How to paint a landscape !

28x38 cm A House in Tuscany

As I promised I have a lot of photos for you :

Easy step by step instructions how to paint a watercolor landscape.

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Come promesso:

Sotto trovi il procedimento passo passo per dipingere un paesaggio con gli acquerelli.

First draw the subject - then start with the lightest colors...

Comincia con il disegno - poi i colori più chiari...

Keep blocking in colors - remember to save some white and lights!

Aggiungi i colori con pochi dettagli -  ricordati di conservare del bianco e dei punti luce!

  Take a break! It's always good to stop for a while ...

 Prenditi una pausa! E sempre bene soffermarsi un attimo...

 - then add the darkest shadows and details!

See the (almost) finished painting on top and let me know if this helped you?!
To see a floral step by step go here or here!

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- poi le ombre e gli ultimi dettagli più scuri! 

Vedi il dipinto (quasi) finito in alto e fammi sapere se questo ti è stato utile?!
Per vedere come dipingo i fiori vedi qui o qui!

Let's paint more together at Ancora del Chianti EcoBB & Art Retreat in Tuscany !

Abstract landscapes 2 - Paesaggi astratti 2

Simplifying even more - just the horizon and colour washes...

Semplificando ancora - solo colore e orizzonte...

Sunset and backlight...

Tramonto e controluce...

And what about this - can you see a landscape here?!

E questo cosa sarà - ci vedi un paesaggio?!

link to more abstract landscapes- paesaggi astratti here

Abstract landscapes - Paesaggi astratti

  Just some small abstract landscape studies from this winter. 

My purpose was to simplify the shapes and play with the colours.

Alcuni piccoli paesaggi astratti dipinti quest'inverno.

Lo scopo era di semplificare le forme, giocando con i colori.

As you might see, I was inspired by... olive grooves at sunset.

Forse si può vedere che sono stata ispirata dagli uliveti al tramonto...

I think it's also clear in which order I painted these?!

Credo si possa capire anche la successione dei dipinti?!

L'Eroica

L'Eroica 

watercolour 28x38 cm

My very first Bicycles painting- inspired by L'Eroica, 

the cycling event hold in Chianti in October every year.
If you want to see another cyclists pinting click here.

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Ispirata da L'Eroica ho dipinto il primo paesaggio con ciclisti...

Cliccare qui per vedere un altro dipinto con ciclisti.

Painting pears in my garden - so delicious!

Pears, watercolour  10x15 cm

We have had such a hot July, but finally last weekend the temperatures went down a bit, allowing me to move outdoors and enjoy my garden again. I wanted to paint a series of postcards for the postcardartgroup.

The vegetation and flowers have suffered from the heat, but I did find something to paint!

        Pears, small watercolours in progress, 10x15 cm

I started to paint the small pears that are maturing right now.

The first paintings were more naturalistic, even if I was using a loose style. 

I repeated the same subject several times...

 It was very relaxing and meditative to repeat the same subject with small changes, to see which changes would actually improve the painting. or which solutions I'd like more. 

Usually I like to paint large, but doing all these studies was possible because I kept the size small, like a postcard - and I highly recommend this excercise to everybody who loves painting!

                          The postcards are of now, but  I'll show you more pictures soon!

Wisteria Love! Reworking an old painting!

 I just love the wisteria and would love to sit on that bench!

This painting is made from a very small photo, I think it was a pubblicity in a garden magazine, a few years ago.

I wasn't happy with it, but left it in the pile. Then recently I found it again and got inspired!

I washed away part of  it, and painted the shadows on the wisteria

(and some yellow for the light on the ground -even if the photo doesn't show it!). 

 I would have liked more white, but it's not possible now. If  I can find the original photo again, I will try to do a new version though!

Do you ever rework old paintings?!

Watercolor landscape workshop!

I had a lovely weekend recently, painting in good company and experimenting new technics,   participating at a workshop by the Swedish artist Björn Bernström. It was very inspiring and liberating with new approaches, and especially fun to look for special effects - like 'cauliflowers' - that traditionally are considered errors!

Here, as in the first picture, we were using burnt umber creating staining effects...

A more traditional painting, or actually two in one!! 

Exploring wet-in-wet and new colors, more than aiming for finished paintings.

                              

                                                          They look better separated! 

                                       Here the transparent and delicate colors show a little better...

Small landscape paintings

The other day I had a walk in the afternoon, 

 and Oh, all of a sudden there was such a beautiful light! The hills of Chianti were lit by the late sun and turned out red - the contrast with the olive groves was just wonderful! Unfortunately I couldn't capture the beauty of the moment, but  I really wanted to paint it, so later I did it from my memory! 

I also framed some of my small landscapes with a passepartout because it really makes a difference, The works look much nicer when more finished up, don't you agree!?

Atmospheres from Chianti - and Sketchbook Tuesday!

These are some pictures from Sunday, that I already shared on Instagram. 

Just a few details. 

Such a lovely atmosphere in such a beautiful place...

To the end, since it's my Sketchbook Tuesday, a sketch in watercolor and colored pen from a view in Tuscany. It was a rainy and foggy day, you couldn't see far away, and again I just wanted to capture the atmosphere...