One of the most spectacular places I've visited is the beautiful ancient fishing village of Cefalu. 

It's Rick Steves favorite place in all of Sicily, and it was featured in the second season of White Lotus. I recently had the chance to go and visit here and paint in person, and of course I also took a ton of reference photos. One of those reference photos is what I'm going to be working on today.

I liked this scene because this church was a fascinating shape, and the location was interesting. I also loved the light. 

So today I'm going to show you how I painted this scene. Watch the video for my entire process - and paint along if you'd like!

 How to Make Complex Scenes Paintable

Drawing

As you can see here, I laid out my drawing, and I wanted this church to be a great vertical over here on the top third. I thought that the statues were a nice bit of contrast and added some interest here in the middle ground. And then we had these figures on the steps and kind of a key figure toward the bottom of the page.

So first I did my drawing. Then I wet down the back of my paper and the front and laid it down on my surface.

First Wash

My first wash is all about the lightest values. While the "finished product" of this wash can be unsatisfying, this muted layer is essential. This is your opportunity to lay in those lightest values. Watercolor makes it nearly impossible to paint light values after painting the darker values, so make sure you lay these in now. 

Second Wash

The second wash is all about your middle values and finding that connect shape. Ideally, you want your middle values to seep into each other and create a large, connected shape. This gives your painting a cohesive look and feeling that goes a long way. 

Third Wash

Unlike the second wash, the third wash is about separation and distinction. You are adding in the darkest values here to create separation and shape to your painting. These darks and details give your painting the finished touch it needs and completes the full spectrum of values in your scene.

Related Blogs

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Paint This Sicilian Landscape with Me!

All You Need to Know About Layers in Painting Watercolor