STEP BY STEP Painting an Old Lady in Watercolor

I always get asked how to get started painting portraits in watercolors. Easy! Grab a tube of yellow, red and blue, some water, a brush, and good paper. As you move along in the painting process you will learn more about chroma, transparency, granulation, staining properties and such. Right now, we will worry about laying down color and not making it into mud in the process. For this painting, I am using my Strathmore watercolor journal 400 series. I really like the fact that this journal is hardcover but I wish it would lay flat when you open it and get ready to paint.

Step 1 - Working in ink only, I work up a quick line drawing to act as a roadmap to my painting. Be confident in your work and don't fear mistakes.

Step 2 - painting with a limited palette. This lady is of European descent so I decided to lighten up my triad by choosing gamboge nova (Holbien), cobalt blue (Cotman), Permanent Alizarin Crimson (Holbien), this painting I also added Veridian green and burnt sienna but these were not used on her face, just in the background.

Step 3 - continue to add layers, adjusting values as you go.

Step 4 - Add background elements and start to adjust your values and color temperatures against what they are sitting beside.

Step 5 - add details like hair strands, highlights. You will also notice that she has no wrinkles but by adding depth to the eyes and depth in chin it implies age. I call a painting done when my darks disappear against the black ink.

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Eclectic Studio - Tammy Morrison-Koenig

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