It all starts with a sketch

My process is pretty straightforward. Stretch the watercolor paper onto a board and when it dries sketch the composition. For small pieces like this, I’ll usually just draw it freehand.

Next comes a very watery background wash of color to set the tone of the piece. And for me to judge color from. When the background dries, I paint with thicker strokes, starting with the darkest colors, then the mid-tones and finally the highlights and details.

The whole process to about an hour or two for a 5″ x 7″ piece.

So what do you think? What is your process like? Let me know in the comments.