A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO

WATERCOLOR PAINTING
TAKAKO Y. MIYOSHI

T UT T L E Publishing
Contents
Why I Wrote This Book 4
How to Use This Book 6

C HA PTER 1 How to Get Started

The Materials Needed for Watercolor Sketching 8
Preparing the Transparent Watercolor Paints and the Palette 10
How to Use a Watercolor Brush Pen 12
The Basics of Transparent Watercolor Sketching 16
Layering the Colors 18
Gradations 19
EXPERT TIPS 1 Color Basics 20
C HA PTER 2 Try Painting Familiar Subjects
An Orange and a Lime 22 A Cat 56
An Eggplant and a Radish 26 A Dog 60
Cherry Tomatoes and Snap Peas 30 EXPERT TIPS 3 Try a Variety of Different
Herbs 34 Animal Poses 64
A Child 66
A Sunflower 38
EXPERT TIPS 4 Try Painting the
A Rose 42 Complete Figure 70
A Bouquet 46 EXPERT TIPS 5 Try Painting a
Coffee and Cake 50 Variety of Skies 72
EXPERT TIPS 2 Making Delicious-looking
Paintings 54

C HA PTER 3 Painting Landscapes

Sunset and Sea 74
Buildings by a Canal 78
EXPERT TIPS 6 Try Painting a Travel Scene 83
Cherry Blossoms and a Pagoda 84
A Cityscape with Depth 88
EXPERT TIPS 7 Try Painting Seasonal Postcards 94

APPENDIX: CUT-OUT WATERCOLOR

SKETCH POSTCARDS
16 designs
 Why I Wrote This Book
Watercolor painting is, as the name suggests, paintings
that are created by using water colored with paint, which
is then applied freely to paper. Sketching, on the other
hand, is to draw quickly and casually, creating a rough
drawing within a short period of time, capturing what
you feel. “Watercolor sketching” is thus an expressive
technique accessible not only to beginners but also
to those who may feel they are not very good at
painting—all one needs to get started is paper, paint,
brushes and water.

Although sketching may seem a little difficult, that

is usually because painters feel the pressure to depict
everything exactly as they see it and end up trying too
hard. Instead, consider painting only the parts you like,
however you like! Doesn’t that sound like more fun?

For example, in a landscape, you can omit a difficult

building, or in the case of a cake, you can zoom in on
the strawberry, or if it is a cat, you can change its pose
to make it easier to paint.
Transparent watercolor paints can be used to express
a full spectrum of beautiful colors using only 12 basic
colors and a few other specialized colors. A watercolor
brush pen is convenient for producing watercolor
sketches while traveling or spending time outdoors.

Using the art materials introduced in this book, I walk

you through how to paint familiar subjects to cover the
key techniques and tips for watercolor sketching. While
there is no definitive method when it comes to watercolor
painting, getting a lot of practice at painting and, more
importantly, enjoying yourself while doing so, is the
secret to improving.

First, pick up a paintbrush. Then, try applying the colors

you like on paper!

Enjoy the wonderful world of watercolor sketching!

— Takako Y. Miyoshi
How to Use This Book
Color Names
The colors and color names vary depending on the manufacturer, but in this book all the
watercolor sketches have been created using the following 18 colors.

Lemon (Cadmium Yellow Pale Hue) Sky Blue (Cerulean Blue)

Yellow (Cadmium Yellow Hue) Blue-green (Viridian Hue)

Red (Cadmium Red Pale Hue) Green (Sap Green)

Red (Cadmium Red Deep Hue) Ocher (Yellow Ochre)

Deep Red (Alizarin Crimson Hue) Brown (Burnt Sienna)

Bright Blue (Intense Blue) Dark Brown (Burnt Umber)

Ultramarine Blue (Ultramarine) Gray (Payne’s Gray)

Blue (Cobalt Blue Hue) White (Chinese White)

‚In this book, two handy colors have been added to the basic set of 16 colors above.

Navy Blue (Indigo) Pink (Opera Rose)

The paints used are Winsor & Newton Cotman series (pan type).

Notes
§ Transparent watercolor paints are used.
§ All the works are rendered on postcard-size paper (approx. 4 in × 6 in / 10 cm × 14.8 cm).
§ The brushes used are all watercolor brush pens, but you can also enjoy sketching with
regular watercolor brushes.
§ Combined colors are those that are created by
mixing paints together. The mixing is usually
done on a palette.
§ The density of the pigment is described as dilute
or concentrated. Where there is no particular ê Dilute Very
notation, use the density marked with ê as a guide. Concentrated Dilute

6 How to Use This Book

CHAPTER 1

How to Get Started

Before you start making a watercolor sketch, you will want to prepare some basic
equipment. Along with paints and brushes, there are some other tools that you
will find useful. Use the ones introduced here as a reference.
 TOOLS The Materials Needed for
1 Watercolor Sketching
Here is some watercolor sketching equipment that you
will want to have on hand. The items are all available at
art supply stores and stationery shops.

12
1

10

7 8
5
6
2 4

8 CHAPTER 1
 1 2 6
Transparent Watercolor Paints Pencil
Transparent watercolor paints are used I recommend either an HB or B pencil
by mixing them together to create because if the lead is too hard, it will
colors, so you do not need a lot of damage the paper.
different colors. I recommend starting
with a set that has 12–24 well-balanced
basic colors. The paints come in 1
tubes or 2 pans, but they can both 7
be used as paint. Water-resistant Pen (water-based
pigment ink)
This is used for adding details.
1 I recommend one with a fine tip,
for example, 0.05 mm or 0.03 mm.
11 Tubes of Paint
These contain liquid paint. They can
also be purchased separately as
8
single colors or as a set.
White Marker Pen
(or a correction pen)
2 This is handy for adding highlights to
areas covered with color.
Paint Blocks
These fit into the palette, so they are
convenient to carry. The specifications 9
differ between manufacturers but you
can replenish or add colors. Kneaded Eraser
This is an eraser that you knead with
your fingers to soften it before use.
Press down onto the pencil lines in a
3 dabbing motion to erase them.
Palette
I recommend one that is plastic
and folds in half as it is light to 10
carry and easy to clean.
Plastic Eraser
This is a standard type of eraser. Use
this when you want to cleanly erase lines.
4 Take care not to use it too vigorously as
it can easily damage the paper.
Paper
This is watercolor paper cut to postcard
size. The moisture will warp the paper,
so choose a thick type. White Watson 11
300g is used in this book. Brush Cups
It is useful to have two, one for washing
the brush tips and the other for diluting
paint. It is fine to use cups or glasses
5
from the kitchen.
Watercolor Brush Pens
These are pen-style brushes that have
a reservoir in the barrel to hold water. 12
They come in a few basic sizes. The
ones shown here are fine brushes, with Tissue Paper
tips that are 5 mm in diameter. It is This is used to neaten the tip of the
useful to have two brushes on hand. brush and remove excess water.

How to Get Started 9

 TOOLS Preparing the Transparent Watercolor
2 Paints and the Palette
What makes watercolor sketching easy is the handling of the
paint. First, let us learn about the characteristics of transparent
watercolor paints and how to put the paints in the palette.

The characteristics of transparent watercolor paints

The color underneath shows through The color becomes lighter when dry
When you layer colors, they appear like The color will become lighter when it is
overlapping colored cellophane where the color dry compared to when it is wet. When you
underneath shows through. A characteristic of prepare the colors in the palette, make them
this is a sense of transparency, as if the colors slightly more concentrated.
allow light to pass through them.

when wet
when dry

Using water to adjust

the color shading
With opaque paints that are used
for oil paintings and poster colors,
white paint is added to lighten the
colors, whereas with transparent
watercolors water is used to create
this effect, allowing the white
of the paper to show through to
varying degrees. When making a lot
a little
the color samples (opposite), amount of water
create single color gradations like
the one on the right.

