Basic, Two-Step Painting Process

Step 2 (finished painting)- "Tropical Waters"

14"x18" watercolor on paper

Above is an example of a two-step painting process which I have found is a good way to go about a painting. The basic idea of the first step is to cover the paper. I used a simple, two-color wash for the sky, followed by a one color wash for the water. I also put in basic values of the buildings and used a few different mixtures of green to block in the grass, plants, bushes etc. When I was done with this step, I decided to add a yellowish color for the beach.

The second and final step is to work on the detail of the painting. I added some windows and doors to the buildings as well as refining their basic colors. I used a very light wash of Raw Sienna for the roof to create an off-white color. After the buildings were done, I put in some palm trees and added more detail to the grassy area. The last part of this painting is to add the birds in the sky!