Barbara Roth - Anywhere Anytime Art Watercolor - 2017

Anywhere, Anytime Art

watercolor
AN artist’s guide to Painting on the go!

Barbara Roth

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Quarto is the authority on a wide range of topics.
Quarto educates, entertains, and enriches the lives of our readers—
enthusiasts and lovers of hands-on living.
www.quartoknows.com
© 2017 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.

Published by Walter Foster Publishing,
a division of Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.
All rights reserved. Walter Foster is a registered trademark.
Artwork © Barbara Roth, except photographs on pages 4, 9, 16, and 36 © Eileen

Condon and photographs on pages 6-8, 10-11, 32, 39 © Shutterstock
Design: Melissa Gerber

Project Editor: Lindsay Hathaway
Digital edition: 978-1-63322-430-8
Softcover edition: 978-1-63322-195-6
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permission of the copyright owners. All images in this book have been reproduced
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arising from the contents of this publication. Every effort has been made to ensure that
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This book has been produced to aid the aspiring artist. Reproduction of work for study
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Table of Contents
Introduction .............................................................. 4
Tools & Materials ..................................................... 6
Anyone Can Draw .....................................................12
Watercolor Made Simple .........................................18
Lessons in Color Theory ....................................... 24
Making Art on the Go ............................................ 28
Painting From Reference Material....................... 40
step-by-step painting projects
Desk with a View................................................ 42
Laundry Day ......................................................... 48
Giverny Florals .................................................. 54
True Italiano........................................................60
Beachside Dreaming .............................................66
Reader’s Paradise ................................................ 76
Ciao, Vespa ........................................................... 82
The Meadow Lamb ................................................. 90
La Tour Eiffel ...................................................... 96
Monet’s Garden, Revisited ................................102
Archway Luncheon .............................................110
Mountainside Sunset ..........................................120
About the Author ..................................................128

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Introduction
What if I said you
could learn a skill
that would help
you reduce stress,
better observe
the world around
you, find joy, and
increase your
appreciation for
the colors, shades,
and textures that
surround you?
It’s easier
than you think!
I’ve watched tons
of students learn
to do it over the years. And you can too.
This skill is making anywhere, anytime art. It’s the ability to grab a pencil, pen, or
brush and draw any image that captures your interest. I’ve had countless students succeed,
even those who believed they had no artistic abilities or hadn’t picked up a paintbrush
since kindergarten.
But even after you’ve learned technique, the struggle to make art still remains. We’re
usually left trying to find time for artistry in the midst of our to-do lists, which got me
thinking about making art creation more accessible.
My own obsession with making anywhere, anytime art has developed over the
last 20 years. I’ve loved painting since I was a little girl, but as I grew older, so did the
demands on my personal time. I soon struggled with finding the time to draw and paint
for myself.
My difficulties were nothing new, and I began to listen to many of my students’
ongoing frustrations with finding the time to fit art creation into their own busy lives.
After talking about their personal struggles to make art outside of class, I came up with
some ideas for solving this problem and tested many strategies, tools, and pieces of
equipment. The results of those findings are the inspiration for this book.

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What You Will Learn
Within these pages, you will learn how to paint and sketch in a short period of time. Best
of all, you’ll learn to do it wherever and whenever you want with a relaxed attitude, even
when the results aren’t perfect. No matter your creative roadblocks, this book can help.
• Where should I set up to make art? Learn to set up a portable art studio in your
home or wherever you want to create.
• My time is limited. How long will this take? Get the materials to assemble your
“Anywhere Art Bag” and working space, and start creating art within 10 minutes.
• My drawing and painting skills are weak at best. Can you help me improve?
Yes! If you put in the practice, I’ll provide the easy-to-understand basic painting
and sketching instructions and tips. The step-by-step paintings in this book are
specifically crafted to help you develop your skills and gain confidence in your
artistic abilities.
• How can I make something great every time I sit down to paint? You can’t.
Drawing and painting are like learning a new language. You might fumble over
a few areas here and there, but with time and practice, you’ll be fluent before you
know it.
• Art stores are overwhelming. Which supplies should I use? Learn the necessary
tools and equipment to ease your creative process. Then explore the shop aisles
to assemble your own supply stash, or try some earth-friendly ways to make art
supplies out of recycled and repurposed items.
• I hate being cooped up at home. Can I paint and draw outside my house?
Pre-planning is your friend. Figure out what supplies you need to create quickly and
efficiently in the location and timeframe that work for you.
• How can I find a subject worth committing to art? Develop your artistic eye, and
learn how to find a quality image anywhere.
• I don’t have any grand travel plans in the near future. Do I have to be in an exotic
location to make art? Of course not! Find something worthwhile to draw and paint
wherever you are. Inspiration is everywhere, just waiting to be discovered.
Welcome to making art anywhere and at any time. If you struggle with finding the
ability to make art more often, this book is for you. Sit down, grab your favorite drink,
and get ready to unleash the artist within.

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Tools & Materials
Set Your Space

If you have the room for it, set up a desk as your main area to work from and store your
materials on an ongoing basis. It doesn’t need to be a new or fancy setup, just a comfort-
able height where you can work. Mine’s an old drafting tabletop set atop two trestle
stands. Once you’ve set up your space, keep the area bright—so you can see colors accu-
rately—using a desk lamp and full-spectrum light bulb.
No room for a desk? A large tray will do in a pinch. Just make sure it’s big enough to
fit your art supplies and carry around wherever you paint. And if you’re really on the go,
try a wooden box that will fit on your lap for painting in the passenger seat of a car.

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The Essentials
I recommend using a journal for
your ongoing (and on-the-go) art as
opposed to carrying pieces of loose-
leaf paper. It’s easier to contain, and
you can flip through for a sense of
accomplishment as your skills grow.
You can buy preassembled water-
color journals, or make your own.
I prefer a stitched binding to spiral
coils, because the coils are bulky
and difficult to work with when
trying to draw a landscape across a spread. While in the paper section of your art-supply
store, also pick up some graphite paper for tracing.
I like Moleskine journals. the paper is excellent for watercolor painting, and the pages are
tightly stitched. Depending on how much room and time I have for painting, my favorite journal
sizes to work with are 3"x5", 8"x5", and 8"x11".
Start with at least 1 paint palette,

and build out your collection as
needed from there. I suggest keeping
3 different-sized palettes on hand to
use depending on where you go to
paint. For painting in restaurants,
bars, airplanes, or other places with
limited space, I converted a mint tin
into a small-sized palette filled with
watercolor paint. For slightly larger
spaces, I use a 2½" x 3½" pocket-
sized palette made from a bigger
mint tin.
Artist-quality paints provide more color and less filler. But student-quality paints
work too if you’re on a budget or just starting out. I prefer to buy my watercolor paint in
tubes and squeeze them into the pans in my palettes.