10 CHAPTER 1
Adding the paints to the palette
Paint Tubes
Putting paint in the small compartments Adding your favorite colors
Squeeze paint out of the tubes into the palette’s Once you feel comfortable, add paints that are your
small compartments. Load them in the same favorite colors or colors that you often use to customize
order that they’re packaged, dispensing a small the palette and make it easier for you to use.
amount (about ²/5 in/1 cm in diameter). It is useful
to dispense all the colors you have in the palette Taking care of your palette
in advance, as even if the paints harden, they can In principle, you do not have
still be used if you soften them with water. to wash the whole palette. Use
damp tissue to wipe away any
paint remaining in the large
compartments.
Small compartments
Load the tube paints in the
order they come packaged What to do if the paints you
set in the palette get dirty
Using a watercolor brush pen, add
Large compartments
Use these for diluting paint in a few drops of water to the paint
water or combining colors to dissolve the unwanted paint,
and then soak it up with a tissue.
Paint Pans
The paint is solidified into small blocks and can be used directly from the container.

Creating color samples

Check the colors of the paints How to create color samples
The color samples are tests of the paints on paper. Even 1 Prepare some paper and add color.
Using watercolor paper, apply the colors
with a single color like blue, there are many different hues in the order that they are set in the palette.
and the shades also vary depending on the manufacturer.
2 Note the color name and number.
In addition, for transparent watercolor paints, the If you write down the name and number
impression changes depending on whether the paint is of the color, it comes in handy when you
want to buy additional paint.
solid or diluted in water, so always make color samples.
3 Attach them to the palette.
If you match up the color samples with
the paints in the palette and fix them in
place, you can check the colors any time
you want.

How to Get Started 11

 TOOLS How to Use a Watercolor Brush Pen
3 If you know the basic way to use a watercolor brush pen,
you can enjoy watercolor sketching anytime, anywhere.

What is a watercolor brush pen?

This is a pen-style watercolor paintbrush
with a barrel that you fill with water. It is
used in the same way as a conventional cap
paintbrush, but the water in the barrel can
be used to dilute the paint or wash paint off
the brush, making it ideal for sketching on tip
the go. As it is made from plastic, it is also
easy to clean.
One type of brush tip is round and can
be used for a wide range of purposes, and barrel
another type is flat, making it good to use to (water reservoir)
cover broad surfaces. The shapes and sizes
vary depending on the manufacturer, but in
this book we use a large round brush tip.

Filling the watercolor brush pen Holding the watercolor brush pen
Method 1: Method 2:
Adding water directly Squeeze submerged
barrel to draw up water ü

Remove the tip, put an appropriate amount of water in Hold the solid part above the tip and below the barrel as
the barrel reservoir, and then replace the tip. if you were holding a pencil. If you hold the soft reservoir
part too tightly, water will come out, so be careful.

12 CHAPTER 1
Adjusting the water and applying the paint
Releasing the water Applying the paint Altering the concentration

Water seeps out from the brush tip Press the barrel to dampen the tip To adjust the concentration of the
when you press on the barrel. If you and then add paint from the palette. paint on the palette, press the barrel
press too hard, too much water will Even if the paint is hard and does to release the water and adjust it to
come out, so start by doing this not soften right away, hold the tip of your liking.
over a dish to find out how hard you the brush gently on top of the paint
should press. for 5–10 seconds and then it will be
fine to use.

Changing the colors

Using the brush cup Using tissue instead of a brush cup

Soak the tip in the water and rinse Press the soft part of the barrel to release water onto a tissue. Do this two or
the brush. three times until color no longer shows on the tissue.

How to Get Started 13

Expressions made possible with a watercolor brush pen

Thin straight lines Thick straight lines

For fine, detailed areas, stand the brush upright to use Lay the brush slightly down toward you and use the
it. Paint straight lines by moving the brush in a single side of the tip to paint in one motion.
stroke with a sliding motion. When painting long lines,
try lifting your wrist.

Coloring large areas Creating blurring and smudging

Lay the barrel slightly down toward you and have the Apply color using a brush that has been dipped in
entire side of the tip touch the paper. Move the brush paint. Before the paint dries, use a brush that only
in a circular motion. has water on it to blur the color. It is handy to use two
brushes for this purpose.

14 CHAPTER 1
Taking care of your watercolor brush pen

1 Rinse the tip.

Rinse the tip in clean water and 2 Remove the moisture.
Gently wipe off the excess water 3 Neaten the tip.
Gently neaten the tip using the
gently swirl it to remove the paint. with a tissue. edge of a tissue so that it keeps
its shape.

The advantage of
a watercolor brush
pen is that even if
you don’t have a
brush cup, like when
sketching outdoors,
you can still paint with
different colors.

4 Discard the water.

After use, empty the water from 5 Close the cap.
Close the cap tightly, taking care
the barrel. not to trap the bristles.

How to Get Started 15

 HOW TO
The Basics of Transparent
1
PA I N T

Watercolor Sketching
Make sure to carefully confirm the principle key points so
that you can express what you want when adding color.

1 Erase excess lines before adding color

Once pencil lines have been
painted over, they cannot Ð
be cleanly erased. Remove
any unnecessary lines before
starting to add color.
If the pencil lines are dark
and clearly visible, before
adding color use a kneaded
eraser to make the lines
fainter, being careful not to
damage the paper. Knead the kneaded eraser well before If you leave the dark lines in place,
using it to press on the paper, gently they will clearly show through even
erasing the lines. after adding color.

2 Start by coloring the shadow

Adding the shadows first
Light
creates a three-dimensional
effect, making it easier to
depict the shape and to
add color.

It is easier to identify the shadows if you are aware of the direction of the light.

16 CHAPTER 1
3 Leave white areas uncolored and paint in order from light
to dark
With transparent watercolor
paints, colors that have been
applied cannot be completely
removed. This means areas
that you want to be white
should be left uncolored
to make best use of the
whiteness of the paper.
Paint the colors in order
from light to dark to create a The white flowers are enhanced by Layering a dark color on a light color
painting the surrounding foliage darker. creates a beautiful expression for fur too.
beautiful finish.

4 Wait for colors to dry when you want to avoid bleeding

If you do not want the
colors to bleed, for example,
between a building and the
sky or between the leaves
and petals, always check
that the colors you already
added are dry first.

Be aware of whether the previous color Even when using the same color, make
has already dried. sure it is dry first before layering. In
that way you can express realistic
flower petals.

5 Add more color to wet paper to create bleeding

For sunsets and other
situations where you wish
to create a gradation of
two or more colors, add
the next color before the
first one has dried.
So that you are not
compelled to rush,
prepare all the colors
you want to use in your If you layer another color before the When you are layering a number of
one underneath is dry, they will bleed different colors at the same time,
palette beforehand. and blend together. prepare all the ones you are going to
use in your palette beforehand.

How to Get Started 17

 HOW TO
Layering the Colors
2
PA I N T
Try experimenting
The attractive thing about transparent with various
color and line
watercolors is that the first color applied is
combinations!
slightly see-through. Let us create a check
pattern to practice painting lines of different
thicknesses and learn to sense the changes
in color caused by overlapping them.

Let one color dry before adding another

1 Paint a mix of thick and thin horizontal lines in

yellow. 2 Once dry, paint a mix of thick and thin vertical lines
in pink.

3 Iffinethetocolor where the lines intersect is too light, it is

layer the same color again in that area. 4 Ifdry,youit may
add more color before the color underneath is
create bleeding or the color may be lost.

18 CHAPTER 1
 HOW TO
Gradations
3
PA I N T Too much? Or too
Gradation is a technique that is made little? Let’s get a feel
for how much water
possible by the characteristics of is needed!
transparent watercolors. Here, we will
practice a monochromatic gradation
using different concentrations of paint
and water, and a hue gradation with a
combination of different colors.

