Detail: Scraping to create stems and branches
At the center foreground, Homer scraped directly into the wet washes with a fine-tipped tool, perhaps the end of his brush. He scratched pigment away, essentially drawing in reverse, to reveal stems and branches of forest plants. These subtractive techniques lend structure and texture to the organic, layered, and blended washes that describe the clearing.
Detail of North Woods Club, showing, at center, where the artist scraped away watercolor with a fine tool to create stems and branches.