Treacle tart with lattice strips, Christmas tree worm, Gonabad Qanat, Gonabad, Iran, Lotus, Hands on Heart and Belly, and more — pen + watercolor for June 24, 2026

Today's 8 pen-and-watercolor pieces: Treacle tart with lattice strips, Christmas tree worm, Gonabad Qanat, Gonabad, Iran, Lotus, Hands on Heart and Belly, Skull With Soft Tissue Overlay Diagram, Anatomical Illustration, Phang Nga Bay tidal mudflat at low tide, Andaman Thailand, Arch of Augustus at Rimini, evening passegiata, Photographer with camera. Each piece comes with an AI-generated photoreal reference, three AI-generated example artworks in different treatments, and a short focus paragraph naming what to study in this one.

Why these references use AI

This daily series uses AI-generated images as practice prompts, not as finished artwork to copy. Each subject starts with a synthetic photoreal reference generated with Gemini/Nano Banana, then moves into three pen-and-watercolor interpretations of the same subject.

I use AI here because daily art practice needs variety and low friction. Real life can get repetitive, busy, or visually narrow. These generated reference sets make it easier to study bodies, buildings, animals, landscapes, objects, gestures, light, palettes, and compositions that might not show up in an ordinary day.

The goal is not to reproduce any image directly. Treat each set as a starting point for observation and study: choose what interests you, change the framing, simplify the subject, alter the palette, and make your own version.

Piece 1 — Treacle tart with lattice strips

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

Three takes

Focus for this piece

This treacle tart is an excellent study in rendering contrasting textures and values within a warm palette. Focus on using soft, wet-on-wet washes for the glossy, molten filling to capture its reflective depth, allowing the deep amber to blend and create a sense of translucency. Then, overlay precise, slightly drier lines and washes for the crisp pastry lattice, using varied line weight to distinguish the delicate strips from the fluted edge of the ceramic dish, bringing out the "varnished biscuit" texture.

Piece 2 — Christmas tree worm

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

Three takes

Focus for this piece

This piece offers a great opportunity to practice contrasting delicate and robust textures using varied line weight and wash application. Employ fine, continuous ink lines for the intricate, unfurling spirals of the worms, allowing soft, translucent washes to give them vibrant volume. For the surrounding brain coral, use heavier, broken ink lines and textured dry brush strokes to convey its rough, porous surface and depth.

Piece 3 — Gonabad Qanat, Gonabad, Iran

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

Three takes

Focus for this piece

This piece offers an excellent study in using varied line weight and subtle, diluted washes to establish linear and atmospheric perspective across a wide, flat landscape. Focus on how the repetition of the circular shaft openings diminishes in size and detail as they recede into the distance. Employ a restricted palette of muted earth tones and desaturated sky washes, reserving your strongest lines and darkest values for the foreground details like the caravanserai and nearest shaft opening. This approach will allow the vastness of the desert plain to truly emerge.

Piece 4 — Lotus, Hands on Heart and Belly

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

Three takes

Focus for this piece

This piece is an excellent study in modeling soft, rounded forms under gentle light using watercolor washes. Focus on building the volume of the chest, hands, and the soft curve of the belly through delicate, layered washes of warm, transparent color. Use a minimal or varied ink line to suggest the overall contours, allowing the watercolor to create the tender depth and fullness. Pay particular attention to soft wet-on-wet transitions to capture the calm, even lighting.

Piece 5 — Skull With Soft Tissue Overlay Diagram, Anatomical Illustration

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

Three takes

Focus for this piece

This anatomical diagram is excellent for practicing how to differentiate layers of information using both line and wash. Focus on applying sharp, committed ink lines for the underlying skull structure, then use light, semi-transparent washes in a contrasting color for the 'ghosted' soft tissue overlay. Experiment with varying line weights and wash saturation to achieve a clear visual hierarchy, allowing the bone structure to subtly show through the delicate tissue forms.

Piece 6 — Phang Nga Bay tidal mudflat at low tide, Andaman Thailand

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

Three takes

Focus for this piece

Today's piece is a study in creating depth and atmosphere by thoughtfully contrasting strong foreground penwork with softer, more suggestive background washes. Focus on establishing the sheer verticality of the distant karsts with delicate dry-brush washes, allowing them to glow in warm, late afternoon light. Use bold, varied line weights and perhaps a touch of ink stippling for the dark, spiky mangrove pneumatophores, anchoring them against a textured, earthy mudflat wash. Pay attention to how these contrasts define both the physical distance and the humid, tropical air.

Piece 7 — Arch of Augustus at Rimini, evening passegiata

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

Three takes

Focus for this piece

This piece is a fantastic study in balancing strong architectural definition with the soft dynamism of human presence and atmosphere. Focus on establishing the arch's robust, crisp forms and intricate details with varied, precise line weights in waterproof ink, particularly for the capitals and medallions. Then, use a limited, warm palette for your washes to capture the soft 'pale honey' evening light, allowing the fluid watercolor to suggest the movement and presence of the passegiata figures without over-detailing them with hard lines.

Piece 8 — Photographer with camera

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

Three takes

Focus for this piece

This piece offers an excellent opportunity to practice rendering texture and atmosphere through line and wash interplay. Focus on varying pen line weight to distinguish the intricate details of the camera and vest from the looser, broken strokes defining the tall, wind-swept grass. Then, use warm washes of ochre and sienna with a dry brush technique to build the meadow's texture and golden hour light, leaving strategic unpainted areas to suggest movement and depth.