Planning the Composition

In these sketches the students were asked to analyze the subject by creating an envelop of it with geometric figures and polygons; establish the order of the planes from front to back; draw the specific shapes of the forms and erase the geometric figures used at the beginning; outline the core shadow that separates light and dark areas of every form; established the shaded areas -including cast shadows- of the entire subject and connect the forms with a global hatching that represent the areas without light. After these steps the watercolor painting can begin.

Study of the Planes. Garden Bushes.

 Connecting the forms with dark shades to unify the composition

Dog Walk. Paris, France.

Direct Approach

Quick demonstration sketch for my students.

Sicilian Sun

Sketch of a narrow street in Sicily, Italy. Gouache on watercolor paper.

Moving In with Gramma.

Cottage Splendor

English cottage dappled in summer sunshine.

English Cottage. Goauche.

Green-Blue Harmony

This is a gouache piece on 140lb cold press paper.

Storm by a Certain Sea

Yellow-Green Harmony

Sketching an English cottage. Trying to capture the light bathing the scene. Gouache on paper.

Cottage Green Harmony.

Sketch without Preliminary Drawing

Here is a simplified view of Verona's Ponte Pietra bridge.  Gouache on Arches watercolor rough paper.

Verona, Spain

Gouache Painting on Watercolor Paper

A view of a fishing village in England. Gouache on paper.

A Village by the Sea. England.

Following the Notan

This is a small painting as a demo for my students. I created a notan -a Japanese design concept- from a photograph and followed it to make the watercolor painting. In the process of creating a good composition most elements are re arranged and a new original painting emerges.Gouache on 140 lb watercolor paper

The Thames River Banks,  London.

Quick Gouache Sketches

Here are two sketches done in less than 30 minutes each.

End of the Street, Australia.

Napoles Street Market at Sunset, Italy.

Toned paper Sketches

Here is a gouache color sketch and pen and ink ketches on Kraft paper.

Viewpoint Apt., Encinitas, CA