Start with an underpainting to show the light amongst the trees and a base color for the water and sky.  Use lemon yellow and white for the yellow base and cerulean blue and white for the sky and water underpainting.

Now add in the line where the water meets the land and indicate another line where the background trees meet the land.  Raw umber and purple and cobalt blue can be used for the darkest shadows a/nd add very little white to change the values as you lay in the land.  

Now we are adding in the background trees.  Using the paper towel technique, tap in the lights to the trees and then the darks.  The light colors are as follows; lime green and white, sap green, yellow and white, red, burnt sienna and white.  The dark colors are; raw umber, purple and cobalt blue.  The paper towel technique is similar to sponge painting, but with a paper towel.  It is a technique that I made up.  It gives a fun impressionistic look to background tree work.

Here is a close up.  I then started to add in tree trunks and used an angle brush to give an “edge” to the tops of the trees overlapping the sky. It gives them a more finished look. We will continue this all the way across the painting.

Continue tree work across the back of the painting.

Add in the bush to the right on the next plain in front of the background trees.  Use the darkest value first and then add on top the lighter (dark) value.  Also enhance the small piece of land in the yellowish color.  

Next add in foreground trees.  The first one is started.  Keep in mind darks against lights to create contrast and some separation of the foreground tree from the background trees.

Continue working on the foreground trees. Use more shades of color since these trees are in the shade.

There are many layers for the water. To begin the water, lay in a dark value consisting of cobalt blue, sap green, purple and a little raw umber.  The proper mix of these darks is key to getting the color.  Next, mix a few of the light colors from the trees above and then lightly stroke top to bottom with a flat sale brush over the dark color. This is the beginning of the reflections of the trees on the water.  Take a dry brush and with one stroke from edge go over the reflections to soften them.

We now are adding in the reflections of the tress in the water.  I use a long medium angle synthetic brush.  I use the point of the brush to “squiggle” or “scribble” in the colors of the trees on the water.  Going back and forth from lights to darks.  Then I use a very soft brush to “dry brush” over the scribbles to soften them.  There is a reflection on the water closest to the trees which is then added using a glaze. Soften again with dry brush.

Now add in the water color which is reflecting the sky.  Make sure to vary it with darker areas and lighter areas near the tips of the trees.

Here is a close up shot.  The tops of the trees should then overlap the blue since in this area the water apppears still.  Note- the pale yellow represents the area where the tops of the trees ends on the water.

Here is the continued work on the tree reflections across the water. And then we worked on the piece of land int he foreground.  Lay in basic undertone of the grass and then fine tune with some indications of grasses detail and leaves details.  Use the lights and darks to support the contrast showing the shadows and lights. 

Hope you like the final results!  I, of course and always, may do some more fine tuning at a later point.  Check out my Facebook page to see my posts of finished works occasionally.  Www.facebbok/alessicreations.