Steps To The Victorian House Watercolor Painting

My Urban Sketchers Workshop just met for the third time and I am really impressed with the enthusiasm and the improvement shown by the members. After one of my earlier demonstrations and working with the students individually, I sat in the shade and painted this little watercolor. I’ve been preaching that there are subjects everywhere so I chose this subject to make that point. I enjoy including things that overlap the foreground, middle ground and background, like this tree trunk, because they add depth to a painting. The cast shadows across the steps and sidewalk create a sense of sunlight and the interesting fence is characteristic of the neighborhood. I love these days when I get to paint with other artists and we get to share what we have done and what we have learned. These watercolor sketches that I do on location have a freshness and spontaneity that is hard to match and I am well aware that they improve my studio work.