Castle Step-by-Step Painting Instructions

Step-by-step instructions for this castle painting:

Photo 1:

1. With pencil draw LIGHTLY around the painting area to fit inside a standard mat. (I have drawn rather darkly so you can see it.)

2. With pencil again, draw your horizon line LIGHTLY. 

NEVER IN THE MIDDLE!

Ask yourself, "Is my painting to be mostly sky or mostly ground/water?"

3. Sketch lightly your structure. No need for great detail. It is far away. In this case I have selected to emulate Highclere Castle of Downton Abbey fame. 

4. Fill it in with Art Masking Fluid to save the white. 

It comes in yellow or clear; I have used yellow so you can see it. 

5. Use hair dryer. 

Photo 2:

1. Put peas of paint on your palette:

Blue

Yellow

Sienna

2. Wet the sky area. Paint wet-into-wet with a yellow wash. Quickly add blue paint and darker blue made by adding sienna to your blue. 

DON'T OVERWORK!

3. Lift out a few clouds with paper towel or tissue. 

4. Use hair dryer. 

Photo 3:

1. Wet the foreground. 

2. Cover with light green thicker than a wash. 

3. Mix a couple more greens. 

Add a few swishes of darker green into the wet ground. 

4. Tap around the castle to make trees and bushes. While the ground was wet-into-wet, this will be wet on dry. 

5. Using a toothbrush or fan brush, pick up some yellow paint. Flick it onto the green at the lower right. Flowers!

6. Add a big bush or tree in the bottom left to aid with perspective. 

7. Rub off the Art Masking Fluid revealing the white paper. 

Photo 4:

1.  Add a blue and sienna wash over the white castle. 

2. With a rigger, add a door, a few windows, and a couple of darker sides. 

4. NOW  FOR THE MOST DIFFICULT STEP:  WALK AWAY! 

5. Once everything is dry and you can see with "new eyes," make final adjustments.