How to Paint Realistic Snow in Watercolor Using the Dry Brush Technique
What You’ll Learn in This Tutorial
- How to preserve the white of the paper for snow
- Using masking fluid to create falling snowflakes
- Creating atmospheric trees with wet-into-wet watercolor
- Using value changes to create depth
- The dry brush technique for realistic foreground textures
- Adding grasses and details with a rigger brush
As a teaching artist, I am constantly looking for ways to make watercolor less intimidating for students. Most people walk into their first watercolor class carrying a lot of misconceptions about the medium. They assume watercolor is difficult, unforgiving, and impossible to control.
Sometimes they’re right.
But not always.
One of my favorite beginner projects is a simple snowy landscape.
Why snow?
Because the snow has already been painted for you.
Seriously.
Preserve the White Paper for Snow
The white of the watercolor paper is the snow. Half the painting is already finished before you even pick up a brush. All you have to do is surround those whites with darker colors and suddenly the snow appears.
It’s one of the best exercises for learning one of watercolor’s most important concepts: preserving the white of the paper.
Use Masking Fluid for Falling Snow
The snowflakes in this demonstration are created using spattered masking fluid. Once the masking fluid is completely dry—and I mean completely dry—you can begin painting without worrying about covering up your future snowflakes.
Paint Atmospheric Winter Trees Wet-Into-Wet
The trees are painted wet-into-wet. While the paper is still damp, darker pigments are dropped into the wash. As the paper gradually dries, the paint moves less and less. This naturally creates variation and depth. The darker trees appear closer to the viewer while the softer, lighter trees drift into the distance.
Working this way creates atmosphere without requiring a lot of detail.
And that’s a good thing.
Beginning watercolor painters often think they need to paint every branch, twig, and pine needle. In reality, a few well-placed shapes will do most of the work for you.
Once the background has dried, it’s time to move into the foreground.
Use Dry Brush to Create Realistic Snow Texture
This is where dry brush becomes your best friend.
Dry brush is created by dragging a barely damp brush across the textured surface of the paper. The paint skips across the high spots, creating broken marks and texture. It’s one of the easiest ways to suggest detail without actually painting detail.
I use dry brush constantly.
Snow.
Grass.
Rocks.
Weathered wood.
It’s one of those techniques that looks complicated but is surprisingly simple once you try it.
Add Foreground Grass and Details
To finish the scene, I use a rigger brush to add a few hardy grasses poking through the snow. A little splattering in the foreground helps break up large areas and creates additional texture and interest.
Before you know it, you’ve created a convincing winter landscape with only a handful of colors and a few simple techniques.
No complicated drawing.
No reference photograph.
No painting a thousand individual snowflakes.
Just watercolor doing what watercolor does best.
If you’d like to see the complete process from start to finish, including all the techniques used in this painting, watch the full-length video tutorial below.
Materials used in this video:
Arches 140 lb Cold Press 11×14 Block
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Richeson Silver Velvet #6
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Richeson Silver Velvet #2
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Harmony Squirrel Mop #6 Brush:
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Harmony Squirrel Mop #2 Brush:
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I also use a #4 Rigger brush to get details:
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And a tiny spot toner 2/0 for itty bitty details:
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Richeson 1/2″ flat.
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Pebeo Masking Fluid (small bottle)
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Holbein Spray Bottle
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Winsor Newton Cerulean Blue
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Winsor Newton Titanium White
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Daniel Smith Imperial Purple
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Winsor Newton Burnt Sienna
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Winsor Newton Yellow Ochre
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Winsor Newton Winsor Yellow
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Winsor Newton Sap Green
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Winsor Newton Cobalt Blue
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Winsor Newton Ultramarine Blue
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Key Snow Painting Tips
- Let the paper become the snow
- Preserve whites early
- Keep distant trees softer and lighter
- Use darker values in the foreground
- Suggest detail instead of painting every branch
- Use dry brush for texture
See exactly how I created this painting in the complete video tutorial.
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Ryan Fox AWS, NWS, TWSA
Ryan Fox Painting
(919) 645-8345