Create blurring by using water

1 Paint the lower half of a heart with yellow. 2 Clean the paint off the brush and add a green and
a blue circle above.

3 Clean the paint off the brush and use only water
to bring the three colors together in the center. 4 Let the water spread the colors rather than trying to
combine them too much with the brush.

How to Get Started 19

 EXPERT TIPS 1

Color Basics
Depending on how they are combined, colors can be made brighter or duller. Here, I will
explain a little about what is good to know about these colors.

Paint colors and color compatibility

yellowish green Almost all colors can be created

reddish yellow through combinations, but the
three primary colors—red, blue
and yellow—along with bright
Yellow bluish pink cannot be made that way,
green
so those paints are necessary.
Orange Green
Colors also have com­patibility.
The chart on the left is a circle
yellowish
red greenish made using the three primary
Red Blue blue
colors. Adjacent colors (yellow
and blue, blue and red, red and
Purple yellow) are compatible, and when
combined create lovely colors.
When expressing gradations
bluish red reddish blue that use two or more colors, if
(purplish red) (bluish purple)
you are aware of those colors’
compatibility, the result will be
beautiful.

Complementary colors
If you look at the chart above, you
will see purple is opposite the yellow
and green is opposite the red. Colors
placed like this are called comple­men-
tary colors, and if you mix them they
will become muddy. When you want
to apply a complementary color, thor­
oughly wash the brush first, and then
add it after the first color has dried. Layering orange, the opposite Although red and green are
As long as you do not mix them, of blue, will create a muddy complementary colors, if you
colors on the opposite sides of the color. place them next to each other
they both stand out.
color wheel complement each other,
so if you can use them skillfully your
picture will be impressive.

20 CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2

Try Painting Familiar Subjects

If you start by painting something that is already on hand, you can get to work
right away with a convenient subject. Let’s practice.

21
 LESSON Painting Fruit

1 An Orange and a Lime

Solid single-color spheroids are a perfect way for beginners to practice watercolor
sketching. Once you have roughly depicted the shape, just enjoy painting it.

Photo

A postcard-size sketch of the

orange can be found in the
Appendix under “A.”

Colors to Use

Orange
Yellow (Cadmium Yellow Hue)

Orange
ŸCadmium Yellow Hue Combined
ŸCadmium Red Pale Hue colors

Green (Sap Green)

Navy Blue (Indigo)

Lime
Green (Sap Green)

Navy Blue (Indigo)

22 CHAPTER 2
Orange

1 With a pencil, draw faint overlapping short,

straight lines to create a rounded outline. 2 Use a brush to color the shadow pale navy blue.

3 Blur the outline of the shadow with water. 4 Once the shadow is dry, color the entire orange
using yellow.

Make the shaded area

darker to create a 3D effect

5 Before
orange.
the yellow dries, paint the bottom part with
6 Paint the pedicel using light green.

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 23

 Instead of drawing
an even outline,
make the shadow
side darker and
thicker to create a
stronger 3D effect

7 Once all the paint is dry, erase any unnecessary

pencil lines. 8 Strengthen the outline with a pencil and add dots
all over the orange.

Even if the shape is distorted,

don’t worry, just focus on
applying the watercolor paints!
All done!

24 CHAPTER 2
Lime

Point
Light Light
Think about the direction
of the light
When light hits an object, the
side that the light doesn’t
reach looks darker. You can
create a three-dimensional
effect when painting your
picture by making the side Diffuse
hit by light a lighter (brighter)
color and the other side A Sphere’s Shadow A Cube’s Shadow
a deeper (darker) color. Areas that are far Each side will

1 Paint the shadow using pale Be aware of and carefully from the source have a different
navy blue and blur the outline observe the direction and of light will be a light density. The
with water. shape of the light and the darker gradation. shadow on the
shadow for the object you The shadow on ground will stretch
want to depict. the ground will be straight along the
round in shape. cube with a diffuse
edge.

All done!

Create a dark area of

shading by layering the
same color to enhance
the 3D effect

2 When the paint in step 1 has

dried, paint the whole lime with
green, and then layer the bottom
part using the same color.

Pay attention
to the parts
in light and
those in
shadow to
create a work
that is three-
dimensional

3 While the paint is still not fully

dry, blot it with a tissue to create
a highlight. Once all the paint is
dry, erase any unnecessary lines.

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 25

LESSON Painting Vegetables 1

2 An Eggplant and a Radish

Let’s go a small extra step and paint while paying attention to the
shading. By using the whole surface of the brush to apply the paint,
you can create a work with shading, even with one color.

Photo

Postcard-size sketches of these

objects can be found in the
Appendix under “A” and “B.”

Colors to Use

Eggplant
Yellow-green
ŸCadmium Yellow Hue Combined
ŸSap Green colors

Light Purple
ŸOpera Rose Combined
ŸUltramarine colors

Purple
ŸOpera Rose
ŸUltramarine Combined
ŸPayne’s Gray colors

Gray (Payne’s Gray)

Navy Blue (Indigo)

Radish
Yellow-green
ŸCadmium Yellow Hue Combined
ŸSap Green colors

Green (Sap Green)

Brown (Burnt Sienna)

Deep Red (Alizarin Crimson Hue)

Navy Blue (Indigo)

26 CHAPTER 2
Eggplant

1 2
With a pencil, Color the shadow
roughly determine with pale navy blue.
the length and width
of the eggplant,
along with the
position of the
stem, and join them
together with lines.

3 4
Color the area of Color the whole
body close to the body light purple,
stem using yellow- leaving the whitish
green. Before that highlight uncolored.
yellow-green dries,
add light purple.

5 6
Layer purple on Use water to blur
top of the color the border of the
from step 4. highlight. Keep only
a small amount of
water on the tip.

Move the brush toward

the darker shaded area,
bringing the paint with it

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 27

 The color of the eggplant is made up of a
combination of colors. The hue changes
depending on the ratio of paints. What is
key is how to bring the paint across with a
brush and blurring the borders with water.

All done!

7 Once the paint of the

eggplant itself is dry, color
the stem with gray and layer
it to create shading.

8 Once all the paint is dry,

erase any unnecessary lines
and with a pencil define the
tips of the calyx flaps.

28 CHAPTER 2
Radish

1 2
With a pencil, draw Color the shadows
overlapping short, of the leaves using
straight lines to create pale navy blue.
the radish itself,
the leaf stalks, the
leaf midribs and the
leaf veins and outlines,
in that order.

Make the radish’s

shadow dark

All done!

3
Color the leaves and
stems using yellow-
green. Color the
leaves by gradually
adding green in three
stages to darken it
and add shading, and
then add brown to the
Adding brown
makes the tips of the leaves.
leaves look
more realistic

4
Color the radish red,
leaving the area where
the light hits uncolored,
and blur that highlight
with water. Once all
the paint is dry, erase
any unnecessary lines
and using a pencil add
details to leaf veins
and the root ends.

Use water to
blur the edges
of the highlight
You can paint the radish in the same way as the
eggplant. Using some creativity with the color of
the leaves lends a heightened level of realism.

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 29

LESSON Painting Vegetables 2

3 Cherry Tomatoes and Snap Peas

The key to depicting a number of motifs on a single sheet of paper is to make sure
to do things simultaneously. Instead of painting the objects one by one, paint
them together, while paying attention to the overall balance.

Photo

Postcard-size sketches
of these objects can be
found in the Appendix
under “B.”

Colors to Use

Cherry Tomatoes

Yellow (Cadmium Yellow Hue)

Yellow-green
ŸCadmium Yellow Hue Combined
ŸSap Green colors

Deep Red (Alizarin Crimson Hue)

Deep Green
ŸViridian Hue Combined
ŸBurnt Sienna colors

Navy Blue (Indigo)

Snap Peas

Green
ŸCadmium Yellow Hue
ŸSap Green Combined
ŸBurnt Sienna colors

Yellow-green
ŸCadmium Yellow Hue Combined
ŸSap Green colors

Navy Blue (Indigo)

30 CHAPTER 2
 Note

Place the Objects to be Drawn on Paper

If you’re not sure about the composition, try placing
the actual objects on the paper you are using to help

1 pencil lines to mark the positions.

