War memorial with names, Croissants flaking on parchment, Saiga antelope, Tu Le valley terraces, Yen Bai, and more — pen + watercolor for June 12, 2026

Today's 8 pen-and-watercolor pieces: War memorial with names, Croissants flaking on parchment, Saiga antelope, Tu Le valley terraces, Yen Bai, Tripod Headstand with Legs Extended, Temple of Segesta, Segesta, Sicily, Stockholm Pressbyrån at first snow, Lerwick harbor, Shetland, in mist. Each piece comes with a photo reference, three example artworks in different treatments, and a short focus paragraph naming what to study in this one.

Piece 1 — War memorial with names

Pen + Watercolor · Loose pen and watercolor line-and-wash

Three takes

Focus for this piece

This piece is excellent for studying how to render highly reflective dark surfaces with pen and watercolor. Start by using distinct, medium-weight pen lines for the wall's structure and experiment with lighter lines for the etched names. Then, apply light, cool-toned wet-on-wet washes to suggest sky reflections before building up the darker granite values, letting the watercolor convey the polished sheen and depth. Finally, reserve your most saturated red for the carnation to create a strong, deliberate focal point.

Piece 2 — Croissants flaking on parchment

Pen + Watercolor · Loose pen and watercolor line-and-wash

Three takes

Focus for this piece

For this piece, focus on using varied pen line weights to articulate the delicate, irregular texture of the flaking croissant crust and the crisp edges of its crescent form. Then, build up the warm, golden-brown volume and deep shadows within the curls using soft, layered washes. Pay attention to how the interaction of precise lines and fluid color creates a convincing impression of a baked good's irresistible texture, especially where light catches the small shards and illuminates the translucent butter spots.

Piece 3 — Saiga antelope

Pen + Watercolor · Loose pen and watercolor line-and-wash

Three takes

Focus for this piece

This Saiga piece provides an excellent opportunity to study how to create a compelling focal point by strategically contrasting detail and suggestion. Use precise, varied line weights to define the foreground mother and calves, especially their distinctive bulbous noses and translucent amber horns. For the distant, moving herd, employ loose, gestural pen work and broad, diluted washes to convey speed and the immense, windswept steppe. This deliberate difference in treatment will effectively guide the viewer's eye and emphasize your subject.

Piece 4 — Tu Le valley terraces, Yen Bai

Pen + Watercolor · Loose pen and watercolor line-and-wash

Three takes

Focus for this piece

For this piece, focus on conveying the expansive depth of the valley using a combination of line and wash. Use varied pen weights to define the distinct, receding patterns of the terraces, employing finer, broken lines as they climb the distant slopes. Practice layering transparent deep green washes to build the rich volume of the terraces, allowing soft wet-on-wet washes to suggest the atmospheric quality of the forested ridges and low clouds in the background. Pay attention to how the small, crisp detail of the foreground sticky-rice steamer grounds the vastness.

Piece 5 — Tripod Headstand with Legs Extended

Pen + Watercolor · Loose pen and watercolor line-and-wash

Three takes

Focus for this piece

For this piece, concentrate on using the strong side spotlight to study how to *carve* form with both line and wash. Use varied line weight to define the crisp, illuminated edges of the figure, especially where the light strikes the forearms and shoulders, allowing thin, layered washes to build the subtle volume of the athletic body. Pay close attention to the contrast between these defined forms and the deep, matte black background, letting the "sensory line" from toes to hands guide your decision-making.

Piece 6 — Temple of Segesta, Segesta, Sicily

Pen + Watercolor · Loose pen and watercolor line-and-wash

Three takes

Focus for this piece

This piece is perfect for exploring how varied pen line weights and strategic washes define a precise structure against an expansive landscape. Use confident, heavier lines for the temple's prominent columns to establish their solidity and geometric form, allowing lighter, broken lines to suggest distant elements like the olive trees. Then, employ soft, layered washes to convey the golden light on the hills and the deep shadows within the colonnade, letting the watercolor do the work of atmosphere and volume. Observe how the sharp linearity of the Doric columns interacts with the organic curves of the surrounding hills, emphasizing this contrast through your penwork and washes.

Piece 7 — Stockholm Pressbyrån at first snow

Pen + Watercolor · Loose pen and watercolor line-and-wash

Three takes

Focus for this piece

This Pressbyrån scene is an excellent study in creating contrasting light and atmosphere. Focus on building the warm glow of the kiosk's interior with saturated yellows and reds, making them pop against the cooler, muted blues and grays used for the snowy morning outside. Use crisp, deliberate line weights to define the interior objects and structural elements, while allowing the exterior details and falling snow to be rendered with softer, more broken lines and atmospheric, diluted washes. This will emphasize the inviting warmth radiating from within the glass walls into the chilly morning.

Piece 8 — Lerwick harbor, Shetland, in mist

Pen + Watercolor · Loose pen and watercolor line-and-wash

Three takes

Focus for this piece

This piece offers a superb opportunity to practice rendering atmospheric perspective and soft, misty conditions. Focus on employing wet-on-wet and graded wash techniques to create lost edges and subtle value shifts that dissolve the distant forms, like the trawler silhouette, into the fog. Contrast this softness with the crisp, structural pen lines defining the foreground boats, quay, and details like the coiled rope, allowing them to anchor the ethereal atmosphere.