Just do it! Shallow Creek RV Park, Gladewater, TX

We’ve spent this last week in East Texas, getting acclimated to our rig, and spending time with Bill’s aunt and uncle.  They are a gracious couple who love to entertain, and they live in a tiny house!  They have some acreage with a stocked pond, and some horses, dogs and a pig.  We feel like they’re kindred spirits - own less, live more!

I wanted to find a way to thank them for their hospitality, so I got out my watercolors, got over my reservations, and tried my hand at illustrating their house.  It’s important to note that I consider myself an illustrator, not a painter.  I work best with pencils, color pencils, ink and pastels, media I can control, more or less, but I want to get better at watercolor. So I think I found a good compromise.  

1. I first sketched out the image in pencil, working from a photo Bill took, cropping the image and zooming in with the iPad so I could see as many details as possible.

2. I used varying thicknesses of permanent micron pens to ink in all the important lines.

3. I masked off the house with masking tape and painted in the background of trees, pond and fields.

4. Finally, I unmasked the house and CAREFULLY painted in the details, painting over the inked lines.  In this way, it felt more like I was coloring in a drawing, and had a bit more control over the final product.  

I’m pretty pleased with the result, and it gives me confidence, and a process, to try some more.