Iain Stewart: Paint Venice in Watercolor

Venice in Watercolor Made Easy with Iain Stewart’s “Diagram” Painting Method!

Have you ever stood before a complex Venetian scene?

The maze of ancient buildings…

The play of light on water…

The dancing reflections… 

The figures and boats moving down the canals…

…and felt completely overwhelmed? 

Your brush hesitates, your confidence wavers…

…and you wonder how you can possibly capture all this beauty without getting lost in the details.

As an architect turned watercolor artist, he teaches you to approach complex scenes by first creating what he calls “The Diagram”...

…carefully laying out your center points and horizon line, and establishing what he refers to as a “cradle for the light.”

This preparatory work, often overlooked by struggling artists, creates the perfect foundation for your painting.

Rather than reactively painting whatever you see in a reference photo, Iain Stewart’s process-driven approach helps you gain control of your watercolors. 

You’ll learn to anticipate what will happen on paper instead of merely reacting to it — creating paintings that capture the essence of Venice with confidence, atmosphere, and that special luminosity that makes viewers feel they're actually there!

“Skipping what might be considered the dull parts of creating a painting,” Iain explains, “will typically get you in a tight spot. My hope is you begin to learn to see with an artist's eye.”

Meet Your New Instructor, Iain Stewart!

Iain Stewart is a Scots-born watercolor artist whose atmospheric paintings have captivated collectors and fellow artists alike. 

He is a signature member of both the American and National Watercolor Societies and was recently inducted into the prestigious Whiskey Painters of America, and his work stands as a testament to his unique vision and technical mastery.

His watercolors have received numerous awards in international competitions and can be found hanging in many corporate and private collections.

As a sought-after instructor and juror, Iain has shared his knowledge through workshops, five instructional courses, and his 2021 book, En Plein Air — Light and Color.

What makes Iain’s approach particularly valuable is his background as an architectural illustrator with international clients. This experience, combined with teaching watercolor and design drawing at Auburn University (where he received his degree in architecture), gives him a distinctive perspective on capturing complex scenes with confidence and clarity.

“Never let reality get in the way of good painting,” Iain often tells his students. It’s this philosophy — that you, not the reference, are in charge of your painting — that has made his instruction so transformative for artists struggling with overwhelming subjects like Venetian architecture.

Iain maintains a studio in Opelika, Alabama, and serves as an International Brand Ambassador for Escoda Brushes, Daniel Smith Watercolors, and Stillman & Birn Sketchbooks.

Your Lesson Plan! 

Introduction

Meet Iain Stewart and discover the architectural background that gives him unique insight into complex scenes. Learn how his transition from technical illustration to fine art taught him to simplify while maintaining essential details. In this chapter, Iain introduces the Venetian canal scene based on his exhibition piece, explaining his concept of creating the “cradle of light” essential for luminous watercolors. He sets the foundation for understanding how water reacts to light and how to capture texture effectively in your paintings.

Materials & Tools

Explore Iain’s essential materials and gain invaluable insights from his teaching sketchbooks. Discover his simple approach to perspective in cityscapes. Learn why sketchbooks are your “safe place” for experimentation, why they give you “permission to ruin things,” and how to use them to try multiple compositions. Iain shares his two unbreakable sketchbook rules and explains why warming up is essential for artistic success.

Watercolor Warm Up

Take this time to practice with your paints to get into the groove of painting before tackling the main demo. This chapter will help you loosen up your brushwork, balance water to pigment, try different washes, explore wet-into-wet techniques, and more.

Subject & Composition

Learn to analyze references without being controlled by them, exploring different compositions and lighting situations. Discover how creating a story for your work during planning becomes a powerful tool for achieving meaningful mood, and master Iain’s signature “Diagram” method for establishing a “cradle for the light.” Explore simplification strategies, what to include versus what to omit, and the “Onionskinning” technique of using tracing paper to refine drawings. Gain essential insights into portraying accurate water reflections, thinking in terms of shapes, versus “figure” or “boat,” and avoiding the common mistake of going too dark too quickly, transforming how you approach complex scenes.

The Mother Wash

Master the foundational wash that ties everything together, establishes saved whites, sets mood, and creates atmosphere. Learn to anticipate what will happen with watercolor rather than just reacting — this is what Iain believes separates professionals from hobbyists. Discover the perfect water-to-pigment ratio, effective paint application techniques, and how to create variegated washes. Embrace the slightly frightening nature of this stage as paint moves and tries to dry quickly, understanding that pushing through this discomfort leads to exceptional results in your painting.

Define the Darks

Learn to establish strategic dark values that provide visual anchors throughout your composition. Master techniques for maintaining control while painting around objects and preserving lights. Discover the importance of edge control, color temperature, and why painting from “a place of peace” is essential during this methodical process. Iain demonstrates how to balance water-to-pigment ratios for optimal control and shares techniques for creating colorful shadow areas that keep your painting alive with multiple color injections.

Bring in Color

Build up lighter tones and add depth to colorful elements while setting up for future layers. Iain emphasizes the critical importance of restraint — not going too strong in value too early, to preserve the lighting effect. Master drybrush crosshatch techniques for sunlit stucco, deep washes for newer surfaces, and light washes for shadows. Learn correct water-to-pigment ratios, the optimal order for color application, and techniques for creating various textures. Discover how to measure reflections accurately, alter color for depth, and avoid common problems while embracing imperfection.

Complete the Color Setup

Review your painting and add color and value to all elements before building the next layer. Learn to establish a hierarchy of values with key darks, how to gray down colors to show distance or reduce importance, and techniques for simply yet effectively painting boats and figures. This crucial preparatory stage ensures your painting has the right foundation before moving to more detailed work in subsequent phases.

Set Up the Darks

Navigate the challenging “ugly stage” where paintings often look flat and directionless. Learn to use values effectively to follow your plan for gradually building form. Discover how to establish a hierarchy of darks, differentiate areas that seem similar in reference photos, and work strategically to avoid disturbing wet paint. Master techniques for adding small darks that create interest, use brushwork as suggested detail, and understand the principle of relativity in color and value. Gain practical color mixing tips to avoid mud and create colorful grays.

Final Setup

Take a fresh look at your painting before making “big moves” or making final adjustments to create a proper underpainting for details. Learn to “circle the detail” by establishing fundamental form, color, and value. Master simple techniques for painting figures, the proper approach to “stacking stones” for accurate brick structures, and experience a thrilling preview of what’s to come as you apply a bold wash of phthalo green for shadow in the water.

Build Up Detail

Gradually build depth through layers of paint that give your painting “pop” without overwhelming it. Master intuitive brushwork techniques during this more demanding stage that requires careful attention. Learn where to place darker details (and where to avoid them), how to maintain depth, techniques for suggesting rather than overstating details, and the secret to painting straight lines that enhance your architectural elements without making them appear rigid or mechanical.

The Final Move

Add the dramatic U-shaped shadow that “cradles” your painting — a bold move requiring courage and preparation. Learn to mix rich, colorful darks and apply them with confidence, remembering that “if the tone doesn’t scare you, it’s likely not dark enough.” Master techniques for confident brushwork, wet-into-wet applications, avoiding blooms, adjusting edges, creating convincing reflections, and strategic lifting. This transformative final stage brings your painting together, creating the luminous quality that makes Iain’s Venetian scenes so captivating.