For this Sunday I bring to you a quick and fun watercolor landscape to practice houses and stormy skies!

Supplies

You will need:

  • Watercolor sketchbook / watercolor paper
  • Professional watercolors (listed at the end of this post)
  • Round brushes n° 4, 8
  • Filbert Comb brush (for the grass)
  • Pencil for the sketch
  • Fountain pen with a brownish or black waterproof ink / black fineliner
  • White pen or gouache

1 – The Sketch

  • Sketch a frame for the landscape in the horizontal format.
  • Lightly draw three houses below the horizon line and sketch the mountain behind them.

2 – First Layer

  • Start with the sky. With a number 8 brush wet the area and put Indigo and a bit of Payne’s Gray on it. Put strong and pigmented drops in some spots. Leave some white areas for the clouds.
  • While the sky area is drying, step on the ground. With a brush number 8 prepare Indian Gold and Red Ochre and put them on the field avoiding the houses and leaving white stripes here and there. Let the two colors mix with each other directly on the paper.
  • While the area is still wet, make a few brushstrokes of Sepia in the foreground.
  • Let’s step on the mountains with a diluted Sepia. Make some darker stripes in order to give the idea of an irregular soil.
  • With the fountain pen, draw small dark spots in the distance.
  • Let dry.

3 – Houses

  • (brush umber 4) Houses: start with a very diluted Sepia for the shady walls and paint the roofs with Sepia+Red Ochre or Venice Purple.
  • Next add some more Sepia in the area where the shadows cast.
  • When it is dried, add dark the spots for the windows and doors and light points on them with a white pen.
  • If you like you can add some textures on the walls with a very light Indigo.
  • Take the Filbert Comb Brush and add grass on the foreground with Sepia + some light spots.

Final Result

  • Add grass and bushes near the bottom of the houses with Sepia and a fountain pen for a higher contrast.
  • You did it! <3

If you try this painting remember to tag me on Instagram (do it on the photo, not in the caption! This way i won’t miss it) with @chiaramazzetti.art and put the hashtag #chiaramazzettitutorial, i’d love to see what you create!

Happy painting!
Chiara

List of watercolor names (based on the brand i used for this painting: White Nights Nevskaya Palitra):

  • Sepia
  • Payne’s Gray
  • Indigo
  • Indian Gold
  • Red Ochre
  • Venice Purple