Learning Ink or Watercolours? Paint along with me to recreate Venice and a Forest Scene. Video available for free here.
These two scenes were quite different in that we are dealing with a reference that can be painted very loosely (forest scene) vs. a reference that needs a bit more care and detailing (Rialto Market, Venice).
I always look at the reference and mentally observe where are the lightest and darkest areas, as well as look at how I could improve the composition. I almost always have to alter the reference in some way or form to create a more balanced composition or even just to simplify what I see. While it can be challenging to come up with your own unique composition, it is also very rewarding and teaches you to make the most of an average photo.
I painted this one for the first part of the live demo.
Watch here: https://youtu.be/iJ4p76RGJN0
I used mainly sap green, emerald green, and hooker’s green for this scene with a bit of neutral tint/raw umber for the trees. Bit of yellow for the sky, ground, and lavender in the sky.
It’s amazing how much you can paint through wet-in-wet techniques. Most of the page firstly pre-wet. I just dropped in the colours after to blend. Just make sure to add some darker mixes (almost pure pigment) for the darker areas on the right.
The lighter areas were just bits left from the first wash.
I painted the second part of the live demo.
Watch here: https://youtu.be/iJ4p76RGJN0
I had to alter the composition of the reference photo quite heavily for this scene. The pillar in the reference cut the composition in hard and was awkwardly placed. It’s rare to find a reference photo that is ‘ready to paint’.
Also exaggerated the colours of the red curtains and added some lavender to the sky. My new favourite colour!
I hope you enjoyed this article on how I painted a scene of Venice and a Forest Scene. The video is available for free here.
