Abstract foreground in watercolor painting

Foregrounds can often be a headache, and are often not considered properly until the rest of the painting has been completed. This is not good practice, of course, as it’s by far a lot better to give the foreground some thought before you start painting. Anything but the simplest of landscapes will benefit from one or two studio thumbnail sketches to help you decide on the main features and relationships of the composition.

Study sketch for a custom watercolor painting

The customer’s model

A beautiful view in Sweden : in this picture the foreground is complex and the overall contrast of the scene is too strong

Here is my painting

The warm colours in the foreground here counter the cool ones in the distance, accentuating the sense of space. The flowers are only suggested here and there by abstract touches. The foreground has also been lightened overall.

Another watercolor painting with an abstract foreground

Foregrounds vary considerably, and sometimes completely different types of foreground may well suit a scene. Having a lead-in to the focal point can be very effective. In this view of Camaret sur Mer in Brittany, France, the foreground was too ‘bland’, in fact it represents the Breton moor, which is not very colourful and also flat. Instead, I added some suggested vegetation, abstract but colourful.

This watercolour is for sale on my website, you can find it here.