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To achieve variety in your brushstrokes, you’ll need an assortment of
Flat brushes. Keep different of brush types and sizes on hand. I suggest
the following:
Liner or rigger
• Rigger or liner brush
• ½” square brush
Small round
• Size 5 standard-size round
white sable paintbrush
Medium round • Size 6 round brush
• Size 10 round brush
Large round
My favorite brushes have very short handles so that they can easily fit into small spaces. I don’t
believe you need to spend a lot on brushes to get good results. Synthetic brushes in the $5 to $15
range paint well.
Color Palette
I occasionally branch out in my color choices, but the
ones I most often prefer to keep in my palette are:
• burnt sienna • quinacridone magenta

• cerulean blue • sap green
• cobalt blue • scarlet lake
• dioxazine purple (or carbazole violet) (red-orange)
• lemon yellow • phthalo blue
• new gamboge (mustard yellow) • ultramarine blue
• permanent red (lipstick red) • yellow ochre
• permanent rose

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Your primary sketching pencils will be 2B. If
you prefer a darker line that you can smudge for I like to draw with #2 HB
shading, I recommend using 4B or 6B pencils. pencils, and I also keep a .07
Water-soluble graphite pencils in medium or
mechanical pencil on me. the
dark are handy for quick shading by brushing
water over the pencil line. I also suggest using a white eraser doesn’t smudge
blending stump to shade by rubbing it along the watercolor paper, and I never
pencil lines. have to worry about sharpening.
When you have enough room to bring them
along, watercolor pencils are ideal for drawing in
a hurry. You can brush water on them later, and
they almost look like paint. I usually bring them
on the go in an assortment of colors.
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Utility & Utensils
Carry your tools in a sturdy zippered bag. Choose a portable size that allows you to grab
your tools and go out and sketch at a moment’s notice. Cosmetic bags are a good size and
usually waterproof, which is ideal in case of spills.
Carry your brushes on the go in a roll-up

brush holder to keep the tips from getting
damaged. You can easily make one out of a
piece of felt or a placemat.
For sharpening large and small pencils, get a multi-size sharp-
ener with a barrel to collect the shavings. This will especially come in hand if you
sketch somewhere without access to a trash can. My favorite sharpener fits on top of my
pencil.
Another sketching must-have is a good eraser. I prefer the kneaded or soft white
kinds, because they don’t ruff up or smudge my paper like those pink ones typically found
on pencils.
Pens aren’t necessary, but I like having the option to use one if I want a harder, darker
line in my artwork. Just make sure they’re waterproof. I like using sepia and sanguine
(dark reddish-brown) ink in most of my art, but you may prefer black.
I keep my pens, pencils, and travel brushes in the pockets of a 5"x6 1/2" canvas fabric folder that
fits perfectly into my art-supply bag. It keeps me organized so I don’t lose any equipment.
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Extra Supplies for Finishing Touches
• White crayon or piece of wax for the wave foam in ocean
paintings
• White magic-erasing sponge for erasing paint mistakes
• Toilet paper (“artist’s tissue”) or facial tissue for dabbing to
absorb excess water and paint
• Pen filled with masking fluid to preserve the paper and draw thin
white lines
• Binder clips for holding your journal pages open and for clipping
your palette to the edge of your journal
• Viewfinder for finding and framing your painting subjects
• Value finder for ensuring that you’ve included enough values in
your painting
• Angle finder for measuring angles
Bring along a folding or stacking water

container if you like, but you can usually find a
paper cup and some water, so I consider this
optional.
Place all of these supplies in a messenger bag
or tote, and you’re set to paint anywhere, anytime.
If you find a subject outside

with nowhere nearby to sit, a
small folding stool or chair
is helpful, but it’s certainly
not necessary. When I travel,
there usually isn’t enough
room in my suitcase for my
chair, so I bring along an old
messenger bag to fold up and
sit on. I can usually find a
seat somewhere with a view I
want to paint.
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Anyone Can Draw
Learning to draw isn’t a special skill that only artistic people are born with, and it’s not
as difficult as you might think. After many years of studying drawing books and teaching
classes, I’ve discovered that drawing comes down to a handful of necessary skills and
practicing them. So grab some paper, a pencil, and an eraser, and start now.
Using Photographic Inspiration

You may find that working from a photographic image is easier when you’re just starting
out, since you don’t have to battle varying weather conditions. Further simplify the
drawing process by folding your photo into quarters, and loosely sketch one section at
a time.
It’s all about breaking an image down to its most basic shapes. See how I applied
these concepts to a drawing of an old French abbey (for painting instructions, see
“Watercolor Made Simple” on page 18).
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Step 1
Divide your paper into quarters, lightly drawing a vertical and a horizontal line, and
sketch a section at a time, moving your pencil quickly in what’s called a “gesture drawing
technique.”
Then open up your folded photo, and compare it to your drawing. Add any
necessary additional lines or shapes in your sketch.
Step 2
If something is slightly off but the overall drawing looks fine, don’t worry about it
being perfect. If your drawing doesn’t look right, check the proportions using a unit of
measurement.
My unit of measurement for this drawing was the width of the front rounded
building, which I compared to the height of the little building from its base to the
conical tip as well as other parts of the scene. I adjusted the size of the drawing by
holding my unit of measurement up to the drawing and figuring out the sizes of other
parts of the building.
Unit of Unit of
Measurement Measurement
for photo for drawing
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Vanishing
Point Eye Level
STEP 3
Add some simple shading to better define the shapes, smudging with a blending stump.
Then find where the eye looked directly straight ahead when taking the photo. This is
called the “eye level” and will help determine a one-point perspective and the vanishing
point for any smaller, distant elements, such as the lavender plants in my sketch.
STEP 4
Determine the biggest shape beneath each detailed
image. It may be a rectangle, like the foliage of the
tree in front of the abbey. To add further detail, like
the curved shape of the tree foliage, draw several
small circles and ovals. Pay attention to detail. The
top of the tree is on a slant, so sketch a slanted top on
the large rectangle, then draw around the outside of
the shapes to form the general outline of the treetop.
Draw all of your basic shapes.
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STEP 5
Add details by slowly moving your pencil on the paper as your eye follows the object.
Sketching without looking at the paper may feel awkward at first, but practice makes
close to perfect. Glance at your drawing only when changing line direction or if you sense
you’re veering off.
Then finalize your sketch, squinting at the photo to focus on the values of light,
medium, dark, and very dark for any shading needs. Step back to assess your drawing, and
adjust anything that looks off.
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Drawing from Experience
Very few people can draw perfectly without a point of reference. I find most of my own
drawing subjects in my surrounding environment and in photographs. Over time, you’ll
train your eye to look for art subjects around you.
This can initially be confusing because you see so much at once, but you can easily
make two tools at home to help narrow your search: a viewfinder and an angle finder.
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DIY viewfinder
Make a viewfinder by cutting a square in the center of an index card or repurposing an
empty slide mount, and look through it to frame your view—like looking through the
lens of your camera to find a picture.
DIY Angle Finder

