Are you struggling with saving your whites when painting with watercolors? Have you been considering the use of masking fluid but are unsure about how to use it effectively and whether it's really necessary at all? Have you avoided using masking fluid in your work because it makes the process longer and more tedious? One of the most difficult things to get used to when starting with watercolors, is planning where the lightest areas of our paintings will be and keeping them protected throughout the painting process. Watercolors are quite different from other painting mediums due to the fact that they are translucent and require us to work from lightest to darkest values. As opposed to acrylics, oils or gouache, this painting medium doesn't allow us to simply cover up mistakes. By doing a bit of planning beforehand and knowing what tools/techniques to use for each project individually, we can ensure that we're using watercolors to their full potential. When used effectively, this artistic medium is able to create very striking paintings that have a "lighter" feel to them than those created with acrylics or oils, and also seem to glow from within. Protecting our lightest areas is essential in order to achieve such qualities. *This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing you helpful and inspiring art content. If you're considering buying art supplies online, and you're finding my content useful, I'd be extremely grateful if you'd consider using my links. :) In this blog post, I am sharing the steps I personally go through when using masking fluid in a watercolor painting. I will also provide some essential tips that will help you avoid accidents. To illustrate each step, I have included a beginner-friendly masking fluid exercise. It's very important to do a few explorations with new tools before actually trying them out in a painting! Even though many watercolor sets contain white paint, traditional watercolor artists avoid using it. There's no need because the watercolor paper itself IS the white and the areas left free of pigment will stand as the highlights of the painting. Whether the artist decides to use masking fluid or not, he/she makes sure to protect those whites because, once pigment touches paper and is absorbed, there's no way to get that white back. Traditional watercolor artists also avoid using black, but that is a story for a different day. To learn about the ten most important things you should make sure to apply when painting with watercolors, read my blog post titled 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting with Watercolors. Now-a-days, there are TONS of amazing artists who use watercolors in combination with other types of mediums, creating beautiful mixed-media artworks. There are those who complete a watercolor painting without paying much mind to highlights until the end, when they add them in using white gouache, acrylic paint, paint pens, and/or other drawing mediums. I'm all about exploring mediums and creating one's own artistic style! However, I've found it invaluable to study each medium individually and challenge oneself to create desired effects using that medium alone. I noticed the biggest improvement in my painting quality when I pushed myself to complete a project using only one medium. So, I really recommend making time to explore each medium on its own once you're at a certain skill level, especially if you find that you're continuously reaching out for a second/third medium as a crutch because you were unable to create the effects you were intending to. Once you've learned the characteristics of each medium and the general "rules", THEN go ahead and combine them, if you wish to. But let it be because it's your stylistic choice, and not because you needed another medium as extra support. It's hard! But I PROMISE you, that it will help you improve A TON. Masking fluid is NOT NECESSARY to create a great watercolor painting, but it sure is a great tool to know about, especially when painting certain kinds of subjects that have shiny, reflective surfaces and/or tiny areas you want to block out. If you don't have masking fluid or wish not to use it, you have the option of carefully working around your planned white highlights, but because watercolors are so fluid, it may be a challenge. Here is an example of a painting I created by very carefully working around the areas I wanted completely white at the end (no masking fluid). See all those tiny white spaces? I consciously made an effort not to get any pigment in them! If I had accidentally covered up those spaces, my painting would look flat and wouldn't have that "glow" to it. 
Watercolor sandwich by Erika Lancaster
So, what is masking fluid, exactly?Masking fluid (also referred to as liquid frisket) is liquid latex that dries to a rubbery/waterproof film, allowing us to block out areas in our paintings that we want free of pigment. It contains ammonia, which makes the liquid very smelly and makes it necessary to work in a well-ventilated room. Usually, we're presented with masking fluid options at art supply stores that look white while in the bottle and dry to a transparent/yellowish film. However, pigmented varieties are available, in case the artist requires a greater visibility throughout the placement process. Though the use of masking fluid entails adding in a couple of extra steps and makes the painting process longer, it does make protecting the whites a lot easier and is a great tool to have when painting complex, detailed subjects! How to Use Masking FluidYou will need: -Watercolor paper -Masking fluid -Watercolor paint -Paintbrushes -Pencil -Eraser -Paint-mixing palette -Cup of water -Old rag or paper towel -Bar of soap or dishwashing liquid -A tool for placing your masking fluid (old paintbrush, wooden skewer, paper clip, cotton swab, etc.) *Optional: -Masking tape -Rubber cement pick up or soft eraser 
Watercolor painting supplies
Instructions: 1. Create your initial sketch As always, start with a good, light pencil drawing. Once you're done, map out where you want your highlights to be. Usually, this will entail having a good look at your reference picture and pinpointing lightest areas. Then, we would lightly outline these small shapes. *Illustrative exercise (recommended for beginners): For the purpose of this little abstract exercise, we will be blocking out lines. Create a simple design using straight or curved lines and keep them as light as possible (so you can erase them later)! 
Initial pencil sketch
2. Select a tool to place your masking fluid with Depending on the effect you're going for in your painting, this tool can range from a paintbrush, to a wooden skewer, to a cotton swab, or even a toothbrush (for splattering). If you DO decide to use a paintbrush, make sure you use an older one that you don't mind damaging because it doesn't take much for masking fluid to kill those bristles! Personally, I've already ruined at least a couple of paintbrushes and have gotten used to applying masking fluid with paper clips! *For this exercise, you'll need a pointier tool so you're able to trace your pencil lines. 
Placing masking fluid with a paper clip
3. Take your time placing your masking fluid on desired areas Do this carefully and take your time! Make sure your not scraping or otherwise damaging your paper, especially if you're using a sharp, pointy tool to place your masking fluid with. If you're creating a finalized painting using a reference picture, try to look at it constantly so you make sure to block out all areas you want protected. *Carefully trace your pencil lines. It's totally normal to have to re-dunk your paper clip into your masking fluid every few seconds! When you're done, allow it to dry completely (this can take up to 30 minutes depending on the thickness it was placed in. Make sure it's completely dry to the touch before continuing with the next step. 
Placing masking fluid
Nearly dry, yellowed masking fluid
4. Paint as per usual Move on to the painting process, starting from lightest and most translucent values to darker values, allowing each layer to dry before applying the next. Don't be afraid of painting over the masking fluid. That's what it's there for! If you're creating a finalized painting, take your time developing those values and get your painting as close to being done as possible before removing the masking fluid. What I personally do, is to make sure I've arrived at a point at which I feel I can't advance any further until my masking fluid is out of the way. Once you're done, allow your painting to dry naturally and completely. To see how I create striking paintings working in layers, visit my blog post Realistic Watercolor Sandwich Process *For this beginner-friendly exercise, explore different colors and effects until you arrive at something you like. 
Watercolor painting process
Watercolor painting process
5. Remove that masking fluid! This is the time we've all been waiting for! Once your painting is completely dry, carefully and gently remove that masking fluid with a rubber cement pick up, a soft eraser or using your fingers. