Many oil paintings are painted alla prima. The colors are premixed on the palette and applied to the painting in one layer.

Watercolors may also have their colors premixed on the palette and painted in one application.

• Step-by-step glazing however applies the paint in several individual layers of paint.
• Glazing mixes the colors on the painting, not on the palette.

Using a soft flat watercolor brush wet the area you will be working on.

Paint the lower mango with the cool yellow, Lemon Yellow.

This mango is behind and farther back than the top mango.

The cool yellow sets it farther back in the painting.

Paint the top mango with the warm yellow, New Gamboge.

Let these colors dry thoroughly. Using a hair dryer makes it faster.

When you are glazing with watercolor the initial wash must be completely dry. Then when you apply more colors, they will not mix together.

Clean your brush of any paint from the previous layer before adding a new layer of paint.

Make a wash of the Winsor Red and water. Winsor Red is a transparent color. If you don't have Winsor Red, use Permanent Rose which is a transparent color.

The Cadmium colors are opaque and do not work well for glazing.

• Let each layer dry thoroughly before you add another glaze layer.

When the underlying colors are thoroughly dry, add the next glaze.

This time we use Ultramarine Blue.

Ultramarine Blue has the characteristic of granulating when it is applied.

Ultramarine works for this application instead of other blues because of the granulating characteristic.

The granulation portrays the color variation and texture of the mango.

Use the same blue where the top mango overlaps the bottom mango.

Apply a line of blue with a round brush.

Immediately come back with some clear water to feather in the bottom edge of the shadow.

Also, softly apply some blue around the outside edge of the mango.

This makes the mango edge turn away from the viewer and gives it a rounded appearance.

Continue glazing with watercolor on both mangoes.

It took more than one glaze of the red to achieve the mango color.

Glazing with watercolor takes multiple layers.

The viewer's eye sees down thru the multiple transparent layers.

Add more glazes of yellow to intensify the color.

Continue to use the warm yellow on the top mango.

The cool yellow on the bottom mango will set it behind the top mango.

Continue glazing until you are satisfied with their color.

Do the lower leaves first because they are set behind the fruit.

Paint the leaves with yellow.

We used Raw Sienna close to the fruit for the shadow area and Lemon Yellow farther away from the fruit.

Raw Sienna made an earthy colored leaf. If you want a cleaner green use Lemon Yellow all the way.

Leave some paper white for interest.

After the yellow is dry glaze on some blue to make the leaves green.

 If you used Lemon Yellow for the entire leaf, then darken the shadow area with extra blue.

how to correct a mistake

You may paint outside of the leaf area.

While the paint is still wet, blot it up with a tissue or a paper towel.

If the paint is already dry, use a wet brush to dampen it. Then lift it off with your tissue.

Paint the stems with New Gamboge.

While the yellow is still moist, add a bit of Raw Sienna on the shadow side of the stems.

Add Raw Sienna on one side.

Paint blue in some areas on the shadow side of the stems. The colors blend together.

now paint your own mangoes!

Glazing with watercolor is easy.

The only hard part is waiting for the layers to dry.

And a hair dryer speeds up the process.

• Now I get to eat my mangoes. Yippee!

enjoy watercolor painting!