Take two ¾” strips of cardboard (an empty cereal box is handy), and punch a hole at both
ends, connecting with a brad. Use this DIY angle finder when trying to draw anything at
an angle by holding one strip at a 90-degree vertical and adjusting the other to the angle
you see. Carefully lay down the slanted strip on your paper to trace the line along the
slant on your paper and quickly achieve perspective. Then sketch your chosen scene.
when your finalized sketch is done, you can either leave it or decide
to add paint. If you want to add paint, the next step is to copy,
trace, or draw the same sketch onto watercolor paper.
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Watercolor Made Simple
Watercolor painting is all about the amounts of water and paint used. It can be a little
difficult to control until you learn a few techniques. But if you’re willing to practice and
play with your colors, you’ll learn a very portable method of painting.
You can achieve a variety of looks using a multitude of techniques. I prefer the
following:
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Painting techniques pictured
Wet-into-Wet
Graded Wash
Flat Wash
Wet-on-Dry Paint
Color-into-Color Softened Edges
Glazing Wet-on-Dry Paper
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Basic Painting Techniques explained
Flat wash: Prop up watercolor paper on a support board, and dip your brush in a puddle
of paint. Then touch it to the paper, guiding the paint in a horizontal direction as it forms
a small bead of paint. Gently nudge the bead along in a horizontal stroke. When the
bead is almost gone, reload your brush with paint, and touch it to the spot where the bead
disappeared. Continue replacing the bead where it disappears to avoid forming a line as
the paint dries.
Graded wash: Create a lighter color effect down the page by filling the brush with water
instead of paint. More water is added with each stroke, so the color fades gradually as you
work your way down.
Wet-into-wet: For a liquid-looking wash on subjects like skies, bodies of water, and large
flower petals, spread clean water on your paper with a clean brush, and then dip a soupy
puddle of paint into the wet area.
Color-into-color: Place two colors close enough to touch and mix together.
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Wet-on-dry paint: Add new paint onto a layer of dried paint.
Softened edges: Blend an additional layer or soften an edge using a damp

brush, and wiggle it parallel to the hard edge until the paint blurs. A slightly
stiffer brush works well for this.
Glazing: Layer watery washes on top of each other. Each wash must be
completely dry before you add another so that the colors don’t mix. This builds
depth and can result in a luminous effect.
Wet-on-dry paper: Apply wet paint onto dry paper for the most control over
your paint and crisper edges.
Fixing mistakes: Mistakes are part of the painting process, but here are a few ways to
fix them:
• Paint clean water over the mistake, and dab it with a tissue to lift off the paint.
• Rub the paint off with a wet eraser cleaning sponge; then dab and repeat if
necessary.
• Use a damp, stiff brush (a scrubber) to lift off the paint, but be gentle to avoid
ruining your paper.
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Adding color
Using the finished drawing from page 15 as an example, here are some basic watercolor
techniques to turn a pencil drawing into a colorful painting.
Step 1 Step 3
Brush a little water across the sky area Let the trees dry before painting the
above the mountains. Then mix a puddle abbey with a mix of cerulean blue, yellow
of cerulean blue, touching the brush to ochre, and a touch of violet. Then use blue
the wet sky area and letting the blue float and violet to add darker blue strokes to
across the sky. While still very wet, add the building when the first layer of paint
more blue paint at the top. is dry.
Step 2 Step 4
Next, paint the lavender rows with a Using the wet-on-dry technique, add
mixture of permanent rose and ultrama- strokes of burnt sienna and yellow ochre
rine blue. (If you paint the mountains in front of the fence, under the tree, and
while the sky is still wet, the colors will between the rows of lavender. Then mix
bleed into each other, which may not be some permanent magenta with yellow
your desired outcome.) Use the wet-in- ochre to paint the roof when the front of
to-wet technique for the lavender, trees, the building is dry.
and building.
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Step 5
Combine a dull mixture of sap green, violet, and cerulean blue for one side of the moun-
tains, brushing differing amounts of color-into-color, letting them mix on the paper. For
the mountain on the right, use a mix of ultramarine blue and burnt sienna.
Step 6
Brush clean water on the first row of lavender plants, floating in a bright layer of color
to add atmospheric perspective. Let the layer dry, and then add details with darker paint.
Add a few more details wet-on-dry, and then look at the painting from a distance to
assess the overall look. You might want to add a few smaller details.
TIP: Lightly touch the paint with your

finger to tell if it's dry. In a hurry? Use a
hair dryer to speed up the drying process.
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Lessons in Color Theory
Like numbers on a clock, there are 12 colors on the color wheel. Knowing this can help
you remember the colors. Color mixing also becomes much easier when you know a little
about how it works. When painting, keep a color wheel handy.
the color wheel

Getting to know the color wheel will help you understand color relationships. Knowing
where colors lie in relation to each other can help you group harmonious and contrasting
colors, which can be used to communicate a certain mood or message.
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color terms
The primary colors are red, blue, and yellow. These can be mixed to create any other
color, but the other colors cannot be mixed to create primaries. Secondary colors are
green, orange, and violet. Two of the primaries can be mixed to create secondary colors.
For example, blue and yellow make green, and red and yellow make orange. Tertiary
colors, such as red-orange and blue-green, are created from a mixture of a primary and a
secondary color.
A hue is the color itself, intensity means the strength of a color, and value is the rela-
tive lightness or darkness of a color.
Exercise
Try filling in a blank color wheel with the watercolors in your own
palette, keeping in mind what you just learned about the color wheel.
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Complementary & Analogous colors
Colors opposite each other on the wheel are called “complements.” If you mix a color
with its complement, they dull each other in varying degrees, depending on the amount
of each color in the mix. Equal amounts produce a neutralized color.
Neighboring colors, called “analogous,”
generally mix well without becoming dull. Don’t fear muddy colors; it‘s important
Brighten a color by mixing in a brighter
to know how to dull a color or create
neighbor, or combine some of a darker
neighbor to darken a color. a neutral, especially for landscapes.
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COLOR Temperatures
To determine if a color is warm or cool, think of sunshine versus the ocean and the sky.
Yellow, orange, and red are warm shades, while cool colors span blues and greens. Color
temperatures are relative, depending on their color surroundings. Warm colors appear to
come forward in a painting, and cool colors appear to recede.
if you Place
complementary colors
next to each other in a
painting, it will appear
more vibrant and draw
the eye to that spot.
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Making Art on the Go
Making art on the go doesn’t require fancy equipment and years of art training. You just
need to keep your eyes open, avoid being easily embarrassed, and be able to tolerate less
than perfection in your paintings and sketches.
It’s not about creating masterpieces; it’s about looking closely and responding to what
you see around you. It’s about recording memories or moments in time to recall later and
savor again. It’s about seeing colors, shapes, and shadows that you never noticed before.
It’s about what is important to you—committing to memory what interests you and what
you can find wherever you are.
And most of all, to make art on the go, you need to be able to locate your art supplies
quickly. They need to be portable, durable, and packed in a simple bag to take with you
wherever you go.
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mobile mediums: because the supplies are light and minimal, and since its paintings dry quickly,
watercolor is an obvious medium of choice for artists on the go. it‘s not the only easily
transportable art medium, however. crayons, markers, gouache, pencils, pens, pastels, and oil paints
are all portable and great options for creating art while out and about. what is your favorite
medium for on-the-go creativity?
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Finding a Location at Home
Your home art nook should ideally allow you to leave your supplies out so you don’t waste
time finding and setting up your stuff when you find a free moment. Create your art spot
somewhere close to where you spend most of your time so you can easily dash over to
paint. If you have to climb the stairs to get to your attic studio, chances are you won’t find
much time to paint.
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I’ve only recently created a dedicated art room. For many years, I painted from a drafting table
in my bedroom or found somewhere to paint whenever the kids were playing. Now, my home studio
is in a little room near my kitchen, where I wander over to work whenever I’m waiting for
something to bake or water to boil. But I don’t always draw in my studio. Often, I roam around my
house finding interesting things to paint. My favorite is to check in on my dog lounging in the
living room.
Look for a spot in your house with room to open your sketchbook and set out your
supplies, such as a counter, small desk, shelf, or card table. You’ll also need a desk lamp
with a full-spectrum light bulb for seeing colors accurately. If you want to paint in bed,
invest in a bed tray to hold your supplies.
Don’t set your supplies on your kitchen table. If you use the table for meals, you’ll
constantly have to put away your supplies to eat, and then take them back out. It’ll
become tedious and discourage you from painting.
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Creating a Portable Studio
You’ll find more subjects to paint when you leave your house. If you keep everything
together in one portable container—such as a tray, basket, toolbox, or bag—you can easily
take your art supplies with you on the go.
Anywhere you paint outside of your house, you’re going to need a small, portable
art-supply container. Since this bag will go with you on your daily activities, you’ll have
to downsize your art supplies to fit. The first thing you’ll need is a small paint palette
filled with half pans of your favorite paint colors. Several small palettes are available, but
I prefer metal or tin ones with lids that close tightly to avoid leaks.
Add to your bag a sketchbook, pencil, eraser, pen, angle finder, viewfinder, water,
tissues, and small water container. A water brush is also great if you don’t have any water
nearby. Short-handled travel brushes can be preferable to water brushes; they give you
more control over the amount of water to mix with your paints. Also, include a clip or
two to clamp your palette onto your sketchbook and keep your hands free.
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After trying numerous containers, I have found that a zippered bag of about 8 1/2" x 6 1/2” works
best. My favorite art-supply tote is a child’s messenger bag I found at a Thrift shop. I’ve also used
cigar boxes, old tin lunch boxes, cardboard boxes, and crates.
palette picks
Choose reliable colors that you will use all the time, and learn what mixtures combine to
create new colors. Here are the colors I use most often in my small palette:
• Ultramarine blue
• Burnt sienna (combines with ultramarine blue to make dark brown)
• Permanent rose or permanent magenta (for anything pink or rose-colored)
• Cerulean blue (a soft gray-blue)
• Phthalo blue (an intense dark turquoise blue)
• Lemon yellow
• Lipstick red
• Sap green
• Scarlet lake or red-orange
• Yellow ochre
DIY & Recycled Art Supplies

