Where This Snail Came From
Hi, I'm Valerie Englehart, and in this post I'm painting a splashy snail. The scene comes from a drizzly Pacific Northwest morning while I was taking my daughter to the bus stop. We could quickly count about 30 snails before the bus arrived, and while we waited I snagged a few pictures. I really liked this one and thought it would make a good painting.
I'm also using this painting as a way to use up colors I had squeezed out for a previous painting, a mandrake I painted for my membership. When I saw those colors on my palette, I thought, “this looks like the snail I saw the other day. Let's paint that snail”. There's also a family member of mine who really loves slugs and snails, and I don't know that I would have painted these subjects as often without her.
Starting With a Splashy Wash
I began by throwing water on the paper with my fingers, because I did not want hard brush stroke edges. Then I grabbed a very large round brush and went in with just one color, Rockwell Art Fall Story. It is a bright, warm green with orange undertones, so it separates into an orange pigment, which looks pretty interesting. I spattered around to build more texture.
This wash is the foundation of the painting. Everything else goes on top once it dries.
Why I Paint on an Underwash
I like to paint on an existing wash because it unifies all of the colors I am going to use, so everything works together. Watercolor is transparent, so if I later lift some pigment from the snail shell, that green will show through, and it reads like reflected light from the surroundings. If I had left the paper white and painted each element one at a time, some of those gaps might look stark. There is nothing wrong with that necessarily, but I prefer this look.
I also dragged some of the pigment into the snail shell to create a more cohesive look and to prevent little white gaps. I want some white gaps to separate the leaves, but anywhere shapes can connect, it is typically a good idea to connect them.
Sketching With Shimmery Copper Ink
Off camera, I used my fountain pen with shimmery copper ink to draw the snail and the greenery. I usually do not paint with a sketch, because I find I end up painting a little too “paint by numbers”, staying in the lines coloring book style. But very loosely drawn ink lines work better in my brain than pencil. The copper ink also looks very similar to the orange in the Fall Story pigment, and if I miss any spots, it is not a graphite line, it is a warm glow.
A Secondary Triadic Color Scheme
The colors I picked are all by Rockwell Art. On the leaves, I used some Fall Story along with a cooler green called Tree Sprite, which splits into a purple. That gives me a secondary triadic color scheme. Traditionally, triadic schemes are seen with the primaries of red, blue, and yellow, but in this case it is the secondaries: green, orange, and purple.
I do not actually use purple or orange in this painting. They simply show up mixed in with the greens as the granulating paints separate.
Painting One Leaf at a Time
There is something nice about having these lines and getting to sit back, put on something to listen to, and fill them in. I grabbed a color I liked, filled in a leaf, and dropped each pigment into the same leaf for variation.
Sometimes I looked at the composition and realized there should be a leaf somewhere I had not drawn one, so I just put one in. In the photograph, this was a bush, with leaves everywhere, and you could barely tell where one sprig started and another stopped. This piece is inspired by the scene, not an attempt to replicate it perfectly. I am trying to capture what I felt, and I was delighted to sit at the bus stop looking at snails with my daughter.
Usually, I paint in three layers: the splashy background, then the shapes, then the details. This painting is simpler, but it took a while because I painted one leaf at a time. There is nothing wrong with a painting taking a while, especially when I had so much fun doing it.
A Quick Word About Rockwell Art Paints
This is not sponsored, though if Rockwell Art is watching, I am willing to be. I love their paints. These ones come in sets they call charm sets, and they also have a magic set. They offer a bunch of granulating, separating watercolors that are so much fun to use, because as you add a lot of water, other pigments show through.
With the holiday season coming up, if you need something for your wish list, Rockwell Art paints are my pick. My personal favorite is probably Palaiba Diamond Blue.
Painting the Snail's Body
Once the leaves were dry, I moved on to the snail's body. I used Lapis Brown, a dark neutral with purple undertones. Since Tree Sprite had purple undertones, I chose Lapis Brown for the same reason.
I switched to a smaller brush, a size 6 synthetic round that is soft and holds a decent amount of water. I filled in the body, then lifted pigment to create that slimy shine.
I added Elf Wings, another Rockwell Art color with purple undertones. It is such a fun one, and I like to use it for skin tones. It is much warmer than the Lapis Brown.
The Paper: Fabriano 1264
I used Fabriano 1264 paper. It is an inexpensive watercolor paper that I like to use for studies. For the price, it does a pretty good job. Some papers are so frustrating to use, but this one holds up well and lifts easily. That can be a positive or a negative depending on how you like to paint.
I love to put down a mid-tone and lift out my highlights, because it is soft and some of the color diffuses instead of leaving a harsh white. If you like that kind of effect, with a paper that lifts easily and has good texture, Fabriano 1264 is a good, inexpensive student grade option.
Building the Shell
For the shell, I left little gaps for the background to shine through, so it looks like reflected light. Everything was still pretty wet. I went in with the warmer brown, then the really deep, almost black brown, mindful of the shell's shape.
I wanted the highlight where the light would hit, with the shell getting darker as it curves away. I filled in the side of the spiral, again leaving little gaps. While it was still wet, I dragged pigment around and did some lifting.
Be careful not to overwork your piece. That is how you get mud. If you are unsure about something, it is far better to leave it alone, let it dry, and go over it again later.
Highlights and Texture With a Liner Brush
The painting was mostly done, but I needed highlights, especially on the shell. I grabbed a small synthetic size 2 liner and painted in lines, not only along the curve of the shell horizontally but also with little vertical marks. I mostly copied what I saw in the photograph, though not stroke for stroke. It is still a loose painting on the illustrative side. I just needed the right vibe, and I liked the textures.
Looking back, if I could remove one thing, it would be that one bold stroke on the upper part of the shell. But like I said earlier, if something is not going right, let it dry and go over it again. Because I had used such a thick application of paint, and this less expensive paper lifts well, I knew that trying to lift it off would call more attention to that area, and painting over it would not be seamless. You would still be able to tell something had happened.
In cases like that, leave it alone. Leaving a mistake is probably far better for your painting than trying to fix it. You learn what can and cannot be fixed with experience and by getting to know your materials.
Final Touches and Composition Check
I added shine and texture to the snail's body because it is my subject and my focal point. I also added a line separating the body from the plants, like snail slime.
At this point I could have been done, but I did not like a missing segment in the composition. I took a picture and popped it into Procreate to make sure I liked adding two leaves. Once I confirmed it made the composition stronger, I sketched them in quickly with my pen and painted them in with green. Then I separated a few leaves throughout the painting with another layer of Tree Sprite.
Final Thoughts:
An underwash unifies your colors and turns gaps into what looks like reflected light
Loose ink lines can guide a painting without making it feel like paint by numbers
Granulating paints bring in hidden colors, like the orange and purple that appeared in my greens
Painting one leaf at a time takes longer, but it can be calming and fun
If you are unsure about an area, leave it alone and let it dry instead of overworking it
Sometimes leaving a mistake is better than drawing attention to it by trying to fix it
Use a quick digital check in Procreate to test composition changes before committing
Valerie Englehart is a watercolor artist and signature member of the Northwest Watercolor Society. She's passionate about helping artists loosen up and paint boldly and intuitively.