Draw the shape of a girl (or boy) on the reverse side of a 4" x 7" piece of contact paper. Cut it out. Peel off the backing and stick it down at the edge of a 9" x 12" piece of watercolor paper. This creates a mask to protect the figure as you paint to keep it white.
Study this example to see how simple the composition is. Notice that geometric shapes are what make up the scene. The figure will stand out and be the focus of the work due to remaining ghostly white in the colorful setting of the barn. Note that there are rectangles for the window and hay bales. The moon is a circle. The girl appears to be sitting on another bale.
Have no fear of doing a human (or cat) figure. The girl is a series of geometric shapes stacked on one another.
Cut the window square and the hay bales out of contact paper and place them on your watercolor paper, pressing down the edges. The square at the top will be the window. The second square will become the hay bales.
Activate your watercolor paints with a few drops of water. Wet all of them because having them moist, you can quickly lift up the paint with your damp brush. Study the background in this example to discover what colors have been used. The colors covering the wall of the barn around the window are brown, black, gray and blue. The hay is gold, yellow and orange.
Begin to paint. Having three areas covered with plastic will ensure that the paper stays white in those areas. Paint freely and use dark colors. Always put the color you wish to use in the palette area and add water to it. To get these rich, deep colors, add just a small amount of water. Paint the barn wall. Paint the hay bales. Paint a bale of hay under the girl to represent her seat.
Allow the painting to dry and retouch areas where it dries too light. Always wait for watercolor to fully dry before attempting to paint over it to avoid making mud. As you work, aim for richness and depth of color.
Peel off the contact paper and cut out a circle to represent the full moon. Stick it down, then paint the sky outside the window.
Paint the cat. In the reference, one paw of the cat extends down the side of the hay bale. Its face is indistinct and some simplistic lines represent the whiskers.
Mix gray to paint shadows on the figure of the girl. Test the consistency of the diluted paint on a scrap of paper. It should be pale and transparent. Add a few very simple shadows to the girl. Keep it light—she is a ghost.
Allow the painting to dry again. Hurry this by using a hairdryer, if you wish. Use a fine-line Sharpie or other indelible marker to sketch a few lines on the figure. Define the girl's features. Paint a fresh line of juicy, wet black paint defining the line of the girl's back. Blow on the wet paint through a straw to create spidery lines on her back.
Check the piece by standing it up and walking away from it. Add whatever touches you need to finish it. Draw bricks or wooden slats behind the cat. Place a cobweb in the corner of the window. Draw a face on the moon.
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