If you don’t want to spend money on supplies made for creating art, you can create some
of your own out of other household items.
• Make your own palette out of a mint container by placing the plastic grids that fit
inside fluorescent lights into the tin to hold the paints. I’ve recently tried molding
polymer clay into mint tins, making holes, and filling them with paint. These work
great for mini travel kits too.
• Little jelly jars found in restaurants and hotels make great on-the-go water
containers, as do plastic water bottles cut in half. If you need a surface to mix your
paints on, use a china plate, and then clean it off afterward.
• If you’re feeling particularly crafty, vintage book covers and pages can make for fun
and beautiful covers for hand-bound sketchbooks. You can also make a brush and
art-supply rollup holder from a cloth napkin, placemat, or piece of felt.
Organizing the right supplies is crucial for successful on-the-go painting. If you realize you’re
missing your brushes or eraser once you get to your location, the process becomes difficult or
impossible. I find it’s worth my time to plan ahead, invest in good supplies, and be prepared.
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The Process Evoke Memories with Your Sketches.
You don’t need to go out with the inten-
On some of your more special drawings, try
tion to draw. Just bring along your art
bag as you go about your daily activities, recording a few sensory details to help you
so that it’s there when you do find an recall memories. You don’t need to write long
opportunity to paint or sketch. essays or even full sentences; shorthand is
Long waits in lines, doctors’ offices, enough. I may write something as simple as
or restaurants become perfect art oppor- “grandma’s house smells like potato chips,”
tunities with the right frame of mind.
Just pull out your supplies, and look for
“husband snoring,” or “caramel apple maple donut.”
something to draw. Then add paint if
you still have enough time. Use your regular brushes if you have fast access to a nearby
water fountain or sink; otherwise, your water brush will suffice.
When using a water brush, you’ll need to clean off the brush to change colors,
squeezing a drop of water onto the tip to wipe off on a tissue or napkin. When the wait
time is over (and your painting is interrupted), cover the painting with a tissue, close your
sketchbook, and take your chances. If you’re able to finish entirely, even better—just leave
your sketchbook open for the painting to dry. Remember: It’s not about making perfect
paintings; it’s about the process of enjoying what’s around you.
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Choosing Your Subjects
If you pay attention to what you find interesting, you’ll have plenty of subjects to sketch
and paint. If you like mailboxes, try your hand at all of the mailboxes in your neighbor-
hood. Interested in graphics, lettering, and signs? Sketch and paint the signage you see in
a journal. Crazy about wine? Paint a still life of the wine bottle on your restaurant table,
including the name on the label if you want to remember it. If you like animals, paint
your pets, or go to the zoo with your art bag in tow.
I happen to love shoes. I once sketched all of the new colors in a French department
store. Every time I open my journal to that painting, I remember how amazed I was at
the beautiful colors, and the memories instantly take me back. The point is: Paint what-
ever you like.
Inspiration at Your Fingertips: Not in the mood to

sketch something in your immediate environment? Keep
some photos or magazine pictures in an envelope glued
into your sketchbook. When you have some downtime,
pull out a picture and sketch from it.
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Challenging Locations
With a little ingenuity, it’s possible to paint anywhere, even under the following
circumstances.
No place to sit?
If ever I think there may not be somewhere to sit, I bring a small
foldup chair when I go out to sketch. The chair fits in my tote
bag and isn’t heavy. If you have no chair but see a view you want
to paint, your tote can also double as a place to sit. For this
reason, I prefer old tote bags to nice, new ones.
Odd and dark painting locations?

When you want to make art but the lighting is dim or dark, the
solution is simple: Add a small folding light to your bag to set
up beside you. I found one that’s smaller than a deck of cards and
runs on batteries. And I’m so glad I did! I drew one of my favorite
sketchbook drawings with watercolor pencils in a dark alcove of a
hotel, not worrying about the colors and just having fun. Looking
at the drawing even now still brings back all the memories of that
moment years ago.
Car painting?
Painting in the car
is great ... if you
aren’t the driver. I
use a wooden box with
a partition to hold
my water cup and as
a place to rest my
sketchbook. I usually
paint from photos in
the passenger seat,
but I’ve also parked
to paint a view out
the car window. This
works especially well
when it’s cold outside or you
need somewhere to sit.
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Travel Painting
I think the best way to really see
and savor a trip is to bring along a
small sketchbook and draw what you
like. Sitting in front of something
and examining its shapes and colors
really opens your eyes to appreciate
what you’re seeing. What better way
to enjoy Monet’s garden, the Eiffel
Tower, or the Washington Monu-
ment than by sketching it?
Keep your viewfinder tool (page
17) handy. Like using your camera
to capture a portion of what you see,
it will help simplify and frame what
you want in your painting.
I often paint on trains and
airplanes using my photos. I’ve tried
painting little sketches of what I
see out train and car windows, but I
find I want more time to look at my
subject, so I typically am not very
happy with the results.
Painting from your postcards and photos

