Step by Step Watercolor Tutorial: Whimsical Autumn Houses for Beginners

How can a set of whimsical houses capture the warmth of autumn? Rebecca from The Art Spirits shows how she paints cozy brick houses and colorful roofs in this tutorial.

She guides step by step with simple methods. Follow her steps to create your own autumn scene filled with character. Let's begin!

Step 1: Preparing for the Painting

Rebecca starts by showing what she needs before picking up a brush. Preparation makes the whole process easier.

She collects:

• Watercolor paints: Jane's Grey, Venetian Red, Quinacridone Burnt Orange, Burnt Umber, Raw Umber, Raw Sienna, Aussie Red Gold
• Brushes: flat brush, detail brush, eradicator brush
• Watercolor paper
• Extras: kitchen paper, white gouache, white pen, masking tape

Step 2: Starting with Shadows (Grisaille Technique)

Before adding bright colors, Rebecca lays down shadows. In this way, she can build a strong structure.

She uses a technique called Grisaille. It means painting shadows first in a single tone. Later, color layers go on top. This approach makes shadows natural and consistent.

Rebecca uses Jane's Grey. She mixes a lighter watery wash for the first layer. With a flat brush, she covers the first roof in slate grey. This removes the paper's whiteness and creates a base for bricks.

She darkens the edges while keeping the middle lighter. Shadows begin to form under the windows and roof edges.

Step 3: Building Shadow Structure on Houses

Now Rebecca strengthens the house forms with more shadow work. Each wall and roof gets attention.

Adding Shadows to House Walls

She adds stronger tones under the roof lines and windows. Diagonal strokes give direction.

Sometimes the paint bleeds, so she blends edges for smooth results. The houses look messy now, but she assures viewers the bricks will transform them later.

Shading Different Roofs

She explains the plan for each roof:

• The first roof will be slate grey.
• The second roof will be terracotta orange.
• The third roof will stay lighter.

On each, she darkens the left side and under the windows while keeping the right side lighter. This creates balance.

Step 4: Correcting and Adjusting Shadows

Mistakes can happen, and Rebecca shows how to fix them. She demonstrates how to adjust the shadows so the painting stays clean.

Lifting Paint for Windows

She notices one window is too dark. Using an eradicator brush with clean water, she gently lifts paint.

She presses kitchen paper onto the area to lift more pigment. The window becomes lighter again.

Balancing Shadow Intensity

Sometimes the shadows are too dark. Rebecca lightens them with gentle lifting.

She blends edges so the light direction looks natural. She checks that the left sides stay darker, while the right sides stay brighter.

Step 5: Painting the Windows and Frames

With shadows set, Rebecca adds wooden frames and window glass. This gives character to the houses.

Creating Wooden Frames

Rebecca mixes Raw Umber for muted brown. She paints each window frame carefully, keeping the brushstrokes small.

Glazing the Glass

The glass panes are painted in a shaded grey. On some windows, she adds thin lines to suggest curtains.

She adds shadows across the top and down the right side. This way, she can make the glass look real.

Adding Warmth and Shadows

To warm the look, she glazes burnt umber over some windows. This soft brown tone makes them glow and look less flat. Shadows around the edges strengthen the contrast.

Step 6: Painting the Bricks

The houses come to life when bricks appear. Rebecca uses several warm mixes to add variety.

Mixing Brick Colors

She prepares four main shades:

• Venetian Red
• Quinacridone Burnt Orange
• A watered version of Quinacridone Burnt Orange
• Burnt Umber

These mixes give her enough range to create realistic brick walls.

Applying Brick Details

Using a small flat brush, she paints brick shapes across the first house. She switches between colors so the wall does not look repetitive.

She paints each house with a slightly different tone. Some walls lean more grey, others warmer or darker.

Fixing Mistakes

At one point, she paints too far and covers a space that should be white. She uses white gouache to correct it. This restores the alignment of bricks and keeps the details crisp.

Step 7: Painting the Roofs

The houses now need colorful roofs. Rebecca keeps the palette harmonious.

Harmonizing Colors

She paints the middle roof with Quinacridone Burnt Orange, lifting some pigment on the right to keep it lighter.

The right roof gets Raw Umber, giving it a brown tone. The left roof stays grey. Together, the roofs balance warm and cool colors.

Adding Layers and Brightness

When one roof dries dull, she glazes Aussie Red Gold over it. This makes the roof glow more brightly.

Detailing Roof Tiles

Using Jane's Grey, she adds large square tile shapes. With a detail brush, she adds lines under and to the right of tiles. Tiles in shaded areas appear softer, while lit tiles stand out more.

Step 8: Small Roof Peaks and Details

Next, she works on small architectural touches. These details add charm to the houses.

Adding Tiny Roofs

Above some windows, she paints small roof peaks. She uses darker tones and adds shading under them. This makes them pop out with a three-dimensional feel.

Enhancing Architectural Shadows

Rebecca mixes burnt umber with Quinacridone Burnt Orange for stronger shadows. She blends these tones into the wall areas for smooth transitions.

Step 9: Painting the Doors

Rebecca uses the same approach as windows for doors. They complete the house details.

She paints the doors with Raw Umber. Shadows are added around them. Then she glazes darker tones to give the doors depth and weight.

Step 10: Painting the Trees and Background

With the houses mostly complete, Rebecca turns to the background. She paints trees and ground textures.

Loose Autumn Trees

She mixes Raw Sienna, Raw Sienna Light, and Burnt Umber. Using these shades, she paints trees loosely. She does not want too much detail here since the houses already have plenty.

Layering Tree Depth

She makes the back trees darker and the front trees lighter. This creates depth in the scene. She also paints some trees overlapping the houses, while others sit behind.

Ground and Pavement

She paints the ground with a light wash of Jane's Grey. Then she adds darker lines for the pavement edges. Using her flat brush, she paints small brick marks on the ground.

Step 11: Adding Autumn Leaves and Atmosphere

Rebecca now builds the seasonal feeling. She scatters warm accents to suggest fallen leaves.

She uses orange, red, and burnt colors. With small flicks of her brush, she places dots and strokes around the tree base and the ground.

These touches tie the houses into an autumn setting. The warm palette creates comfort while grey shadows balance the tones.

Step 12: Final Touches and Finishing Details

Rebecca carefully adds final touches. These last steps bring the whole scene together.

Strengthening Shadows

She uses a stronger mix of Jane's Grey. She darkens the undersides of roofs and brick edges. This restores contrast where colors have faded.

Adding Black Accents

For the deepest shadows, she uses black. She applies it under the roofs, chimneys, and along some brick corners. She also uses hatching strokes at the base for texture.

Highlighting with White

Rebecca picks up her white pen. She adds highlights on roof tile edges, window corners, and small details.

A few dots in the windows brighten them up. The touches create a whimsical charm.

Adding the Black Cat

She paints a small black cat near the houses. With two tiny white dots, she gives the cat glowing eyes. Thanks to the playful detail, the painting feels alive.

Removing Tape

Finally, she peels off the masking tape. The crisp borders make the painting look finished and professional.

The Bottom Line

It is so amazing how a simple sketch turns into a whimsical autumn painting with careful steps, right? Rebecca shows how shadows, colors, and final touches work together.

Her tutorial makes it easy for beginners to try painting their own autumn houses. Let's pick up your brushes and bring your own cozy watercolor scene to life today!