Determine the overall layout. It’s fine to use faint you adjust the balance. It’s also easier for beginners
to draw objects full size!

2 3
Draw overlapping For the peapod,
short, straight lines mark the length
to create the circle of and width and
the tomato. join those points
together with lines.

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 31

 5
Color the whole
tomato using
yellow, leaving the
highlight uncolored,
and then create
shading by layering
the same color on
the shaded side.

6
Color the whole
area using yellow-
green, leaving the
highlight uncolored,
and then create
shading by layering
the same color on
the shaded side.

4 Use a brush to color the shadow pale navy blue.

7 8
Using the yellow- Here, all the pale
green for the tones of similar
tomato in step 6, colors have been
color the entire added.
stalk of the peapod.

32 CHAPTER 2
9 Color the whole pod using
green, while bringing the paint 10 Use a dry tissue to gently
blot the paint on the 11 Create shading on the
tomato and peapod by
toward the shaded side. highlight. adding navy blue.

All done!

12 Color the whole area using

red, leaving the highlight
uncolored, and then create
shading by layering the same
color on the shaded side.

13 Once the whole area is dry,

color each tomato calyx
using deep green. Erase any Green and red are complementary colors, so
unnecessary lines and with be sure to wash the brush well before applying
a pencil add details to the each color so they don’t become muddy.
stalks and other parts.

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 33

 LESSON Painting Plants 1

4 Herbs
Herbs, with their various forms, are great for practicing how to depict shapes
and same-color shading. Observe them carefully and get an understanding
of their characteristics.

Colors to Use
Mint Italian
Rosemary Parsley
Yellow-green Deep Green
ŸCadmium Yellow Hue Combined ŸViridian Hue Combined
ŸSap Green colors ŸIndigo colors

Brown (Burnt Sienna) Blue-green (Viridian Hue)

Green (Sap Green) Navy Blue (Indigo) Sage

Oregano

Postcard-size sketches of these

objects can be found in the
Appendix under “C.”

34 CHAPTER 2
1
Once you have determined the overall composi­
tion, use a pencil to draw a rough outline, in order
starting from the stalks and midribs, followed by
the clearly visible leaf veins, and then the leaves.

2
Use a brush to color the shadow pale navy blue.

Note
The shape of
the object also
determines the
shape of the
shadow (narrow
leaves cast narrow
shadows and
broad leaves have
broad shadows).
If you leave a space between the
leaves and the shadows, you can
create the impression that they
are not pressed flat.

3
Start by using the light colors. Color the
midribs and stalks of all the herbs using a
yellow-green shade. Before the color dries,
add brown to the cut ends at the bottom of
the stems and let it bleed.

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 35

 Note
Identify the Greens!
Even when we use the word “green,” there
are many different possible shades. Let’s
learn through coloring various herbs the
varied hues of green, like yellowish green,
bluish green, bright green and dark green,
as well as how to adjust the shading.

Layering with
the same color
increases the
pigment density

Paint the
serrated leaves
with a sweeping
brush stroke

4 Using green, color one-half

of the mint leaves. Layer in 5 Once dry, paint the leaf veins
using the same color. 6 Paint the oregano using deep
green. Color one side of the
certain areas to add shading. leaf and then the other, leaving
the midribs in-between, and
then layer the color while
adding shading.

Once dry, paint

the leaf veins in
the same color

7 Paint the Italian parsley with

blue-green. Place the brush 8 Add shading by layering the
same color, bringing the paint 9 Paint the sage with light and
dark greens. Paint around the
to line up with the serrated toward the tips of the leaves. veins, adding light and dark
leaf tips and move the brush tones to each half of the leaf.
toward the center of the leaf.

36 CHAPTER 2
 Leave 4 to 5 leaf
veins uncolored
to enhance the
sense of texture
variation

10 Color the rosemary leaves with deep green. 11 Once all the paint is dry, erase any unnecessary
lines, and then define the leaf veins and other fine
details with a pencil.

Add the names of the herbs and your signature in the

margins to complete your artwork! If you color leaves of
the same color all at the same time going in order from
light to dark, instead of painting each herb individually,
your work will go faster.
All done!

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 37

 LESSON Painting Plants 2

5 A Sunflower
A sunflower with many petals on a round flower center is suitable for beginners if
it is depicted from the front.

Colors to Use

Flowers Leaves
Photo
Yellow (Cadmium Yellow Hue) Green (Sap Green)

Bright Yellow Ocher (Yellow Ochre)

ŸCadmium Yellow Hue Combined
ŸCadmium Red Pale Hue colors
Shadow
Green (Sap Green)
Navy Blue (Indigo)
Brown (Burnt Sienna)

Dark Brown
ŸBurnt Sienna Combined
ŸPayne’s Gray colors
A postcard-size sketch of this
object can be found in the
Appendix under “C.”

38 CHAPTER 2
1 With a pencil, roughly draw the circles for the center
of the flower and the outer area, and then make 2 Using the marks to guide you, draw 4 petals that
don’t overlap, and then draw in the remaining petals
marks to denote 4 quadrants. so as to fill the gaps.

Note 12
Envision a Clock Face 12 o’clock petal
When a flower has a lot of petals, if you imagine a clock
face, it makes it easier to understand the overall shape
3 o’clock petal
of that flower.

1. Establish a petal that doesn’t overlap at the 12 o’clock 9 3

position.
9 o’clock petal
2. Informed by step 1, draw lines in the shape of a cross.
3. Establish the petals that are completely visible at the
3, 6 and 9 o’clock positions.
4. Fill in the petals in-between. 6 o’clock petal
6

3 Draw the leaves to complete the sketch. 4 Use a brush to color the shaded area with pale
navy blue.

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 39

 Rotating the paper
makes the brush
strokes more natural

5 Aligning the tip of the brush

with the tips of the petals, color 6 Color the whole flower in
one session. 7 Using bright yellow, color the
center of the flower and tips
each one. of the petals where they are
shaded and look darker.

9 Color the leaves using light green. Add a faint touch

of ocher to the tips of the leaves.

8 Here, the shading has been added to the petals. By

adding yellow shading, the entire sunflower appears
more three-dimensional.

10 Color the periphery of the center with light

green, leaving the center itself uncolored, and
then color accents using brown. The stamens
are painted to look like they are overlapping and
spraying outward using the tip of the brush.

40 CHAPTER 2
 Standing the tip
upright makes
it easier to paint
fine lines

11 Color the center with dark brown, using the

tip of the brush to make it look like the color is 12 Once the entire piece is dry, erase any
unnecessary lines, and add details to the
spraying outward. stamens and petal folds using a pencil.

Making the petals

irregular creates a
more natural look.

All done!

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 41

LESSON Painting Plants 3

6 A Rose
Depict the overlap of the layered rose petals using shading. Color each half of
the leaves divided by the midrib, allowing the first half to dry before painting the
second half. Keep the shadows in mind while painting.

Photo

A postcard-size sketch of
this object can be found in
the Appendix under “D.”

Colors to Use

Flowers
Pink (Opera Rose)

Navy Blue (Indigo)

Leaves

Yellow-green
ŸCadmium Yellow Hue Combined
ŸSap Green colors

Deep Green
ŸViridian Hue Combined
ŸPayne’s Gray colors

Ocher (Yellow Ochre)

Vase • Shadow
Navy Blue (Indigo)

Gray (Payne’s Gray)

42 CHAPTER 2
1 Sketch the entire shape of the flower.

3 Sketch the outlines of the leaves, midribs and vase

2 Draw the outer petals and the center of the rose. to complete the sketch.

4 Color the entire area of the petals using light pink. 5 Color the parts that will be in shadow, like the
mouth and bottom of the vase, and the surface of
the water, using pale navy blue.