on the way home from a trip keeps your
perspective fresh while the images and
colors are still clear in your mind.
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Exercises for Keeping up With Your Craft
You may not always feel inspired or in the mood, but it’s important to hone your skills.
If nothing in your surroundings inspires you to draw or paint, look around until you find
something you think you might be able to draw. Sketch it, and then draw whatever is
behind it, and so forth. Draw as much as you can in your line of vision without shifting
your view. This line-of-vision drawing exercise is also great for engaging your senses in
the morning as you sit down to breakfast or with a cup of coffee.
Another exercise to learn speed and focused depiction is to create 3-, 5- and
10-minute timed drawings. When your time is limited, you hurry up and draw without
thinking too much about it, learning to accept imperfection to get the bigger picture. And
that’s the key to on-the-go art!
Now that you understand what materials and ideas will enable you to draw and paint
anywhere, all that awaits is for you to put your kit together and create as often as you can.
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Special Permis
In museums or
s i o n to S k e tc h
other pl aces, you may
need permissi find yourself
on to sketch. somewhere you
signs are comm Although “pho
on, you’ll ra tography is no
rely see any t permitted”
I’ve occasion against drawin
ally been aske g. However,
docents. Once d to stop drawing
, a guard at by museum guar
Queen of Engl Wi ndsor Castle (one re ds and
and) told me sidence of th
permission of I was only pe e
the Windsor fa rmitted with
mily itself. the express
Queen’s invite I’m still wait
. ing for the
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Painting From
Reference Material
When you’re just starting out, painting from reference material is

a great way to learn, especially when you don’t immediately have
inspiration right in front of you. For many of the painting projects
throughout this book, I started from an initial piece of reference
material. When you think about it, all of the projects in this book are
now reference material for you!
When creating a painting using reference material like a
photograph, you’ll rarely work from something with a perfect
arrangement of values from the outset. Don’t be afraid to experi-
ment a bit before committing to starting the actual piece.
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Try making several small drawings in your sketchbook, experimenting with different
compositions and values to determine what you want in the finished painting. Do this by
making line sketches with shading (called “value sketches”) to test out your composition.
Once you’ve decided on a look you like, use this as your guide for thinking about colors
and the overall final design.
Then you have a couple of options for how to proceed, depending on your comfort
level and skill:
• Lightly freehand-draw it on your watercolor paper in pencil. A 2H pencil will make
a very light hard line that you can paint over.
• Trace it using graphite paper. Start by enlarging your small value sketch on a
computer or copier. Sandwich the graphite paper between your watercolor paper and
your drawing, and then trace the lines on your drawing through the graphite onto
the watercolor paper. If it leaves any graphite smudges, simply erase them with a
kneaded eraser.
Once you’ve penciled your drawing onto the watercolor paper, add any additional
details and erase unnecessary lines. The idea is to create a complete sketch that you can
build on as you go.
Sometimes, I decide a painting might look better with waterproof ink to create
stronger lines. If you decide to use ink, sketch first in pencil, and then draw over it in
sketchy ink lines. If you draw your ink lines in one thickness and outline your drawing,
the look tends to flatten, so I suggest trying a variety of ink lines or even broken lines as
well as different levels of thickness.
The key here is experimentation. If you’re not happy with something you’ve done,
consider what you don’t like, and start over. There’s no wrong way in artistic creation. So
use the tools at your disposal, and remember to have fun with it.
Like following a road map when driving

to a new location, a value sketch will
tell you where to put your different
mixtures of paint as you go. Making
a value sketch before you begin your
painting will help you avoid indecision
once you’re already holding a brush
dripping with paint.
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Desk with a View
Using several reference photos as my guide, I first drew this composition in a
sketchbook. It has the feel of a picturesque art nook with a view of a vineyard that any
artist would dream of. Then I sketched the scene onto watercolor paper and went over
the pencil lines with a waterproof ink pen.
Follow my color guidelines to paint in similar shades, or make your own color
choices as you go.
I usually start with my lightest colors, gradually adding darker colors and ending with my darkest
darks. Adding a few dark colors at the beginning, however, can provide a nice range of values.
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Step 1
Apply blue and yellow onto wet paper, starting with the largest shapes in the sketch,
moving to the smallest shapes, and adding details last. Paint the wall with cerulean blue
mixed with yellow ochre and a little violet. Fill the sky with a light shading of blue,
adding a lavender mixture to the mountain in the distance and throughout the curtains to
create the illusion of natural folds.
Burnt sienna and ultramarine blue make a great rustic floor coloring. Add more blue
to darker areas. For light and dark shadowing, play with a light, watery application of blue
to darken the desk’s rear legs where shadows would fall.
Bringing in the
same shades in
various places helps
maintain a cohesive
and realistic look.
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Step 2
Blue, magenta, yellow, and lavender create lovely foliage
outside the window. Once that layer is completely dry, add
a watery glaze of ultramarine blue to cast a shadow on the
darker side of the house in the distance.
Paint the orchid pot wet-into-wet, adding lighter
yellow over the top when dry. Add very little water when
filling in the pot and orchid leaves.
When working on details, I suggest

setting the painting up on a shelf and
looking at it from afar.
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step 3
Glaze scarlet lake and lemon yellow over the
whole pot. Paint the lampshade wet-into-wet,
and paint the books with three values of each
paint color. Then fill in the line details on the
curtains and chair.
Finalize with small details throughout:
Fill in the stamps, pattern the edges of paper,
and line the edges of the envelopes. Add
more dark blue across the tops of the curtains
to close off the top of the painting. Then
paint the last bits of detailing throughout—
including the clock, desk drawers, and any
further shadowing—stopping when the
painting feels complete.
Congratulations! you’ve finished your first

watercolor painting! show your finished painting
to people who will oooh and ahhh over it.
Cheerful feedback on your artwork is necessary
for you to gain confidence.
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Laundry Day
Like something you might see while wandering the street of an

idyllic European town, this painting subject holds a timeless charm.
Using a photograph for reference (see page 40), I analyzed the
composition and determined my ideal framing for the scene. Then I
was free to play with color.
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Step 1
Cover the back wall with a mix of blue, magenta, and yellow. To achieve a washed-out
look, wet the entire area and float in the paint.
Paint a brown mixture on the front door, and brush two to three layers of gray on the
balcony, creating depth by letting each layer dry before applying the next.
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step 2
Get creative with the fabrics
on the clothesline, choosing
colors and patterns that
you enjoy. Be sure to add in
some shadowed folds as you
go. Fill in the terra-cotta
pots on the balcony with
magenta and yellow, and
layer in greens, reds, yellows,
and blues for the flowers
and leaves.
Then look at the
painting from a distance to
determine any additional
improvements you may want
to make. To tone down the
colors, carefully add some
watery color using very light
pressure on the brush.
You’ll likely need to experiment with the amount of each

color you add to find a shade you like.
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Step 3
Darken the shadows on the
wall with another layer of
violet-blue, and fill in the
details on the wrought iron
above the door. Once dry, add
highlights in yellow and orange
to create luster and shine.
Finally, add a store name
and address number on the
hanging signs. I wrote mine
in pencil to make sure they fit
before going over the lines with
a brown waterproof pen.
For additional detailing in the

