Step 1 To begin this painting, you’ll want to sketch a line drawing directly onto the aquabord™ using the image as your guide. When the sketch is complete, use a 1" flat paintbrush to wash water across the board. Let the bubbles of the sizing come to the surface and wait until the board is damp. Next wash a light layer of water across the walls and awning and then drop pigment into the wet areas using a mix of Mars Yellow, New Gamboge, and Brown Madder.

Step 2 After this layer dries, glaze on a second layer to create a deeper value and to add concrete textural effects. While this layer is damp, put in a light Cerulean Blue wash over the stone that is in shadows and begin washing in the shadows on the awning. (See Image 1.) Then, create darker values with a combination of Cerulean Blue, Permanent Violet, and Mars Yellow.

Step 3 After the shadow layers dry completely, begin painting in the blue stripes on the awning with Manganese Blue and Cobalt Blue. The darkest blue on the awning is a combination of these two colors that has been glazed and layered on after the initial blue layers dried.

Step 4 Use a combination mix of Brown Madder, Permanent Violet, and Pthalo Blue to wash in the doors and shutters. After these washes dry, use the 1" flat brush and pull it along a T-square to lift off the architectural details and highlights. On aquabord™, lifting is very easy. (See Image 2.) Then, re-glaze the same color, (slightly diluted) over the lifted areas to create varying tonal effects. Add value glazes to the building where needed and then start lifting out textural effects using the 1" flat brush.

Step 5 Add the extremely detailed areas such as the pipes, wires and plants last. Use the lifting technique to create details of the clotheslines and highlights on the rails using the flat 1" brush. (See Image 3.) Continue to develop color and value patterns, adding and subtracting as needed to create the incredible details on this watercolor piece.