An Italian Villa

A sweet couple that I know well recently commissioned me to paint an Italian Villa that they stayed in while touring Italy. It was to be a thank you gift to the friends who invited them to stay in the villa. It's a lovely place nestled in the hills among orchards and vineyards. I loved painting it for them and was so happy they liked the end result. Here are some of the steps I took to create the watercolor they asked for... using pictures they had taken while they were there.

After a light drawing, I began the process with watercolor washes to determine 

the composition and place the main features 

I continued to add washes and began to find areas to add in the darks. 

This helped to create depth and make certain areas stand out.

As I continued to add landscape, distant mountains and sky features, 

the painting slowly began to take shape.

From this point, details became important. This is my favorite part!

Adding details and darks, I continued to glaze in the layers and add shadows.

Suddenly, it began to come alive!

I continued the painting until I felt it was complete. Sometimes, it's actually hard to know when all of the steps are done. It's something an artist faces each time they take on a painting. It's always best not to over paint. Most of the time, watercolors are best left understated. 

But this time...I knew when it was finished. It just told me!

It was complete and ready to ship directly to the homeowners. Their Italian Villa!!!

Thanks for dropping by...I try to post as often as I can, and lately that hasn't been too often!

But here's to more posts in the future!

Carole

Condo in Chicago!

Many times I am asked by real estate agents to create a painting of a house they have sold to a special client. It's such a wonderful gift for their clients and I always love being a part of it. This condominium in Chicago is a example of one of those gifts.

Today I'm posting just a quick little sample of the steps I took to create this watercolor.

After completing the drawing I began the main bricked portion of the house and simple greenery.

Continuing with the bricks, I added shading to create perspective and interest.

Next I added the details on the steps and door and completed the greenery around the house

Adding the sky, surrounding fencing, steps and sidewalk, details on the door, windows 

and street sign completed the painting. 

It was then packaged and shipped to the agent to make the presentation to the client at the closing!!!

Thanks for joining me today. Email me if you have any questions....

See you again on Wednesday!!!!

Carole

Misty Mountain!

 This mountain retreat in Washington was the perfect home for a watercolor! 

I especially loved the mist rising behind the house. I really took my time and 

enjoyed getting to know the lodge and it's grand surroundings.

I stayed as close as possible to the photograph while drawing and painting this one. 

There wasn't one thing I didn't LOVE about the picture the owner sent me! 

As a matter of fact, I was so absorbed in the painting process, I forgot to take pictures. 

I only have a few but will post them to let you see how I started out.

A little closer view of the photo above. As you can see, I started with the trees and shrubs and 

then went to the roof. I waited until the very end to tackle the misty mountainside.

I kept adding details and finalizing the house before adding the mist.  

I have only one picture of adding the mist!!!! It was actually a very closely timed process. 

When I'm laying down a wet wash, I have to work quickly before it dries. 

This mist was the perfect example of that and I couldn't put down the brush to take more pics.
But at least there's one!

But you can see how the mist within the trees turned out. It actually took me much less time 

than I had thought it would. I really had to be careful not to overwork it. 

And...here is it!

Thanks for dropping by and please come back soon.

Try to pick up a brush this year. Let me know if you're considering watercolor and 

I would be happy to give you some beginner tips.

Happy New Year to each and everyone!

Carole

A Cabin in the Snow!

This painting was really fun to do!  A client contacted me about painting this sweet mountain cabin for a friend. What a wonderful gift!  I was so involved with "being in the moment" that I almost forgot to take pictures along the way!  So here are the only pics I took in the process of this painting.

"A Winter Wonderland"! 

First comes the drawing

Adding washes to define the surroundings

Adding light washes to the cabin

Adding the details

Darkening the details

The Final Painting!

Loved sharing with you.
Join me again next Wednesday!
Carole
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A Lovely Tudor in Pleasant Ridge!

A Tudor house is my favorite to paint! The detailing, the colors, the grandeur...large or small...a Tudor is splendid! So this lovely one in Pleasant Ridge, Michigan made my heart sing!

