Demo: Chestnuts, Mushroom & Leaves (Patreon)

Welcome to “Chestnuts, Mushroom & Leaves” demonstration. This real-time recording shows the full painting process from start to finish. Below, you’ll find a materials list, a black-and-white outline, step-by-step photos, and the reference images. For convenience, I’ve included two outline versions: one for the full composition and one featuring just the central chestnut.

Please note: As with all my demos on Tier #1, there is no voice-over provided for this composition. These are playful studio studies where I test pigments and techniques (often with loose or minimal photo reference), so think of them as inspiration rather than step-by-step lessons. If you’d like fully narrated tutorials, you can explore my Tutorial Collections—Botanical, Birds, and more: https://www.patreon.com/c/AnnaBucciarelli/collectionsFun note: many elements from this piece—like the two chestnuts—also appear in my recent, fully narrated fall tutorial featuring three pumpkins: https://www.patreon.com/posts/fall-still-life-141745387

🎨 MY WATERCOLOR SUPPLIES 

PAPER:  Etchr cold-pressed watercolor sketchbook:

BRUSHES: round sable brushes in sizes #0-#4, and a flat 1/2" brush for lifting color

GLOVE: Protective Glove/Smudge guard: https://amzn.to/3GFcojf 

🎨 COLORS USED

For this piece, I tested a mix of pigments to explore different combos—but you don’t need the exact same paints. Please experiment with what you already have. The one color I do strongly recommend is a purple (PV 23) and a reddish-brown (PR 206). For brown, I used Quinacridone Burnt Scarlet (Daniel Smith). Great PR206 alternatives include Quinacridone Burnt Orange, Perylene Maroon and Brown Madder from any brand. Have fun and make it your own!

REDS:

Scarlet Lake from W&N (PR188): https://amzn.to/4j9jRK5

Quinacridone Burnt Scarlet from Daniel Smith (PR206)

Burnt Sienna (PR101) from W&N: https://amzn.to/3qRqjyz

YELLOWS:

Cadmium Yellow Medium Hue {PY 53, PY 151, PY 83} from Daniel Smith

Hansa Yellow Deep from Daniel Smith {PY65}: https://amzn.to/49fhK0U

Yellow Ochre from W&N {PY43}: https://amzn.to/43CQvMy

GREENS:

Green Apatite Genuine from Daniel Smith {PrimaTek}: https://amzn.to/3x1Mt4o

BLUES & PURPLES:

Indigo {PB 60, PBk 6} from Daniel Smith: https://amzn.to/409kObF

Tundra Violet from Schminke: https://amzn.to/3RxUNzP

Phthalo Blue Green Shade - QOR by Golden: https://amzn.to/3QO1sVd  

Dioxazine Purple (PV 23) from QOR by Golden: https://amzn.to/3Xf4uoF