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 43

6 Paint the stalks and midribs of the leaves thickly
with yellow-green. 7 Once the paint from step 4 is dry, layer the areas
where the petals overlap and create shadows
using pink.

Add depth and

definition to the
shadows using
different shades

Use ocher to
add nuance to
the leaves

8 Use dark green to paint along one boundary of each

midrib, and then color half of each leaf one by one. 9 Use dark green to paint the leaf veins and tint the
tips of the leaves with ocher. Add definition to the
Then, proceed to color the remaining halves of the shadows and vase using gray and navy blue.
leaves once the first halves have dried.

10 Once the paint from step 7 is dry, add a small

amount of navy blue to the pink and use that to 11 Once all the paint is dry, erase any unnecessary
lines and add the outlines of the petals using a
create shading where the petals overlap. pencil.

44 CHAPTER 2
 The addition of the
vase’s shadow makes
it more dramatic!

All done!

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 45

LESSON Painting Plants 4

7 A Bouquet
When painting a group of motifs, the key point is deciding which one plays the
major role. In the case of a bouquet, decide which flower you want to be the
“star” and paint from there.

Photo

A postcard-size sketch of
this object can be found in
the Appendix under “D.”

Colors to Use

Leaves
Yellow-green
ŸCadmium Yellow Hue Combined
ŸSap Green colors

Green (Sap Green)

Blue-green (Viridian Hue)

Deep Green
ŸViridian Hue Combined
ŸPayne’s Gray colors

Flowers • Berries
Red (Cadmium Red Deep Hue)

Bluish-purple
ŸOpera Rose Combined
ŸCobalt Blue Hue colors

Glass • Shadow

Navy Blue (Indigo)

46 CHAPTER 2
1 Outline the entire shape of the bouquet. With a
pencil, mark the rough positions as a guide and join 2 Using the central white flower as the main focal
point, sketch the positions of the flowers and leaves.
them together with lines.

Shadow will be added

as color between the
flowers and the leaves,
so you don’t need to
draw in detail

3 The completed sketch. 4 Color the parts in shadow using pale navy blue.

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 47

 6 Color the flowers with bluish-purple. Once you have
colored the whole area to look round, indicate petals
by flicking the tip of the brush out to the edges.

5 Start by using the light colors. The whiteness of

the paper is used for the white flowers, so leave
the petals uncolored and just color the leaves and
flower centers with yellow-green. Next, color the
berries using light red.

Coloring in order from

light to dark makes the color
beautiful even when layered

7 Once the paint from step 5 is dry, color the leaves

using green. Apply various shades such as dark
green and blue-green.

8 Layer the colors

more, increasing the
density for the leaf
tips and veins.

The inside of
the vase doesn’t
need to be
depicted clearly

10 For the stems inside the vase, dilute the colors

used in step 7 with water. 9 Once the whole area
is dry, color the berries
with red, leaving the
highlights uncolored.

48 CHAPTER 2
 Instead of using white paint to color white
flowers, making use of the whiteness
of the paper by leaving them uncolored
creates a beautiful white.

11 Coloring
All done!
the surrounding
leaves darker will make
the white flowers stand
out even more.

12 Color the shadow using

pale navy blue, while adding
different shades. Erase any
unnecessary pencil lines,
and then add the finer
details with a pencil.

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 49

LESSON Painting Food

8 Coffee and Cake

The composition and the colors are important when depicting food. If you can
determine an angle that makes the food look delicious, it will become a more
attractive work.

Photo

Postcard-size sketches of
these objects can be found
in the Appendix under “E.”

Colors to Use

Cake
Ocher (Yellow Ochre)

Green (Sap Green)

Yellow (Cadmium Yellow Hue)

Deep Red (Alizarin Crimson Hue)

Blue-gray
ŸPayne’s Gray Combined
ŸIndigo colors

Dark Brown (Burnt Umber)

Navy Blue (Indigo)

Coffee
Dark Brown (Burnt Umber)
Deep Dark Brown
ŸBurnt Umber Combined
ŸPayne’s Gray colors

Navy Blue (Indigo)

Shadow
Navy Blue (Indigo)

50 CHAPTER 2
 Adding different shades
Erase the to the shadow’s color
From a high
guidelines creates a 3D effect
angle, the lip
of the cup and before adjusting
plates look oval the shape

1 With a pencil, draw the two

plates as ovals, and then add 2 Neaten up the shapes of the
cup, sponge cake, strawberry, 3 Color
blue.
the shadow with pale navy

cross-shaped lines in the center plates and fork.

to use as guidelines to sketch
the cup, cake and fork.

4 Color the sponge cake using

light ocher and the mint with
5 Color the strawberry on top with
yellow. 6 Color the cross-sections of the
strawberries in the whipped
green. cream with light red, and while
the paint is still damp, add red
to the outer edges so that the
color bleeds.

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 51

 The seeds are
expressed by leaving
parts uncolored

7 Paint gridlines in red on the

strawberry. 8 Fill in the grid with color, leaving
the seeds, but occasionally filling 9 Color the fork using blue-gray.
in entire cells for a natural look.

While the paint is still

damp, bring paint toward
the bottom to add shading

10 Color the far edge of the coffee

with dark brown. 11 While the paint is still damp,
color the rest of the area 12 Color the rim of the saucer
and the cup handle with
with a deep dark brown. pale dark brown and color
the cup using dark brown.

When painting adjacent areas with the same color, allow some
drying time between sections so that the edge will appear crisp

13 Color the saucer using dark brown. Color the

part of the saucer that can be seen through the 14 Paint the pattern on the cake plate using dark
brown and deep dark brown.
handle too.

52 CHAPTER 2
15 Paint the outline of the cup handle edge using
deep dark brown, and then use dark brown to 16 Color
brown.
the inside of the handle using thinned dark

color the outside edge. Color the base of the

cup left uncolored in step 13 too.

Skillfully combine
colors for a polished
All done! finish.

Layering the shadow at the edge of the

cake plate gives it more dimension

17 Color the sponge of the cake with

ocher, while leaving highlights. Color
the mint leaves using green, and the
side of the fork with blue-gray.

18 Once all the paint is dry, erase any

unnecessary lines and add the outlines
of the white whipped cream and the
specks of the vanilla beans in the
sponge cake using a pencil.

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 53

 EXPERT TIPS 2

Making Delicious-looking
Paintings
The key to making sweets look delicious
is their colorful appearance. With drinks,
you can have more fun by depicting
the way the milk blends in, adding the
pattern on the cup, and also writing
down your thoughts on the taste.
p Add milk to coffee by p Straight tea
dropping white on to dark is expressed by
brown that is still wet. shading brown.

p It’s fine if the colors on the tableware p Make a watercolor sketch at a café on
extend beyond their boundaries. Be careful holiday. Then, affix a stamp and pop it into the
not to let the colors of the fruit bleed together. mail. Enjoy the arrangement of the picture and
the stamp on the card.

q Make the table a dark color so that

the white cup stands out.

p Give lettering a special touch by adding

color. Green can be an accent for yellow and
brown colors.

54 CHAPTER 2
 q Paint the strawberry mochi so you can see the
filling. If you paint a pattern inside the cup, it gives
the green tea transparency.

q If the dessert is relatively monochromatic and

appears a bit drab, add accents like a paper
napkin and spoon.

p Add comments about the ingredients and

flavors that you would be ignorant of unless
you ate them. It’s fine if you can’t depict them
in the picture.

q You don’t need to show the cake and cup to scale.

Paint what you want as large as you want!

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 55

LESSON Painting Animals 1

9 A Cat
Cats have characteristically supple bodies that should be depicted using
gentle curves. The key points are realistically painting the fur and successfully
arranging the ears, eyes and nose.

Photo

A postcard-size sketch of
this subject can be found
in the Appendix under “E.”

