One of my favourite things to paint are cute buildings and storefronts, and today I will be sharing with you my process from the beginning to end, to create your own design using ink and wash.

Before we paint I will start by looking for references; certain things that I find important to look out for. Then I’ll write down ideas and start sketching different shapes as little thumbnail designs to run through the ideation process. There are times where we have so many ideas we’d like to try out, so these small thumbnail sketches will be a very quick way to get them on paper, as better visualization where it’s easier to pick and choose. And of course we are going to do this according to the aspect ratio of paper that we have, so the composition can be framed nicely.

Once we finalise the basic shapes then we can do slightly more detailed sketches with extra features, to try out different variation of the shop, then finishing off the planning process by putting it all together in a full composition with décor helping to frame the shop nicely. Then once we’re set, we’ll start sketching and outlining with ink before colouring it in.

For the colouring process I will be using specific colours, but feel free to choose your own colour combinations as well. I will be adding details like cast shadows, but if you’re a beginner or you don’t have too much time to complete this project, you can paint it in a simpler way as well. If you’re not up for sketching your own, and want to get straight to painting, I’ll have the outline for you to download in the projects and resources section, so you can go ahead and play with colours right away.

With this said because the style of painting is very adjustable, I would say that this class is suitable for all levels, including beginners. I think this style of painting is very versatile so I’m very interested to see your own interpretations.

Before we start, as a disclaimer I will be cutting through parts of the painting where my hand is still or off the camera. And I will also have some of the footage sped up, I find that the information will be more digestible this way, and the class will move in a more fluid manner. This means that I will be painting quicker than real time.

So if you’re new to my classes I would recommend for you to pause in between the steps, so you can paint at your own speed and not feel rushed when you’re painting. Or you can also take a quick skim through each lesson before painting certain parts to understand the pacing before painting along.

If this sounds like a fun project you try, let's begin this class!

Issy Osborne

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