A drop of rain

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

■ Observation is key

■ Work with a limited palette

■ Practise essential watercolour techniques

A few years ago, I came across a completely unexpected idea for a painting in my garden. The sun was shining after a short sprinkle of rain. The multi-pronged leaves of a lovely fatsia Japonica shrub lay horizontal in one of the borders and some of the perfectly formed raindrops were still sitting on the leaves.

I took a photograph looking down onto the leaves from above (top right). The shadows and the raindrops were dramatic and there were background areas between the leaves that were almost black, which created fantastic contrast. The entire photograph appealed to me, but in particular, I was fascinated by