Step 1:

So you start with a piece of yupo (this one was about 9″x 12″). Put some blending solution all over then place some yellow red and green AI drops as shown. I used Pinata but I don’t think it matters.

Step 2:

Then quickly before things dry up, dip a paint brush into some clean rubbing alcohol and start drawing some lines, laying the frame for your windows.

Step 3:

Dip your brush in some more rubbing alcohol and start to soften the edges, fill in some of the spaces.

Step 4:

Now add a few more lines to your windows in some nondescript colour. For this I always use some of my abandoned failed paintings. Dip your brush in alcohol, then generously rub off the inks from your bad paintings and you don’t waste anything and you get whatever colours you want since of course you have a TON of bad paintings in every colour of the rainbow. 😉

Step 5:

Now stop, stand back and look. It did seem like there needed to be some colour in the bottom left corner. I wanted the middle part of my painting to stand out in the light, bright and sunshiny, so I wanted the surroundings to be darker. So I dropped some red and green inks and…

Step 6:

.. worked them in.

Step 7:

My brush now had some of the purples and greens so i swished it, adding rubbing alcohol/more inks as needed, around in the bottom part leaving a few white rectangular “holes” to suggest more windows.

Step 8:

Now I stand back and look again. See that cute little white rectangle at the top left?! Accidents like this are the BEST! So you want to be sure you pause every now and then to see what the gods have handed you in a platter.:)

Step 9:

Here’s that rectangular bit in close up. I love it!

Step 10:

Ok now you get to have some real fun. Add a couple of potted plants. Again the key is this: where the new bits of paint hit existing paints, aim for a contrast. So I made the blue pot more intense so it would stand out against the white. And same with the brown against the yellow.

Step 11:

Now add the third plant. One thing I do is I wait till I get into my stride till I paint the thing I want the most focus on. I wanted this 3rd plant to stand out the most. So I painted the other two and when I was totally in the zone, I started the “main plant”. Now that I look at it again, I may want to throw a streak of white on the right side of this 3rd plant so it will stand out against that lovely red blob there.:)

Step 12:

Ok so now we are really having fun so paint two more plants, but take care to mute them else all the pots will clamour for attention and the focus will be lost.;)

Step 13:

Add more “white” (aka pure alcohol) lines so the plants stand behind the window. Then stand back and look.

Step 14:

A few more slight highlights here and there. Again stop and look. Maybe even step away and make dinner ..or better yet, drink some wine.;)

Step 15:

When you come back you may notice that it all looks good enough but the left part kinda looks too dark/not ok. The lines look too similar and so a bit boring.

step 16:

So no problem, dip your brush in some rubbing alcohol again, start to lighten it up and erase the lines there, and draw in some balcony rails instead. A touch more colour here and there, a few streaks of white, straighten the lines (this is super important in my opinion and can make or break this kind of painting) and you are done.

step 17:

Now you feel you’re done. But of course you don’t leave well enough alone. Instead you take a deep breath, then dip your (small headed!!!) brush in some rubbing alcohol and bravely shake it over the painting so a fine spray hits it, and hopefully hits it right and you get those lovely sparkly “dots” in your paintings and it comes alive and you are SO happy!

Step 18:

Crop it to size and you’re done. Maybe the right side isn’t just right? No problem, just chop it off.:)