window, make the top portion
darker, using more water to
lighten the middle and bottom
areas of the window, as though
sunlight is pouring in at an
angle. I painted wet-on-dry, with
crisscrossed brushstrokes, leaving
small portions of white paper
showing through to resemble light
dancing along the windowpanes.
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Giverny Florals
Inspiration for this piece comes from a flower shop near Claude Monet’s home and
garden in Giverny, France. The vine-covered archway and displays of flowers caught my
eye as I rushed to catch a bus back to Paris. Since I didn’t have time to stop and paint, I
snapped a photo to pick up the project at home.
Step 1
Draw your subject on watercolor paper, and then trace over the
pencil lines with a thin-tipped waterproof pen.
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Step 2
Mix turquoise with yellow to paint the foliage around the archway, adding in more yellow
and dark green for sunlight and shadows.
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Step 3 create puddles of paint
Wet the wall area, and paint it with a mixture of phthalo blue,
with slightly different
permanent rose, and lemon yellow. This mixture works for
the ground too. Paint the archway brown. For the curb in the paint mixtures for a
foreground, mix rose and blue shades, dabbing the paint with colorful gray wall.
a tissue for texture. When dry, glaze a watery wash of yellow
across the top.
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Step 4
Paint the main areas of the tablecloth a watery blue, using a light mixture on the top and
a mixture of about two values darker on the sides. When the tablecloth dries, add some
dark creases to it. Paint the flowers various colors.
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Step 5
Use colors already in the painting for the flower arrange-
ments, dulling and brightening areas throughout. When
dry, add detailing to the vase. Loosely sketch some
vegetables and flowers on the seed packets, filling them in
with greens, oranges, and pinks. Use crisscross strokes for
the glass panes in the door, leaving slivers of white paper
showing to imply light. While the page remains wet, dab
in some bright colors for the flowers’ reflections. Then
paint shadows on the white door with watery blue.
Lastly, mix green, blue, and yellow for the foreground
grass, painting the lightest mixture with more yellow in
the very front and then gradually adding more greens to
recede into the distance.
Beware: Too much water will create a large

watery spot and can ruin the illusion.
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True Italiano
Cobblestones, old stone and brick buildings, laundry-pinned clotheslines, and flower-
filled windowsills dot the streets throughout Italy’s hillside towns. These are among some
of my favorite scenes to stroll through and paint, so I take many photos to draw later for
new artwork.
When working from

photography, begin by
identifying the eye level
to achieve perspective. the
angle finder described on
page 17 will come in handy.
Step 1
For this scene, the roof and bottom lines of the buildings need to be drawn at a slant to
create perspective. With a pencil, draw the bottom of the building on the left slanting
up toward the bottom third of the page, and then draw the roof line slanting downward.
Draw over your pencil lines with waterproof ink.
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Step 2
Using the wet-into-wet technique, combine various mixtures of rose, yellow, and violet to
paint the buildings. Add shading detail with darker values of each mix for the sides and
tops of the recessed windows and doors and for the shadows under the laundry on the
clothesline. Use more water for lighter shades on the fronts of the buildings and less for
the darker ones in back to add depth.
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Step 3
Fill in the terra-cotta pots, wooden window
frames, and doors. Then move on to the
shutters and doorframes.
Once dry, add a shadow across the front-
left building. Let it dry, and then soften the
coloring of the other doors and frames around
the windows with a light wash.
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Step 4
Color the foliage in green, yellow,
and blue. Use duller colors to
paint the flowers and pots in the
middle of the painting to make
them appear farther away.
Next, add brick lines around
the buildings. Don’t paint every
brick you see; just paint enough to
lead the eye around the painting.
Add detail to the brick arch
around the blue-green door using
differing amounts of orange,
yellow, and red. Let the paint dry,
and then add brick lines to the
building on the right.
For the flowers, pull colors
from elsewhere in the artwork:
red, orange, rose, blue, lavender,
and yellow. Bring the cobblestone
street to life with dull bits of these
shades, indicating stone lines with
darker versions of the mix.
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Beachside Dreaming
I never tire of painting the ocean; its colors and conditions are always different. The sea
can be a vast source of on-site painting joy, but it can feel overwhelming when deter-
mining where to begin.
step 1
To simplify the subject, analyze the scenery for a good composition. Waves will be smaller
and darker along the horizon, with brighter detailing up front. Start by sketching.
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Step 2
Attach your paper to a board with binder clips. Then begin with a broad wash for the
entire ocean area using three puddles of blue and adding some green to one and yellow
to the other. Start with the horizon line, and move forward. Begin with the darkest color,
brightening as the water meets the beach. Leave white spaces of paper for the waves.
Also add sand to the beach and shadows under the foam on the beach, beach chairs, and
umbrellas.
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Step 3
Paint the umbrellas
with thin washes
of bright colors.
Choose colors that
complement the
colors in the ocean,
such as red, red-
orange, and pink.
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Step 4
Brush on light
washes of color
for the beach
chairs, and add
layers of paint to
the umbrellas.
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Step 5
When dry, add more
detailed paint layers to
brighten the umbrellas,
and darken the shadows
under the chairs. Paint
the sky lavender using
magenta and blue,
darkening the top to
create contrast. While
the sky is still very wet,
use tissues to dab and
lift out some cloud
coloring and shapes.
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Step 6
Fill in the detailing on
the umbrella tops, poles,
and beach chairs. Then
add texture to the sand
by creating the illusion
of rocks and pebbles.
Finish with a watery-
blue glaze on the striped
umbrellas to create
dimension.
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Reader’s Paradise
Shop windows are full of interest and intrigue. To capture one well as a watercolor
subject, utilize the glazing technique to give an appearance behind glass. If you see a store
you like, take a couple of photos up-close and from farther away to view the full details.
Step 1 When I first saw this bookshop, I was drawn to

Make a quick sketch, including the colors, so I sought to use the same colors in my
lines for items inside the shop.
painting. But you can feel free to choose the colors
You will paint over these later.
that you wish for your own reader’s paradise.
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Step 2
Mix a large puddle of blue on your palette to brush onto the exterior of the bookshop. To
add an outline around the wall panels, apply a peelable rubber solution with a ruling pen
along the panel outlines before painting on the blue.
Once the rubber solution feels dry to the touch, paint over the lines. Include more
layers and darker blue to the inside wall of the door. Add a shadow to the ground in front
of the building and to the doorframe using violet and burnt sienna.
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Step 3
Paint the books in the shop window using a variety of colors
to create overall harmony. To avoid visual chaos, maintain blue
and green values with a few complementary colors thrown in.
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Step 4
Add a yellow-orange border on the bookshop door, and use the violet-sienna mix
for the inside walls by the windows. Then fill in the objects in the window on the
right side with complementary colors that don’t distract the eye.
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Step 5
Combine different
amounts of blue and
sienna for the floor and
wall inside the shop. Add
orange to darken the top
of the wall, and rub off
the masking solution to
reveal a white line around
the panel. Add yellow
details to the front of
the building. Using light
pressure, paint watery
blue over the window-
panes, leaving some slivers
unpainted to simulate
light reflecting on the
windows. Soften the edge
of the inside door, and
darken the door itself so
that it looks like it opens
inward. Then add a few
more shadow details to
the top and sides of the
building.
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Ciao, Vespa
Some things just beg to be memorialized as art.

