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For art students and lovers out there, this is an example of a "warm" painting (yellows, oranges, pinks)  with "cool"  accents (violets and blues).  When painting a busy scene such as this, it is easy to put in too much or try to put everything in exactly as it is.  To create harmony, I tried to limit my palette and simplified, not only the colors of the buildings, limiting them to a few color combinations, but also the structure of the buildings.  I added a few key shapes and identifiable landmarks and left the rest to the imagination.  I knew that [...]

I'm often asked if I stretch my watercolor paper and I have to admit that I seldom do it.  I am usually too impatient and just go for it.  If I know what I'm painting will involve lots of loose, wet paint, I'll do it (or use 300lb paper).   So, for those times where you know you will regret not doing it, here is the technique.   The first thing you need to stretch your paper is to saturate your paper with water-I'm talking saturate to the point that it feels like limp fabric.  No stiffness whatsoever.  How you do that is keep [...]