Colors to Use

Body
Green (Sap Green)

Ocher (Yellow Ochre)

Gray (Payne’s Gray)

Pink (Opera Rose)

Shadow
Navy Blue (Indigo)

56 CHAPTER 2
1
Use a pencil to
mark reference
points around the
area, and then join
them together with
lines to create a
rough outline of the
face. The position
of the tips and
bases of the ears
are key.

2
Draw a rough
outline of the
body.

3 For the cat’s face, the arrangement of the eyes,

nose and mouth are key.

4 5
Color the shadows Color the eyes
on the floor and using light green.
around the chin with Leave a small
pale navy blue. uncolored circle in
each pupil for the
highlights.

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 57

 Spread light ocher out
over the parts where the
black fur will be layered

6 Color the ginger fur using ocher. Create different

shades of intensity by overlapping fine strokes while 7 Color the ears and tail using ocher.
paying attention to how the fur lies.

8 Layer light gray, starting from the face, while adding

shading. 9 Paint using the tip of the brush, representing the
way the fur flows.

58 CHAPTER 2
10 Leave the uncolored circles
from step 5 as they are and 11 Layer the ears with light pink. 12 Once all the paint is dry,
erase any unnecessary lines.
color the rest of the pupil Erase the pencil lines on the
with dark gray, as well as chest too.
adding slightly darker gray to
the edges of the eyes.

All done!

13 With a pencil, add the

details of the whiskers and
the mouth. For the chest
area that was erased in
step 12, use short lines
to express the fur on the
chest.

Use the white paper as a base

for the white fur. Use a pencil
to mark the outline of the fur
so it can be clearly seen.

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 59

 LESSON Painting Animals 2

10 A Dog
Dogs are characterized by their sturdy, angular structures. Here, let’s work
on skillfully depicting a stout body and expressive face.

Photo

A postcard-size sketch of
this subject can be found in
the Appendix under “F.”

Colors to Use

Body
Ocher (Yellow Ochre)

Beige
ŸYellow Ochre Combined
ŸPayne’s Gray colors

Gray (Payne’s Gray)

Pink (Opera Rose)

Shadow
Navy Blue (Indigo)

60 CHAPTER 2
1
With a pencil, draw
the overall rough
outline. Draw the
face while observing
the position of each
part and draw the
body while paying
attention to the
skeletal structure.

2
Adjust the eyes,
nose and mouth.
Keep in mind the
joints of the legs
as you draw them.

3 Color the shadow with pale navy blue. Paint darker

shadows close to the body, and lighter ones around
the neck, creating a gradient in the shadows.

4 5
Color the body Along the boundary
using ocher. with the white fur
areas, blur with
water to spread the
color into a smooth
transition.

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 61

 6 7
Color the face with Layer with ocher
ocher too and where where the fur color
it borders the white looks dark. Paint
fur blur the color chest hairs using
with water, letting beige.
it spread. Layer the
dark areas of the fur
with ocher.

Once dry,
layer and add
shading

8 Color the inside of the ears

and under the nose with light 9 Color using dark gray, blurring
the tip of the nose with water to 10 Color the mouth with dark
gray. Layer the nostrils and
gray. Color the tongue with create a highlight. under the nose too.
light pink.

Use the tip of the

brush to paint
short, fine lines

11 Color the pupils with dark

gray, leaving small circles 12 Color the inner and outer
corners of the eyes, as well 13 Color the inside of the ears
using gray. Define the line of
for the highlights uncolored. as the eyelids with dark the back using brown.
gray.

62 CHAPTER 2
 14
For the areas near the white
fur, use dark navy blue to add
individual lines.

All done!

15 Once all the paint is dry,

erase all the unnecessary
lines. For the white fur, use
short lines to express how
it lays.

With this brown-colored dog, the shading of the fur

has been created through layering and blurring the
color with water. The facial expression lies in the
arrangement of the ears, eyes, nose and mouth. Be
sure to observe carefully.

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 63

 EXPERT TIPS 3

Try a Variety of Different Animal Poses

Dogs and cats differ when it comes to physique, fur and colors. Short or long hair,
standing or floppy ears—identify and paint these different features.

u For kittens, paint

their ears, eyes and
paws a larger size
than for adults.

p When painting a cat lying down,

start with the line of the rounded
back, the head and the ears.

t Paws in the air!

The toe beans make
this pose particularly
charming. Make sure
to depict the cat’s
curves well.

p A white cat can be made

q Place the shadow of a clearly visible if you add a
walking cat slightly away shadow. The eyes and pink
from its body. nose add nuances to its
expression.

t To create stripes,
start by coloring the
whole area using light
gray, and then while
the paint is still damp
paint the stripes with a
darker color.

64 CHAPTER 2
 t When painting several
animals together, pay close
attention to get the balance of
their sizes right.

q Paint the pattern after

first adding shadows to
the body to create a three-
dimensional effect.

p When painting a dog in

its entirety, it’s important to
carefully observe its skeletal
structure and joints.

p Create the sense

of short curly hair
using a pencil.

t For dogs with long

white hair, the flow
of the fur can be
expressed by adding
tones for shadows.

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 65

 LESSON Painting People

11 A Child
For people’s faces, determining the position of the eyes or ears first can help you
achieve a balanced composition. Even when painting a subject based on a photo,
focus on painting the person and not much else to accentuate the expression.

Photo

Colors to Use

Face Clothes • Shadow

Skin color Navy Blue (Indigo)
ŸYellow Ochre
ŸOpera Rose

Pink (Opera Rose)

Gray (Payne’s Gray) A postcard-size sketch of this

subject can be found in the
Appendix under “F.”

66 CHAPTER 2
1 With a pencil, determine the rough positions of the
face, hands and desk. 2 Once you’ve established the position of the eyes and
ears, draw in the nose, mouth and eyebrows.

3 Roughly
toys.
draw the arms, shoulders, fingers, hair and
4 Color the face using the skin color.

5 Color the arms. 6 Color the cheeks and finger joints with light pink,
blending it in with the skin color.

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 67

7 Color the hair and clothes using pale navy blue, and
then darken the areas in shadow. 8 Color the eyes, nose and eyebrows with light gray.

9 Color the pupils with dark gray,

leaving small uncolored circles 10 Paint the bangs and
sideburns. 11 By layering certain areas
and adding darker color, the
for the highlights, and paint the shading will stand out more.
inner and outer corners of the
eyes. Color the eyebrows and
nose too.

12 Color the lips using light pink. 13 Once all the paint is dry, erase any unnecessary
lines, and then add the eyebrows, outer corners
of the eyes and other fine details with a pencil.

68 CHAPTER 2
14 Add the outline of the shoulders and arms with a
pencil, and then layer the skin color on the face 15 Paint the striped pattern of the clothes using
navy blue and color the shadows of the toys with
and arms where they are in shadow to create a pale navy blue.
three-dimensional effect.

If you happen to accidentally color

in the highlights of the eyes, use a
fine white marker pen or correction
pen to add them back in again.

All done!

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 69

 EXPERT TIPS 4

Try Painting the Complete Figure

Be aware of the skeletal structure when painting entire bodies.
If you divide the body into sections—the head, torso, arms and
legs—and sketch the joints as circles, as shown in the figures
on the right, you can more easily understand the poses and the
orientations of the parts.

q Adding deep pink to

the cheeks, ears, elbows,
knees and fingertips will
liven up the look. u With a pose
where someone
is turning to look
back, the shadow
on the neck is key.

p As children mature, their

proportions change. The
younger the child, the larger
the head you should draw.

t Even difficult
poses can be easily
understood if you
focus on how the joints
are posed.

70 CHAPTER 2
 t Feel free to omit the
parts that aren’t visible
when it’s a seated pose.

p The orientation of the face can be

expressed through the positions of
the eyes, ears and nose.

q With adults, the balance

changes even more. Make the
limbs long and the head smaller.

t Even when the

balance of the body
changes, pay attention
to the joints when
drawing and painting.

