the flat wash brush begin by painting approximately 1/2 of the wood slice in yellow paint and blend the yellow into the scarlet top to create a sunrise effect.

Paint the tree lining by shading dark green and paint the river light blue and white.

Use the white pen in the middle to create a semi-circle for the sunrise and add some reflection on the water.

Mix up an orange to create a background for adding details. Now mix a little scarlet into the dark green for painting in the rushes and grasses around the riverbank.

Carry on with lighter vertical upward strokes with the brush, building up the effect of soft grasses blowing in the wind.

Paint in some bulrushes, add highlights with white and add a few more grasses using the same technique.

Using the white pen create tiny vertical lines for shimmering riverbank grasses.