Industrial Cityscape with Watercolour and Ink Pen Detail

A project from our live show ONE DAY SPECIAL - Join Toni for her brand new launch - Broadcast 18th July 2025 · 07/18/2025 · watch it from 37:30

Create an abstract industrial scene using watercolour washes, dragged ink lines, and fine pen details to suggest buildings, cranes, and reflections. The technique combines wet watercolour with structured line work for a modern, architectural look.

You will need

Carta - Traditional Watercolour Paper - A5 - WCPA501SEE IT Stamps By Me - Premium Dye Ink Pad - Limeade - 121022ASEE IT Stamps By Me - Premium Dye Ink Pad - Ocean - 121022BSEE IT Stamps By Me - Premium Dye Ink Pad - Tiffany - 121022CSEE IT Stamps By Me - Premium Dye Ink Pad - Heather - 121022ESEE IT Stamps By Me - Premium Dye Ink Pad - Fandango - 121022FSEE IT 943382 TV - 100268 - HTCN - Stamps By Me Standard Paintbrush Set - 061121ASEE IT 943381 TV - 100269 - HTCN - Stamps By Me Fine Tip Paintbrush Set - 061121BSEE IT

DOWNLOAD THIS GUIDE (PDF)

Step by step

1. Cut a small piece of watercolour card to avoid feeling overwhelmed by size. ▶ watch 37:45
2. Create a puddle of teal ink mixed with water on your card. ▶ watch 39:00
3. Drag a credit card or thick card edge through the wet ink to create the first building line. ▶ watch 40:00
4. Repeat with blue ink at different heights to suggest multiple buildings of varying sizes. ▶ watch 40:15
5. Add purple ink lines at different levels to create depth and variation. ▶ watch 40:45
6. Use your brush to drag colour downwards from the building lines to create reflections in the water below. ▶ watch 42:00
7. Define building shapes by painting darker shadows on one side of each structure. ▶ watch 42:30
8. Connect floating buildings with additional lines and smaller structures to ground the composition. ▶ watch 44:00
9. Once the watercolour is dry, use a fine liner pen and ruler to add precise building outlines and windows. ▶ watch 46:30
10. Add crane details and extra structural lines using the fine liner pen. ▶ watch 57:00
11. Use a white gel pen to add highlights on cranes and buildings to bring them forward. ▶ watch 57:45
12. Ground the composition with a broken line at the base to prevent buildings appearing to float into water. ▶ watch 1:00:00

Tips from the show

• Watercolour dries back two shades lighter, so apply colour generously.
• You can continue adding detail with pen work indefinitely; know when to stop.
• A white gel pen will not work if the watercolour is still damp; allow it to dry completely first.

More from this show

• Watercolour Leaf Cluster with Toe-Belly-Toe Technique
• Aurora Borealis Bear with Watercolour Fill and Stamp Detail

Written up from the show itself. See every guide from our shows · free how-to guides · watch live on My Telly