and the Mother who learns to dry brush…A Guest Post

and the Mother who learns to dry brush…

by Marcia

from I wonder why




As we began to incorporate more Charlotte Mason techniques into this homeschool, I introduced nature journals to the students.  This mother has begun to keep one too.   I’ve tried my hand at pencil drawing and charcoal, watercolor palettes and liquid watercolors,  and new colored pencils that change into watercolors.   It can be hard to decide what medium to take on a nature hike.  But above all it’s been a discipline to keep a nature journal going.

In the area where I live, a growing number of mothers meet on a monthly basis to talk about using Charlotte Mason techniques in the home.  In July of 2010 we decided try some Mother Culture of drybrush painting.  We began by watching a DVD by Eve Anderson.  She teaches the children how to observe in nature and then returns them to the classroom to demonstrate the  “dry brush technique” of watercoloring.

So we, too, went out to collect specimens

I found a birch tree similar to the one in my front yard.

A small portion of a branch was collected.

Then I spent about 10 minutes looking at my branch.

Determining the colors of green and brown.

Considering the leaf shape and the vein directions.

Then I layed my specimen next to my empty sheet of watercolor paper.

I used a basic set of 8 watercolors.  Basic watercolor brushes.

Upon Eve’s suggestion, I spent some time mixing the colors

to find the correct shade of greens.

She said that the one green color that comes

in the set is not a natural green and should not be used.

 I took some yellow and some blue to make these greens.

To mix the colors, I filled one medium brush with water.

Choosing yellow or blue, I collected a lot of color on the brush.

I moved the color to the side palate of the watercolor container.

 I also added some white and brown.

Each time a color was added I cleaned my brush with water.

With the basic colors created, I dried my brush on a paper towel

and collected the color onto the brush…

just a little at a time almost as if they brush was completely dry.

Using small amounts, I put color down onto my dry paper.

After quite a bit of time I found it much easier to make

the colors and shapes that seemed similar to the tree branch.

You can see at close up that I used some yellow, greens, and

some darker greens to create a shading effect as well as some empty spaces.

We mothers were very pleased that the discipline

of learning dry brush painting came as easy as it did.

Now to the discipline of keeping up the practice….

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