Whimsical Garden & Indian Pink Palace – From Sketchbook to Finished Artwork

These two watercolor pieces began as loose, spontaneous sketches in my daily sketchbook practice before they evolved into more “official” finished artworks. That’s one of the many joys of keeping a sketchbook—it’s a space for exploration, and sometimes those small, playful experiments blossom into full creations!

For both the sketchbook studies and the final paintings, I began with a light pencil outline to define the overall composition. Then, using a mix of tube and pan watercolors, I built up color and flow across the page. Some motifs were refined and outlined with a fine liner, while others were brought to life with details and embellishments in gold and white gel pens. I love how the gel pens add subtle texture, shimmer, and depth—it gives the artwork that extra dimension that makes it come alive.

The final paintings were completed on 9x12 cold-pressed watercolor paper, signed in the lower right corner, with additional handwritten notes about the piece on the back.

Right now, I’m in the early stages of researching and planning how to create a collection of limited edition prints of my original artwork—something I hope to make available soon! Stay tuned for updates as that process unfolds.

In the meantime, here’s a look at how these pieces evolved—from the original sketchbook inspiration to the completed artworks:

Original Sketchbook Art

New Official Artwork

Whimsical Garden 1 & Whimsical Garden 2

Indian Pink Palace