This is step 1 of the underpainting. In these layers I work on adding color and texture. The layers are more loose than the final layers will be. I consider values, lights and darks, but not overly so at this point. I wet the paper (very wet) and used watercolor pencils and the small wire mesh strainer to do "sanding." This adds texture to the background, apples, and leaves.
This is not necessarily the way I want the background to look in the end, but I will leave it until later.
For this layer I used the reds, yellows and greens - warm and cool yellow (light yellow glaze and cad yellow), a warm and cool red (dark red and pale geranium), and greens (light green and dark phthalo green).
I then shaded watercolor pencils onto the apples and stems. This is after 2 layers. For layer 1 on the apples, I used a warm and cool yellow (light yellow glaze and cad yellow), a warm and cool red (dark red and pale geranium), and greens (light green and dark phthalo green). On the stem I did phthalo blue first and later a layer of dark red and then a layer of brown. I did a second layer on the apples to add more color. I will demo a leaf for you now that I can see them on my painting.
This is after re-transferring parts of the drawing I lost. See the process for re-transferring in a post below.
I transferred the drawing onto the prepared surface.
Be aware that all of the photos are not exactly as the pieces look in person both in color and values.