You can see the supply list and read the instructions in the workbook:   Abacela Vineyards Workbook  

First is the sky area. Mix up a gray color using Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna and Cerulean Blue. Put this color in random areas in the sky. Then begin painting the blue part of the sky using Cerulean Blue. Paint around the cloud shapes, leaving some areas white. Connect the blue and go a bit lighter as you reach the horizon line. Then before that has a chance to dry, mix up a nice yellow/green using yellow ochre and cerulean blue. Paint in the foreground being sure to paint around the building and the grapes. Use nice broad brushstrokes.

As you get closer to the bottom, use more pigment and less water. Try to skim across the surface leaving bits of the white paper showing. This helps create texture. Finally mix up a darker color using burnt sienna, cerulean blue and a bit of ultramarine blue. Use this to paint a shadow area as I did in the video. Add a few touches of dark to the foreground. Then relax and let it dry.

Once the painting is completely dry, you can paint the distant mountain. Make a cornflower blue shade by mixing ultramarine blue and cadmium red. You want to keep it fairly light in value.

Now on to the trees. Mix up a pretty thick olive green color using yellow ochre and cerulean blue. Paint the tree shapes quickly. Overworking is your worst enemy!

Then you can add some shadows to the trees by using a darker green (yellow ochre, ultramarine blue). Add trunks and ground shadows as in the video.

Moving over to the grapes, you can use your other yellow, either aureolin yellow or cadmium yellow with cerulean to make a light yellow-green. Paint this at the top, then make a darker mixture of the same color and paint the middle.

Finally paint the bottoms using an even darker green made with yellow and ultramarine blue. Paint the two trees above the grapes in the same manner as the previous trees. For the shadow side of the roof, use cadmium red and burnt sienna. For the sunlit side use cadmium red. Shadow side of the building is burnt sienna, sunlit side is yellow ochre.

Add a few finishing touches to the foreground to give the illusion of grass and foliage and your painting is complete!

The Sketch

I have done a more complete sketch than I normally would do for a street scene. I thought it would give you a better feel for how to translate the photo into a watercolor painting. Normally my sketches are much loose and less complete. It’s fine to have a detailed sketch as long as you remember that it’s just a guide. You don’t have to paint in the lines! I have also simplified the painting by zooming in on the building, so that the top edge is out of the painting. I eliminated the car, several details and figures.

The Palette

I’ve also attempted to simplify the painting process for you by maintaining a pretty limited palette. The main colors that I have used are:

• yellow ochre
• cadmium red
• alizarin crimson
• ultramarine blue
• cobalt blue
• cerulean blue

The Figures

When I put figures in paintings, I add them in according to what is best for the composition. I rarely try to copy the people that are in the reference photo. Also figures should have lots of lost edges and undeveloped sections. This makes them seem to be a part of the painting rather than looking like they’ve been cut out and pasted on top of the painting. Ironically, the looser you paint the figures, the more realistic they will seem. Using too much detail and overworking a figure will often lead to them looking cartoon-like and stiff.

Three things to keep in mind:

1. Stay relaxed while you’re painting
2. Use bold, confident brush strokes
3. Don’t overwork

Let me know how it goes!

Here is the reference photo.