Paint a Fairytale Postcard with Watercolor
The Monte Palace Tropical Garden in Madeira feels like a fairytale place. It’s a mixture of art and fantasy. Traditional Portuguese elements like painted tiles go hand in hand with Japanese temples, vases and statues from around the planet.
The centerpiece is this pond with an artificial waterfall overlooking the main building and the Atlantic Ocean.
Step 1
Even though I painted this scene in my sketchbook, I wanted to give it the appearance of a Postcard. To create clear lines, washi tape is the best option.
Now we can start with the lightest colors. The sky and the main part of the pond are painted with a very light blue. Then we can add a light gray layer on the building and the construction for the artificial waterfall.
Step 2
Add some greenery and use a very warm green mix for this step. The shadows will get darker and cooler, but we want to create a warm glow where the sunlight hits the Trees, bushes and palms.
Step 3
Use a darker green mix for shadows in the green areas. This also creates shapes and structure. You don’t have to paint every single tree. Think in bigger shapes here.
Also, add some darker shadows on the building and the construction around the pond. The waterfall itself becomes more visible when we paint shadows around it.
Step 4
Now you can paint a few trees that are clearly recognisable individually. The most important one is the large tree in the top right-hand corner. They can be darker as well to create more contrast in the whole painting.
Step 5
Now it’s time for the building and the last details. This step brings the whole painting to life. Take a moment to look at your painting and consider adding more shadows or details if you wish.
The final Result
The most satisfying step is to remove the washi tape and see the final result. Such a small postcard-sized painting is a great exercise to train your painting abilities. You learn a lot about contrast and composition and how to capture a scene in a painting, but it doesn’t take too much time to do.
And here is the final painting: A postcard with a fairytale feeling. What I love the most about it is that it carries a beautiful memory for me and reminds me of a place that’s so inspiring.
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