This doodlewash is of another place I’ve never visited, but looked cool from the many views I researched for this sketch. It’s the Château Comtal in Carcassone, France which is a large, restored 12th-century hilltop castle in a renowned, medieval walled city.
I really liked the cobblestone street, so I tried to doodle lots of little ovals in the original sketch. I decided to treat the little ovals to pieces of Quinacridone Gold, Burnt Sienna, and French Ultramarine Blue in various washes. It was quick and not too terribly exact, but I think it achieved the cobblestone effect I was liking so well from the actual place.
The burnt grass of summer turned out a little more golden than I had hoped, as it’s sort of a scene stealer in the composition. But with the browns of the castle and walls, it was nice to have some pop of color. I added a little purple to the sky this time, and probably should have wetted a brush to soften the edges there, but I was done doodlewashing, so I stopped, and this is the result!
Recommend0 recommendationsPublished in By Charlie
Creator of Doodlewash®, founder of World Watercolor Month (July), World Watercolor Group™, and host of the Sketching Stuff Podcast. Sharing daily watercolor illustrations and stories while proudly featuring talented artists from all over the world! If you’d like to be a guest artist on Doodlewash.com, contact me!
Looks awesome too me! I especially like your cobblestones! 😊
Thanks so much Jill!! The cobblestones kind of worried me as I wasn’t sure what to do with them at first. Glad you like them!!
I really love the compositional angles of this and the freshness of color. It is worthy of being an illustration on the color of a watercolor tablet, and I say that as a compliment. Every once in awhile, I feel that way about something I watercolor sketched, and feel very pleased when it happens.
Wow! That’s a wonderful compliment David! Strathmore…are you listening?!! Hehe… thank you SO much!! Actually…how do they choose those illustrations for tablets? I would totally buy one if I saw one of yours on it!! 😉
Well, thank you for that compliment. I haven’t explored that, but a few years ago, I saw that you could submit images to Prismacolor for them to post on their website. There is a process.
Hmmm… cool! I should check into that! Can’t hurt! 😉
Brilliant composition and I really like the balance of colours
Thanks so much Nicola!! I really appreciate that! (And so happy to see you’re back!!)
Beautiful stuff, Charlie – as indeed I should say about much of what I’ve seen here in the couple of minutes since I found you. So charming, and the colours leave it bursting with character!
Thanks so much Jacob!! Appreciate that! Glad we found each other! 😉 Thanks for stopping in.