Liquidambar styraciflua stage three

Watercolour and gouache painting Liquidambar styraciflua stage three. 

Here I have started to paint the grasses. I have turned the painting upside down, sometimes this helps with painting the direction of the grasses. 

I am using thick mixtures of sap green, midnight green and neutral tint with very little water for the dark background. I love painting complex backgrounds sometimes it is more fun than the leaves. I am using a number two brush and also a number one for the smallest detail. 

You can see to the right of the painting the masking tape that I use to surround the image. When this is removed at the end it leaves a crisp border round the edge.