Tudor House: Watercolor Portrait

"You can't really say what is beautiful about a place,
but the image of the place will remain vividly with you."
—Tadao Ando

The Tudor architectural style is my favorite. When we moved to Cincinnati and were looking for a house, I didn't want to look at any house that was not a Tudor.  (We looked at one house that was not a Tudor and that is the one we ended up in...but that is another story.)  So when my neighbor asked me to do a house portrait and I saw her house was a Tudor, I was super excited.

Tudor houses are characterized by:

 "a steeply pitched roof, often with multiple overlapping, front-facing gables (the triangular portion of the roof) of varying heights... they're accented (often in those triangular gables) with decorative half-timbering: essentially a mock frame of thin boards with stucco or stone filling in the spaces between the boards."

"The windows used in Tudor houses are also a unique nod to medieval architecture. Windows are tall and narrow with multiple panes."

"Though often not in the center of the house, the front door is still a significant architectural feature on Tudor homes. They typically have a round arch at the top and tend to be bordered by a contrasting stone that stands out against the brick walls." (Source: House Beautiful) 

Usually, when I start a house portrait I like to photograph the house from numerous angles and I often like to stand a bit to the left or right side to show the three-dimensional depth.  I tried my usual tactic with this house, but my favorite photos were consistently from the front.  I think Tudor houses don't usually have much depth to them, and the front façade is what is most spectacular.  But it did make my job a little more difficult than normal, because adding the shadows to a house makes it really pop.  It became clear as I worked there wouldn't be that many shadows to indicate depth.

Below you can see my pencil sketch partly inked.  

After I inked in each stone, I could see it was going to be too much to ink the roof. So I left it as pencil.  I ended up using the pencil lines as a guide for my watercolor slates.

Below is a short video of the entire watercolor process from start to finish.

Each house portrait has its own challenges.  What I've found is that the house itself usually helps me find the solutions.  For example, I don't always ink in each stone.  In fact, it is a little unusual for me to do so.  I usually use some ink to indicate the presence of stone as I did here.  But for this Tudor house, the stone was the most striking element.  If the stone had covered the whole house it would have been too much...but because it was half the house I thought it really worked to balance the large expanse of stuccoed areas. 

The landscaping is another important feature that needs to be taken into account when decided on how much detail to put in.  This particular house had beautiful landscaping which added so much interest to the portrait.  I try to give the landscaping its own character while not letting it overwhelm the piece.

Once the piece is finished I add my initials in some hidden spot.  I would prefer not to put anything on the piece because I find it a distraction... but people seem to want it.

After signing the piece I cut the paper off the block, spray the back lightly with water and press it.  Although I paint the piece on a block that is glued around the edges, it inevitably will be wavy.  I was irritated because I had to press this portrait three days!  Every day I would take the books and rocks off and be disappointed that even the binding of a book can create a new wave in the paper.

Below you can see the binding of the black book at the bottom of the pile is turned to the center.  It created a small wave in the paper.  The next day I turned it around, but somehow another book did the same thing.  I finally found a big piece of book board that covered the whole piece and pressed it.  Duh!  Sometimes it takes me a while.

The very final step of the house portrait is to cut a sheet of glassine to protect the portrait.  And then to make a cardboard or foam core portfolio.  I just happened to have extra white "plastic-y" board that I used to stop the cats from jumping over the barrier gates, so I used it to make the portfolio this time.  

This afternoon I will hopefully deliver the portrait to my neighbor.  I've said it before, but I will say it again.  Doing these house portraits gives me such an appreciation for the craftmanship that went into these beautiful old homes.  I imagine the guy who had to choose each stone of the chimney and what an art form it is.  Spending time studying each house I draw makes me love and appreciate the city of Cincinnati. I feel lucky to live here and to own one of these centenarians myself.  Maybe one day I will draw my own house.  But today I will be happy to walk up to this gorgeous, wood front door, see the stonework close-up, and deliver a small package of Cincinnati history rendered with love and care. 

Love makes you see a place differently, just as you hold differently an object that belongs to someone you love. If you know one landscape well, you will look at all other landscapes differently.

— Anne Michaels