The moment I saw a pink Vespa scooter on a trip
Step 1
to Tuscany, I just knew it needed to be the subject Draw a quick pencil
of a painting, so I snapped a photo to paint later. sketch to determine the
Using the photograph as reference, I changed all shadows and values you
of the colors to fit with the pink Vespa and added want in your painting.
some flowers to complement and round out the
composition.
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Step 2
Paint the background wet-into-wet
with a mix of blue and violet. Add a
few darkening layers at the top and
around the scooter.
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Step 3
For the cement arch around the door, brush on a mixture of buff titanium,
burnt sienna, and a tiny bit of violet. Add texture with extra dabs of color
throughout the arch. To lighten any areas, just add more water.
Then paint the left side of the window and a few shadows around the
large pot and back of the scooter.
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Step 4
Make the scooter pop using brilliant pink. Water it down for the lightest area of the
scooter, and mix it with magenta for any medium-value areas. To create a nearly black
color for the tires, mix ultramarine blue with burnt sienna. Darken the shadows under the
scooter, on the sides of the door, and around the inside of the window.
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Step 5
Use a mix of yellow and violet
for the ground and foreground,
adding more violet for the shad-
owed area on the ground. Paint
all of the plants using magenta,
violet, blue, and green, adding
yellow to create dimension.
Using a liner/rigger brush,
paint thin lines of burnt sienna
and blue for the branches of
the climbing rose. With a dry
brush, add this color to the door
to create texture and shading.
With a magic-eraser scrub-
bing sponge, lift out most of
the colors from the flower bed
if they look too intense. When
dry, dab in some flowers and
more blue-green on the leaves.
creating symmetrical tires can

be challenging. Don’t worry
about this, though; you can
even out the shape and size by
adding more paint.
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Step 6
View the painting from
a distance to determine
where it could use
more work. Look for
opportunities to move
the viewer’s eye around
the painting, such as by
adding pink to the left
side of the scene. Brush
clean water on the
window area, and drop
in a little of the hot pink
on the window above
the door.
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The Meadow Lamb
This project offers lessons in a variety of techniques. It’s a great way to learn how to
paint a landscape. Create a feeling of depth and atmospheric perspective by painting the
background in a dull color, the middle ground in a medium shade, and bright colors for
the foreground and details.
Step 1
Start with a line drawing.
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Step 2
Paint the blue sky wet-into-wet, and then dab out cloud shapes
using a tissue. Soften the clouds’ edges by rubbing them with a
moist, clean brush, and darken their bottoms to gray.
Next, move on to the sheep’s facial features, filling in the
nose, lips, and ears with pink.
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Step 3
Place rubber masking solution where you will later
add color to the flowers. Add the background in the
distance by painting the mountains with a mixture
of blue and burnt sienna. Add grassy areas with
yellow-green, starting with the foreground and
moving back.
Paint smaller and smaller patches of darker
shades of green as you move to the middle and
background. Once dry, add bits of yellow.
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Step 4
Unify the grassy area with a wash that moves from under
the trees and into the foreground. Dip a liner brush
into various shades of green, whisking the brushstrokes
Preserve the white of the to create blades of grass in the front and middle of the
paper by using a masking painting. Achieve depth by making the brushstrokes
larger in the front and smaller as they fade into the
fluid pen on the flowers.
middle ground.
Then create some various color mixtures for the
trees to keep them from looking too uniform, painting in
alternating shades with yellow mixed in.
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Step 5
Moving back to the sheep’s
features, paint the eyes yellow
with a touch of burnt sienna.
Then create curved lines around
the sheep’s body to give it better
definition. Create shading and fur
marks, and add a little watery blue
for variety in the coloring. Once
dry, rub off the masking fluid
from the flowers, and paint them
in bright yellow-orange, magenta,
and pink. Use the liner brush to
stroke in a thick mix of yellow-
green to look like grass around
the flowers.
The lamb in the project will help you

learn how to incorporate white into
a watercolor painting. Traditionally,
white paint isn’t used in watercolor.
Instead, you should use the paper’s blank
area as your white portion, and paint
other shadows around it.
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La Tour Eiffel
Sketching a famous land- Step 1
mark, especially one you
have dreamt of seeing and Crop a view with
painting your whole life, can your viewfinder
feel overwhelming. But you before sketching out
can create a lovely drawing the main details.
and painting if you use the Add ink on top of
tools you’ve learned thus far. your pencil lines to
This painting is based on a better depict all of
sketch I did from a bench in the patterns in the
front of the Eiffel Tower. structure.
If you find yourself able

to sit and recreate one
of your favorite places,
remember that your sketch
doesn’t have to be perfect.
After all, you’re creating a
memory, not a masterpiece.
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Step 2 When covering a large
Since this subject has a large area of sky behind it, making the sky area of paper with
more dramatic can help to create interest. Using the wet-into-wet
water, make sure the
technique, cover the sky with clean water, and then create puddles
of paint on your palette for each color in the sky before applying paper is well secured
them to the page. Start with magenta, blue, and rose, fading from to your board.
orange and ending with yellow along the bottom of the tower.
Quickly dab out some cloud shapes with a tissue, adding a little
pink to the shapes to create dimension. Dab away any blossoms of
color so that the pink shading looks faint and natural.
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Step 3
Add more of the same colors to the sky to brighten some areas
before turning to the trees with a watery mixture of blue and yellow.
Darken portions of the clouds with dull gray, softening their edges.
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Step 4
For the tower itself, select differentiating amounts of burnt sienna and magenta
with orange for the highlights. Use blue for the glassed-in areas on the tower, along
the sides of the structure itself, and the shadowed, receding parts of the structure.
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Step 5
Create depth in the trees and shrubbery by making the colors under the tower’s shadow
darkest and by brightening the foliage in front. Bring the foreground forward by painting
a line of yellow across the front and a line of magenta across the bottom to close it off.
To paint the faint buildings in the background, use watery washes of yellow and pale
magenta. Add some watery blue lines behind the tower.
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Step 6
If the yellow-orange paint in the very front of the painting looks out of place, blend it
with an eraser sponge. Once that area dries, repaint it with a light-green and yellow wash
so that it looks like grass. Et voilà!
101

Monet’s Garden, Revisited
Picking just one view to paint in Claude Monet’s garden at Giverny is difficult—
everything is paintable. After all, one of his reasons for creating the garden was to paint
it. It’s a humbling experience to think that you might be standing where Monet painted.
Step 1
Lay out your painting using a detailed drawing.
102

Step 2
Start with the tulip patch, filling in the greenery.
103

Step 3
Paint the foreground a mixture of yellow and green, making it mostly green in the
middle. Darken the back by adding blue.
Dab in lighter blue for the little flowers in the foreground, making them smaller as
you move backward. Add green for the tulips’ stems. Then mix in some brighter blue for
the darker areas in the flower patch. Paint a wash of blue and green to cover a lot of the
white crevices in the foliage. Add dimension to the patches of blue flowers with violet.
104

Step 4
Fill in the tulips with red, magenta, and a little bit of yellow. Paint them all with a light color
first and then repeat, adding less water to the paint to create more depth.
105

Step 5
Move on to the house, painting it watery blue and magenta. When the pink is dry, add
orange in various areas to suggest light hitting the house’s surface. For the shadows
around the arched door, add yellow to create a blue-gray. Color the top of the inside of
the arch with a darker mixture, and lighten the sides.
106

Step 6
Shade the darker areas in the door. Paint the windowpanes with watery blue,
and while very wet, add just a touch of each flower’s color to create reflections
in the top windows.
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108