Try Painting Familiar Subjects 71

 EXPERT TIPS 5

Try Painting a Variety of Skies

The sky, made by greatly blurring the whole surface with water, is the most representative motif
in watercolor sketching. Let’s start by learning how to create a blue sky and then move on to
trying various others.

t The sun setting

out at sea is left
uncolored and the
clouds reflecting the
sunset are added
after the sky has
been colored using
gradation.

p Leave the white clouds uncolored and let

light gray bleed in the bottom parts to create a
sense of volume.

p Paint an early morning sky using a gentle

light blue. Use light gray for the silhouette p For a sky at twilight, envision adding color to the
to convey the sense that the light is not very clouds. Express the areas reflecting the sunset with
strong during this time of day. various hues of red.

72 CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3

Painting Landscapes
Here, we’ll try making watercolor sketches of beautiful cityscapes and memorable
scenes. Try painting while looking at a photograph.

73
LESSON Painting Landscapes 1

12 Sunset and Sea

As the buildings are in silhouette, this is a landscape that even beginners will find
easy to paint. To create the gradation of the sunset, wet the paper and then layer
in and blur the colors.

Photo

A postcard-size sketch of
this scene can be found in
the Appendix under “G.”

Colors to Use

Sky
Yellow (Cadmium Yellow Hue)

Blue (Intense Blue)

Pink (Opera Rose)

Purple
ŸOpera Rose Combined
ŸCobalt Blue Hue colors

Sea
Blue-gray
ŸPayne’s Gray Combined
ŸIndigo colors

Navy Blue (Indigo)

Buildings • Trees • Buoy

Gray (Payne’s Gray)

74 CHAPTER 3
 Use enough
2
water to keep the Wet the whole
surface wet area of the sky
and buildings
(up to the border
with the sea).

The buildings are

in silhouette, so
there’s no need to
draw in details

The water on the

surface causes the 3
paint to spread quickly Color the whole sky
in one pass before
the water dries
out. Using yellow,
broadly color from
the top of the sky
toward the center.

1 Draw a line between the water and the land with

a pencil. Mark points on the horizon for the tower
and trees (where they meet the sky) and join them
together with lines.

5
Rinse the brush
and then quickly
add pink to
where there are
4 reddish tints in
the sky.
Rinse the brush and
then add blue to
the top area. Move
the brush sideways,
leaving slight gaps to
indicate clouds.

Painting Landscapes 75
 6 7
For areas that Color the area near the
you want to make horizon using purple.
orange, layer The sky in steps 3–7
yellow once more is painted quickly so
over the pink. that the colors blend
together. If the paper
dries partway through,
add just a little bit of
water with the brush.

Paint the zigzag

lines narrow at the
back and broad in
8 9
Paint the sea with To create the impression
the foreground to
create a sense of 2–3 separate zigzag of waves, paint lines
perspective strokes using blue- in the zigzag gaps
gray paint. using navy blue. Add a
number of dots before
the paint dries to
represent the waves.

10 11
When all the paint is Leaving the buoy
dry, paint the tower in the foreground
and roofs that jut out uncolored, layer in the
into the sky with dark parts between the sea
gray. Layer in the and sky, such as the
trees from the top buildings and trees,
down using the tip of etc., with gray and
the brush. create shading.

76 CHAPTER 3
 As the buildings are in silhouette and
use a dark color, it’s a good idea to
paint the sky first, covering the areas
where the buildings will overlap.

All done!

12 Color
gray.
the buoy with light

A pen creates
sharper lines
than a pencil

13 Once dry, use a fine-tipped

pen to draw the top of the
tower and other details.

14 Layer the areas where

the color seems faint and
adjust the overall layout.

Painting Landscapes 77
LESSON Painting Landscapes 2 Photo

13 Buildings by a Canal
To depict the buildings along a small Venetian
canal in a two-dimensional composition,
focus on capturing the overall texture without
getting too caught up in the details of plaster
walls, brick facades and tinted windows.
This approach will give your painting a more
authentic and atmospheric feel.

A postcard-size sketch of
this scene can be found in
the Appendix under “G.”

Colors to Use

Wall
Ecru
ŸYellow Ochre Combined
ŸOpera Rose colors

Ocher (Yellow Ochre)

Bricks
ŸBurnt Umber Combined
ŸCadmium Yellow Hue colors

Pink (Opera Rose)

Plants
Green (Sap Green)
Blue-green
ŸViridian Hue Combined
ŸIndigo colors

Deep Red (Alizarin Crimson Hue)

Windows • Shutters • Postbox •

Downspout • Lamp • Railings
Blue-green
ŸViridian Hue Combined
ŸIndigo colors

Dark Brown
ŸBurnt Umber Combined
ŸGray colors

Gray (Payne’s Gray)

Water Surface • Shadow

Navy Blue (Indigo)

Blue-green (Viridian Hue)

78 CHAPTER 3
1 Light

With a pencil,
draw the boundary
between the water
and the wall, and
use that as a guide
to roughly draw
the straight-lined
elements, such as
the window frames
and downspout.

2
Draw in the plants,
lamp and plant pots.
Mark the top of the
arch and draw curved
lines to join it to the
pillar sections.

3 Paying attention to the direction of the light, color

the shadows using pale navy blue. Color the areas
in the canal toward the back darker and around the
narrow window frames lighter.

4 5
Color the whitish Color the top left
window frames and wall with light
the arch using ecru. ocher. While the
paint is still damp,
add dark ocher to
create shading.

Painting Landscapes 79
 7
While the paint from
step 6 is still damp,
color the mossy
area with green and
blur it with water
where you want to
let it bleed.

Using pink,
color on top
of the shadow
8
from step 3
Color the top right
wall with light pink.

6 Color the bottom half of the wall using the brick

color. While the paint is still damp, add pink to
create a change in color and give a sense of texture.

9 10
Once the paint from
Color the plants
step 7 is dry, paint
with green. Layer
horizontal lines and
them partially
dots for the bricks
with blue-green to
using the brick color.
create shading.
Color the top right
window using light
brick color.

Depict leaves in
clusters instead of
painting each one
separately

You don’t have to color every single

brick. Add shading by creating a
combination of lines and dots where it
looks dark along the boundaries

80 CHAPTER 3
11Color the shutters and postbox using dark blue-
green and the inside part of the windows on the 12 Color the window frames and plant pots using
dark brown.
first floor with gray.

Layering
with the same
color creates
clearly visible
shading on
the water

13 Color the railings and downspouts with light gray,

and then layer with dark gray to add shading and 14 With blue-green, paint horizontal lines on the
shutters of the top left window and color the
contrast. canal. Layer with the same color in areas that
look darker to add shading.

Painting Landscapes 81
 All done!

15
Once all the paint is dry, color the
flowers using dark red, and the
lamp with dark gray. Once dry,
use a pencil to add the details.

While this is a composition that

focuses on a section of the
buildings, avoid filling the entire
paper with the image. Instead,
leave a margin of about 2/5 in
(1 cm) around the work. This
creates an impression of wider
space and a sense of openness
in your artwork.

82 CHAPTER 3
 EXPERT TIPS 6

Try Painting a Travel Scene

These are a collection of watercolor sketches from my trip to Paris. Think about representative
motifs and compositions that convey the atmosphere of your travel destination.

p A flower shop in Paris with a colorful array of flowers.

You can use colors to convey the atmosphere without
needing to paint detailed flowers.

q Seats on a restaurant terrace give the

impression of strong sunlight when contrasting
shadows are added. p When you think of Paris, you think
of the Eiffel Tower. With a well-known
building, the painting can of course be of
the entire structure, but even just a part of
it will create an impression.

t A decorative
window at the Louvre.
Think of a window as
a picture frame.

Painting Landscapes 83
 LESSON Painting Landscapes 3

14 Cherry Blossoms and a Pagoda

The scenery at Tō-ji Temple, Kyoto, in the spring is perfect for
a seasonal picture postcard. The cherry blossoms are created
using blurring and done all at once, not one by one.