 There were so many details I've had to consolidate my pics as much as possible. I'm just going to add the photos that represent each step with very little explanation. I hope you enjoy watching it grow.

Of course, a detailed drawing comes first. This painting is 11 X 14 inches.

The first washes are light and slightly glowing, using various reds, golds and cobalt.

I masked the outer edge of the paper to avoid buckling.

Next step, adding suggestions of the greenery that will frame the house.

Darkening and shading to create perspective.

More bricks, more bricks, more bricks!

Continuing the bricks and adding detailing to window glass.

Next come the roof and stucco.

Often when I need to make precise lines, I cut strips of masking tape to mask out the areas

I want to avoid. I definitely used the strips in this painting once I began the Tudor details.

 Example of how I use the masking tape strips.

Adding the first layer of the sky and surrounding trees. Adding the Tudor details on the gable, 

porch flower pots and continuing the window reflections.

Painting the grass and sidewalk and detailing the sky and clouds.

Looking things over to be sure I don't leave anything out!

Laying down deeper washes in every area of the painting creating depth and perspective.

Once I get to this stage, I leave the painting in a place where I can "Watch" it!  It's true.

So many times, I'll notice something a day or so later that has been left out or something that just doesn't look right. The watching stage is the time to see those things. Photographing it helps too. 

I can look at the entire painting in a smaller scale and see it with different eyes.

 I decided to add a suggestion of the front yard trees on each side to frame the house. I'm happy with the outcome and ready to ship it to a wonderful family!  I hope they like it!

Join me again for Wednesday Watercolor! Follow my blog to be notified. 

See you then!   Carole

I Love my Truck!

Last year Beth wanted to give her husband 

a personal Christmas gift...

a painting of his new Ford Bronco truck!

She asked if I could do it in time and I said yes! So here's the process and the finished painting.

The completed painting was shipped in time for Christmas!

So this year is the same frantic schedule trying to get Christmas orders ready in time. That's just the way it goes in the life of a commission artist. There are busy seasons and slow seasons. Obviously, this is the busy season. I've had to put my Etsy shop on vacation for the rest of this year to catch up on holiday orders. I will reopen again at the end of January 2019. If you're interested in a commission after the first of the year please message me and we can discuss the details. I'd love to hear from you.

carolepoolegallery@gmail.com

Hope to see you next Wednesday!

Demo~Autumn Leaves~Mixing the Colors

Here's the photo.

What a lovely Autumn painting this will make!

This is a picture I took of a Virginia Creeper vine that graced my side porch every fall for years. 

It had a mind of it's own. If you've ever had a Creeper, you know what I mean. 

First: Draw the leaves.
If drawing is not your thing...try enlarging the picture and tracing your image onto your paper. Take care not to press too hard. Watercolor paper is very delicate.


Now: Mix the paints.
Here are the
colors we
will use:


COBALT BLUE

ALIZARIN CRIMSON

CHROME YELLOW

Now for the fun part. Just squeeze the
color from the tube onto your palette. Loosen the
condensed pigment using water and
your brush. You're simply getting the
paint ready for the paper. Let them mix
and blend and run together.
Just have fun with it!

Continue the fun by wetting each leaf individually with clear water. Drop the wet paint into each wet area. Let it bleed and run. Continue with each leaf...dropping and running from each leaf to another. Soon you will begin to see the leaves take shape and morphing into what you see in the photograph. Move from leaf to leaf like the video below...


Click the "Autumn Leaves Watercolor" video link below to take a look at the wet-in-wet process I used:

 As the painting becomes too wet, let the layers dry completely.  Then continue to add details and dark background as in the video. Your painting may look realistic or abstract, depending how much you let the paints bleed. Either way, you will have a lovely piece of art reminding you of the crisp Autumn day you painted them.

You'll be surprised at how much better your painting will look once you frame it!  It just looks more professional and finished. Go ahead and frame it and hang it on your wall...and then....start another one!

 

I loved presently this instruction for you. Come back next week for another 

Wednesday Watercolor...and in the meantime keep those brushes wet!!!

Carole