Step 7
Add darker layers of paint to the
flowers in the front to make them
stand out, adding bits of lavender in
little bunches to lead the viewer’s eye
through the painting.
For the trees, mix darker yellow
with green. Then fill in the green
vines climbing the house. Color in the
tulips on the left side of the house. To
make them appear to recede, use duller
shades than the tulips in the front.
Look at the painting from a
distance before adding your final
touches. Brighten the building with
three different puddles of pink, and
then glaze these individual mixtures
over any areas that need brightening.
Do the same with blue paint for any
additional shadows.
Know when to finish. Although you

may see additional opportunities to add
details to a painting, restrain yourself
before you clutter the scenery.
109

Archway Luncheon
Sometimes you just want to have fun with your subjects. For this painting,
I combined many of my favorite things: cupcakes, lemonade, vintage china,
turquoise chairs, and Cypress trees. My visual references here were old photos,
my china collection, and chairs that I painted at home.
Step 1 Step 2
Begin with a simple drawing, Paint the tablecloth wet-into-wet
including all of the elements using pink with a drop of rose. Also
you see here. fill in the flowers, adding turquoise
mixed with yellow for the leaves.
Then color in the pears, using
the same shade for the pitcher of
lemonade. Combine yellow and green
for the grass before moving on to the
turquoise chairs.
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111

Step 3
Use the same shade for the wooden patio
structure and mountains in the distance as
well as the tree trunks. Next, fill in the sky,
painting it wet-into-wet before dabbing out
some clouds. Add details to the china, and fill
in the other glass pitcher.
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Step 4
In front of the mountains, paint the
greenery and larger trees with green
and burnt sienna.
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114

Step 5
Finish the rest of the foliage, painting the
vines above the table with yellow in the
brighter areas and a bit of blue for shading.
End with the shrubs closest to the table.
Fill in the details on the table. Paint the
shadows with violet and pink. Ice the
cupcakes in pink and orange, and then
shade the pears with watery violet. Paint
watery blue over the existing color in the
pitchers so that they appear to be made
of glass. Then add the same color for the
shadows on the dishes and in the cups.
Shading and Perspective: To create atmospheric

perspective, fade objects into the background
using cooler, duller colors. Alternatively, use
warm, bright colors to make the foreground
stand out. violet is the darkest color on the
color wheel and can be used to darken any
color. To dull a color, add its complement.
115

Step 6
Darken the shadows under
the trees in the background
with layers of green and
bright blue. Paint darker
foliage above the table,
lifting out a few light areas
with a sponge or paper
towel. Then darken the
sky underneath the edge
of the overhead foliage for
contrast. Bring in a line of
lavender paint above the
mountains to tie it in with
the tablecloth.
116

117

118

Step 7
Add more layers of turquoise
to the chairs, and look for areas
to pull the color in elsewhere
on the table. This will prevent
putting too much focus on the
brightness of the cupcakes and
instead move the viewer’s eyes
around the scene. Now play with
lights and darks. Then shadow
the cupcakes, and darken the
tablecloth’s shading. To create
light hitting the table, add yellow
glazes to most of the objects.
If you find that the shading

lines on the China, especially
the teapot, look more like
cracks, lift off some of the
lines by gently brushing them
with a brush dipped in clean
water. Then dab off some of
the color with a tissue. Use
a watery mixture of blue and
magenta to paint the shaded side
of the China on the table.
119

Mountainside Sunset
With different colors in the sky every day, sunsets offer a wonderful painting subject,
especially when using watercolors. Someday, I want to keep a sketchbook recording
daily paintings of the sunsets I see. In the meantime, though, I paint from the photos I
take whenever I capture a beautiful sunset. That’s how this painting came to be.
Step 1
The initial sketch can be fairly loose.
120

Step 2
Starting with the sun, paint its round shape, and add yellow surrounding it and into
the foreground. The sun should appear to radiate a path of light. Then add yellow lines
coming from the sun, mixing in some orange.
Turn the painting upside down for a fresh perspective on the rest of the sky. Mix
some magenta into the orange, gradually leading to pure blue across the top of the
picture. While the sky is wet, lift out some clouds with a tissue.
121

Step 3
Turn the painting back around, and start on the first row of
flowers in the front. Combine blue and magenta, dropping
in violet to brighten the mix. Paint the next row with more
blue, leaving the remaining rows increasingly less detailed
as they recede into bluish-violet.
122

Step 4
Paint the last row of mountains with watery blue, burnt sienna, and a little violet. Use a
darker version of that mixture for the closer row of mountains. Then paint the foreground
around the flowers yellow and green.
Brighten the trees with yellow and the sunset with more layers of the same sky colors
from before. Fill in the land area with more yellow and green. For the grass and stems,
use a liner or rigger brush to create thin lines with olive green, and add light green and
yellow for interest.
123

124

Step 5
When the trees are dry, glaze
over them with a watery wash
of sienna to unify their look and
make them appear to recede into
the distance. Darken the top of
the sky with more blue and violet
to emphasize the drama of the
sky. Add dark green and blue to
the foliage in the front.
Remember: It’s never too

late to go back and change
something you don’t like!
125

Step 6
Review the finished
painting from a distance.
If you decide you dislike
the path of light (as I did),
combine more burnt sienna
with a touch of magenta to
cover most of the middle
of the painting.
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127

About the Author
Barbara Roth lives in San
Diego, where she teaches art
and paints in her home studio
as well as anywhere around the
house. With a degree in art
and a teaching credential in art
education, she has taught art
to students ranging from ages
2 to 92. She firmly believes
that anyone can draw and
paint if they learn basic art
skills, are willing to tolerate
their imperfect attempts, and
will do their homework.
Barbara’s art career
began at 3 years old, when
she received her first box of
crayons. Since then, she has
explored many paths as an artist, including middle school art teacher, children’s book
writer and illustrator, pet portraiture painter, dancewear designer, and furniture painter.
She eventually discovered her true love of art a decade ago when she combined trav-
eling, journaling, and watercolor to start making anywhere, anytime art. Since then, she
has carried a sketchbook with her everywhere from her backyard to a mountaintop in
southern France.
Barbara teaches art in her hometown as well as around the United States and Europe
with her art-tour company, Anywhere Art LLC.
For Rick and Sarah, who supply me with love and laughter.
128


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Anywhere, Anytime Art

ANY1_Interior.indd 1 9/1/17 12:28

© 2017 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.

Artwork © Barbara Roth, except photographs on pages 4, 9, 16, and 36 © Eileen

Design: Melissa Gerber

6 Orchard Road, Suite 100

Visit our blogs at quartoknows.com

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Set Your Space

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Start with at least 1 paint palette,

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• burnt sienna • quinacridone magenta

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Carry your brushes on the go in a roll-up

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Bring along a folding or stacking water

If you find a subject outside

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Using Photographic Inspiration

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DIY Angle Finder

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Color-into-Color Softened Edges

Glazing Wet-on-Dry Paper

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Softened edges: Blend an additional layer or soften an edge using a damp

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TIP: Lightly touch the paint with your

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the color wheel

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DIY & Recycled Art Supplies

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Inspiration at Your Fingertips: Not in the mood to

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Odd and dark painting locations?

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Painting from your postcards and photos