Colors to Use Photo

Cherry Blossoms Pagoda

Pink (Opera Rose) Gray (Payne’s Gray)
Dark Dark
ŸBurnt Umber Combined ŸBurnt Umber Combined
ŸGray colors ŸGray colors

Sky • Foliage
Blue (Intense Blue) A postcard-size sketch of this
Green (Sap Green) scene can be found in the
Appendix under “H.”

84 CHAPTER 3
1 With a pencil, roughly mark the position of the
cherry tree trunk and branches using faint lines and 2 Determine and mark the positions of the top and
corners of the pagoda’s roof tiers and connect the
determine the overall composition. points with lines to create the overall shape.

Enhance the perspective

Check to make sure the
by making the foreground
pink blossom paint has
blossoms slightly darker
dried first
Color the roof where the
cherry blossoms cover it
with light pink too

3 Color the whole cherry blossom canopy as a unit

using light pink, and for the cherry trees in the 4 Once the paint from step 3 has dried, color the
pagoda roof and the finial on top with light gray.
foreground, layer the color mainly over the branches
to create shading.

Color as if laying
the paint in place

Don’t use straight lines around the

blossoms. Instead, use light blue
to create the impression of the
flowering branches

5 When the paint from step 4 has dried, color the sky
using light blue, adding shading. Start by coloring 6 Color the foliage around the base of the blossoms
using green and add shading.
the edge of the roof, making sure the color doesn’t
stray out of the lines.

Painting Landscapes 85
7 Once all the paint is dry, color the eaves and walls
with dark brown. Layer the areas that are in shadow 8 Add more gray to the roof and finial.
to make them darker.

It’s fine to change the

direction of the paper to
make it easier to draw

9 Paint the trunk and branches using dark brown.

Make the trunks and branches of the trees in the 10 Paint the lines of the roof tiles with gray.
foreground darker and the ones in the distance
lighter.

11 Paint the finial and the wind chimes at the tips of

the eaves using simple gray lines. This approach 12 Once all the paint is dry, use a pencil to add the
fine branches and details of the pagoda.
will avoid overcomplicating the composition.

86 CHAPTER 3
 Add another final layer
if you feel the pink color
of the blossoms is not
strong enough.

All done!

Note
Use Perspective for
Tree-lined Streets
As with cherry blossoms, if
you use perspective for tree-
lined streets, it makes them
easy to paint. Make the trees
in the foreground larger and
a darker color, while making
the ones in the background
smaller and lighter in color.

Painting Landscapes 87
 LESSON Painting Landscapes 4

15 A Cityscape with Depth

This is a beautiful cityscape looking along the Grand Canal in Venice. This
composition may seem difficult at first glance, but the key to easily creating
a dramatic scene is to determine the position of the buildings and simplify
the other parts.

Colors to Use Photo

Sky Buildings
Blue (Intense Blue) Ocher (Yellow Ochre)

Pink (Opera Rose)

Water Surface • Shadow
Brown (Burnt Sienna)
Gray (Payne’s Gray)
Dark Brown (Burnt Umber)
Blue-green (Viridian Hue)
Blue-gray
Navy Blue (Indigo) ŸPayne’s Gray Combined A postcard-size sketch of this
ŸIndigo colors scene can be found in the
Appendix under “H.”

88 CHAPTER 3
1 With a pencil, draw the horizon line and the vertical
line of the building on the left. Use those as a guide 2 Draw the vertical line for the building on the right in
the foreground.
to draw the curved line of the buildings and canal.

3 Roughly draw the vertical lines of the other buildings. 4 Draw the angled lines of the roofs, and adjust each
of the shapes.

Note This building will be

emphasized as
Be Aware of Perspective the main focus
As a straight road or railway line gets closer to the
horizon, it appears to gradually become narrower.
The technique for showing perspective uses this
principle. Setting a vanishing point on the horizon
and drawing lines toward it enables you to express
distance and depth, as well as create a three-
dimensional effect.

Vanishing
Horizon point
(eye-level)

5 Drawing the small windows at the center and the

two ends of each row first will help create a good
guide for filling in the remainder.

Painting Landscapes 89
 6 Color the shaded sides of the buildings using
pale navy blue, while paying attention to the
direction of the light.

Light

7 Color the shadow of the buildings cast on

the water, the moorings, windows and other
details using pale navy blue.

Leave this area only

lightly tinted to create
the appearance of clouds

8 Apply water to the area of sky near the roofs. 9 Starting from the top, color the sky with blue. When
you reach the area wet with water from step 8, the
color will bleed and get lighter.

90 CHAPTER 3
10 background
Color distant architecture ( ) in the
using light ocher, and closer
architecture ( ) with ocher. Then, layer the
paint to increase the color saturation and
create shading.

11 Color the building in the background

using light pink, and for the wall of the
building in the foreground, use brown.

12 Once the sky is dry, color the roofs with

diluted dark brown.

Painting Landscapes 91
 13
Color the windows without shutters using gray
and leave the white window frames uncolored.

Leave some of the

windows uncolored

14
Once all the paint is dry, draw in details such as
the roofs, boat moorings and balconies with a
pencil.

15
Color the whole surface of the water with
blue-green. Color some of the windows in the
foreground buildings too. Color the areas of the
buildings that are in shadow with navy blue to
add shading.

92 CHAPTER 3
16 Take a look at the whole composition and
reinforce areas where you feel the color is not 17 Color the boats in the foreground with dark
blue-green, and for the lowest parts of the
strong enough using the same colors. buildings, add dark brown. Once all the paint
is dry, add the outline of the white building on
the right with a pencil to create a sharp look.

Don’t add too much detail, as in this way

the sense of perspective will be lost. By
deciding which details to paint and which to
leave out, your work will have a clear focus.
All done!

Painting Landscapes 93
 EXPERT TIPS 7

Try Painting Seasonal Postcards

There are times when pictures can convey something more eloquently than words. Why not try
sending a picture postcard that matches the season? Add your personal message along with the
watercolor sketch.

p The inspiring form of Mount Fuji makes the perfect motif for New
Year’s cards. Use the white of the paper to create the snow on the
summit and the surrounding clouds.
p Color the gradation of
the sunrise first, and then
add the silhouettes of
Mount Fuji and the trees.

t Explore Japanese motifs,

such as this whimsical
arrangement showing beans
for throwing at an evil spirit
during the Setsubun Festival,
held on the day before the
beginning of spring. Try using
seasonal events as a theme
for sketching.

94 CHAPTER 3
 q If you make a single tree the main focus
and paint it all the way to its crown, that
towering tree will form the basis of an
impressive picture.

p A sketch for early summer with beautiful verdant

foliage. By using bold colors, it’s easy to give the
impression of dazzling sunlight.

t Create a colorful q Here is a painting of tree branches

finish, while taking care that have lost all their leaves, with a
not to mix the color of clear blue winter sky as a backdrop.
the autumn leaves with Color the blue sky, leaving the areas
the blue of the sky. for clouds uncolored. Then, paint the
branches last.

Painting Landscapes 95
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 APPENDIX
A
q Orange
q Eggplant

u These are the underdrawings of the watercolor paintings that appear in this book. Although the paper used here
is not watercolor paper, you can cut them out, paint on them, and use them as postcards.
Place
Stamp
Here

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APPENDIX B
q Radish q Cherry Tomatoes and Snap Peas
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Here

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APPENDIX C
q Herbs q A Sunflower
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APPENDIX D
q A Rose q A Bouquet
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Here

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APPENDIX E
q Coffee and Cake q A Cat
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Here

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APPENDIX F
q A Dog q A Child
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APPENDIX G
q Sunset and Sea q Buildings by a Canal
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APPENDIX H
q Cherry Blossoms and a Pagoda q A Cityscape with Depth
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