How can I paint a background to my subject?

If you wish to add in a background to a realistic painting, first check out this Knowledge Base video which covers the key considerations to make.

There are a few tutorials demonstrating how you can paint backgrounds by creating washes:

• For backgrounds in the realistic style, see the Phalaenopsis Orchid, the Magnolia and the Tree and Sky Landscape tutorials.
• If you'd like to paint backgrounds in a loose style, check out the Course on Backgrounds in Loose Watercolour.