How to Paint an Old Rustic Barn in Watercolor Worksheet

Here is a printable art lesson and worksheet on how-to-paint a picture of an old barn.

This printable art lesson and the worksheet below are perfect for the young artist. It will help to give a foundation for basic painting. I designed this as a handout to give my art students so they could take it home and practice painting on their own. This can be used in homeschool, classrooms, and at home. This project can be an extra time activity or a stand-alone lesson.

These old barns are so full of character, each telling a story. They are rustic and offer opportunities to paint contrasting textures and colors.

How to Paint a Picture of a Rustic Old Barn

Thank you for your support.

My printables are free, so print as many as you like I only ask that you consider making a donation. Your gift of support will enable me to create more worksheets for you. 

If the image above gives you trouble, the PDF below will be better. 

CLICK HERE for a file in a universal portable format. (This one works best).

Remember to set your printer to color.

A WORD ABOUT PRINTING THE WORKSHEET

If you have problems printing, CLICK HERE to visit my how-to-print page for suggestions.  

ART SUPPLY LIST

You can use any watercolor paint. I prefer my small Windsor Newton paint set; it has a nice selection of colors. I also use Grumbacher Paints in the tubes.  You can easily find these at any craft store like Lobby Hobby or Michaels. (Look for coupons online.) You can collect lots of paintbrushes, but it is better at the start to keep it simple with a few small, medium, and medium-large brushes and a combination of flats as well as rounded paintbrushes. For these art lessons, I use Strathmore series 300 Watercolor paper. It is economical and available at Michaels and Hobby Lobby and online. 

PRINTABLE ART LESSON PROJECT NOTES

Start by tracing the little design onto some 140 lb watercolor paper. This is the heavy paper that does not buckle.  If it is hard to trace try holding it against a window with the light coming through.You could scan the design and enlarge it but the watercolor paper is expensive so I suggest you may want to do the project in its original small size.

You may notice that the picture is loosely drawn without a lot of detail. Do not try to add detail at this stage, it is a painting you will add detail at the end.

GENERAL RULES
Do the lighter pale colors first.
Work from the background toward the foreground.
Work in alternating sections so one section dries while you are working on another.

FIRST WASH
With a large brush use light and dark watery blues for the sky, leave some areas white for the clouds.
While the sky is drying use a small brush and wash watery yellow for the foreground then not so watery orange and greens.

While the ground is drying us light brown and dark brown for the distant mountains, put a little blue into the dark brown while it is still wet.
Use watery green for the trees, and drop a little brown, and violet into the green for shadows. Remember some green is showing through the missing boards on the barn.
LET THIS DRY

SECOND WASH
With a small brush put in blue-grey streaks for the sides of the barn and fence.
Lay a wash of brown for the rusty parts of the roof and blue for the metal roof.
Use purple-black for the shadows inside.
NOW LET IT DRY

AFTER IT DRIES
With a small brush mix red-brown and draw streaks of brown down the sides of the barn.
Use the tip of the brush to "draw" in the details.
Mix a little darker red-brown and draw the rust streaks in the roof.
Mix a little darker green and give the trees and bushes details with small taps of the brush

(c)Adron 6/19/16

Become a Patron!