Learn to PLAN & PAINT a Chateau & landscape in 9 easy steps.

Here I talk about the drawing that will form the basis for the painting. I will explain how I went about it and why and there will be the drawing for you to download to trace/transfer if you wish.

I have also taken photos in sections with explanations which will asisst you when you work on a new painting of your own composition.

In the resources below:

!) A photo of some stage scenery to give you the idea of thinking about a landscape in layers.

2) The photograph of the painting

3) The tracing of the main section, the buildings

I will explain during the video why I suggest you stick to certain colours, not just for realism but also that your painting may have cohesion and not become confusing by mixing too many different colours.

Don't forget to get the best  watercolour paper you can afford 300 gm/140 lb not (textured) or smooth (hot) it;s your choice. Use two jars of water, one for washing your brush and one for mixing your colours, this way they will stay brighter. A selection of brushes, your paints and some absorbent kitchen paper.

In the resources below:

1) a photo of the colours with their names

2) PDF s with more background information about the materials

We will get the wash in here first. It is the biggest area requiring a big wash. So don't be intimidated, we'll do it together, then that's the hardest stage out of the way. Yippee !

This video may look a little different as I have changed the camera format to help you see the painting easier, I hope. Here we are starting to work our way down the painting, doing the distant trees and the buildings.

In the resources below:

1) and 2) two pictures of the buildings.

We have started at the top with the sky and now we are moving our way down. And now we will start to paint the scenery furthest away, the hills and gradually come forward.

In the resources below:

1) a photo of the colour palette

Here we will start to add more greens in different shades, remembering that the more distant the colours, the more pale they get.

I will take you though some of the gaps I filled in, off camera, and show you how to create the impression of a window and how to lift some colour from the paper

Here  return to the chateau, after lifting a lot of it out, to paint it back in.

This lecture illustrates how flexible watercolours CAN be, it you know what to do. I zoomed in on the area, so every flaw is revealed. But remember this is not even how I saw it with the naked eye. I did it so you could see the process. Remember, people seldom look at your work under a magnifying glass.

Here I will show you how I mixed my shades of greens, keeping to the limited palette.

Remember to keep changing you water.Two jars, one for rinsing your brush and one for mixing your colours.

Also bear in mind that as pools of colour stay on the palette, there may be some evaporation and so the colours will become more intense.

In the resources below I have added :

1) colour chart which I made with the yellows and blue in my paint box. Why don't you do the same?

2) a photo of my palette, to show you how the paint mixes can evaporate and become more intense.

3) a slide show of some photos of greens in nature.

Here I will take you through the process I used for painting in the vines. I zoomed in so you could get a better look and it looks quite messy when you just concentrate on one area this close. Remember when you finish the viewer will be looking at it as a whole.

In the resources below:

1) a photograph of the nearly finished painting. It's at this stage that you can start to see what areas you need to go back to and make any adjustments.

This lecture has been added following advice from the clever people at Udemy.

Happy painting, Nicola

Following on from what you have learned on course I thought I would add this short film to show you some of the scenery where I live and to ask you to consider, if you were going to do a painting of the view, how would you go about it.

So bearing in mind what you know now, take a look at this and see what ideas occur to you.

What would be your composition?

What colours would you select?

How would you plan the painting process?

What special painting effects and techniques might you choose?

These are all question you can ask yourself when ever you look at any subject.

Enjoy the view and if you decide to paint a picture don't forget to share it.