Oil Pastel Mixed Media Gondola Painting

I was inspired by a photo of a gondola going down the little city rivers of Italy. This is a very simple version that starts with blocking in color with watercolors. I’m using my watercolor art journal. I intended to do the whole painting in similar media, but I just can’t help grabbing those oil pastels. This is a very textured paper, so that shows through a bit. The following photos show a few of the many steps. As you add details, the painting goes from blobs of color to something recognizable! 🙂

Start to add some definition with the pastels. Also, this is a good time to add some more watercolor if needed. Just be sure to allow the watercolors to dry before adding the oil pastels.