Painting Demonstration 1
I begin with a very bold cobalt blue wash over almost the entire painting's shadows. It's a very hit and miss wash, with many gaps from the rough paper texture.
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Painting Demonstration 2
As I move around the painting, I transition to ultramarine blue in deeper shadows and cobalt violet to warm the blues up some. I'm still working with very hit and miss strokes.
I start painting the old live oak with just a touch of nickel azo yellow added to the mix.
Painting Demonstration 3
As I move the greens to brighter areas, I gradually add more pthalocyanine green. Since I don't want any of the vegetation as my focus, I blur most edges.
I'm painting the house brighter yellow than it actually is for a bit of contrast. I start with azo yellow, with nickel azo yellow added quickly for texture.
Artist Tips
Don't add too much detail at the beginning.
Painting Demonstration 4
The palm tree is rather fun to paint. I used a vertical sweep of burnt sienna, then dashed in some horizontal lines for the trunk rings.
Painting Demonstration 5
The oak tree trunk is painted with mostly vertical strokes for the ridges.
My favorite part of the painting is the lovely whites and shadows of the neighboring house. The porch ceiling is painted haunt blue, of course, and it reflects beautifully off the whites. I also love the whites of the trim details at the roofline. Lovely.
Painting Demonstration 6
The street shadows are fascinating to paint. Broad sweeps of deep purples with golden edges. Just let your brush dance!
Painting Demonstration 7
Notice how all the shadow patterns follows the distinct planes. The lighting is quite dramatic, so to get the shadows right, you need to know the plane's orientation to the sun.
This is a screenshot from last week's perspective drawing video.
I want you to notice that when I drew the painting, I shifted things very slightly to make a better painting. For example, I moved the tree so it framed the house better.
Once you know how to draw accurately, you can then adjust the landscape to make a better painting.
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Charleston Watercolor Final Watercolor Painting!
I've deepened a lot of the shadows for more contrast, but left the lovely glowing washes alone. I painted the wrought iron very roughly with a rigger, just hinting at details.
I added a touch of white gouache on the flag to make it sparkle.
I love strolling through Charleston. With lovely old houses everywhere, the only trouble an artist has is deciding which to paint first.
I hope this video inspires you to paint a beautiful house near you. Go for a stroll through your neighborhood and see what inspires you. Look for interesting light and shadow patterns. Or maybe you're inspired by luminous color. Where ever you are, there is always something beautiful to paint!
