Step-by-step: Painting the bell tower and waterfall of Longwood Gardens

Chimes Tower at Longwood Gardens, Watercolor. 9"x12".

Here's a step-by-step look at how this watercolor landscape was made.

Inspiration was rooted in many family visits to Longwood Gardens outside of Philadelphia. We had ice cream near this pond that features a small waterfall and a bell tower from which musical chimes can be heard playing.

Step 1

I sketched out the composition, placing the tower in one of the thirds of the image.

Step 2

I placed washes of blue for the sky and green for all of the areas of foilage. I also placed base colors for the tower, dry ground, and stones.

Step 3

Next, I used richer and darker greens to make shadows in trees, bushes, and ivy on the tower. I also began coloring shadows in the tower.

Step 4

I painted more shadows under leaves and stones to suggest detail, using a variety of light and dark greens.

Step 5

I painted shadows and details for the left half of the wooded area and waterfall. I also darked leaves to the right of the tower under cast shadow from larger trees outside the viewing area on the right.

Step 6

Finally, I put in the evergreen tree detail and water reflections in the foreground. I also added finishing touches all around.

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