Custom Home Portrait in Watercolor

I recently completed a home portrait custom painting. It was ordered as a gift for a family who had to move away from the home they loved. When the client saw the finished piece, she said, "Janet, The portrait is perfect! It will bring some wonderful memories to her and her daughters."
I hope it does!

Read on to see how I painted this portrait. Or skip to the finished piece.

Like with most of the paintings I do, I sketch the composition out first on drawing paper.
For this one, I also paint the sketch to work out the colors. You can see my watercolor sketch to the left.

After the sketch, it's time to start the real painting! I transfer my drawing to the paper and begin with washes of color for the sky and background trees. I use a mix of yellows and blues to make the green hues:

For the house siding, I mix rose, blue and yellow until I have the right shade. While the paint is still damp, I paint a yellow glow under the eaves. I can see this glow in the photo I am working from and decide that bit of reflected color will add a nice touch:

The house addition has the same glow under the eaves although more orange It looks bright now, but when I've added the cast shadows, it will look natural:

After the beige siding is painted, I paint the shutters and windows.

Windows can be a challenge to paint. They are like mirrors, reflecting what is in front of them. But they also are clear and can be seen through. In this case, there are many panes on the windows. I paint the panes to show a reflection of trees and sky. I leave the cross pieces white:

When most of the details of the house are finished, I paint the shrubbery in front of the house and the brick steps and pathway:

Just one more detail is needed and that is the mailbox. It is a different mailbox than the one in the photo I've been using and I have to wait for a picture of it. But finally the photo arrives and I can finish the portrait:

Portrait of a Massachusetts Home in Watercolor 5x7 inches

What a meaningful gift this will be!

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I'm happy to take custom orders. Contact me for a custom painting of your pet, home, garden, grandkids, favorite vacation spot or whatever your heart desires.
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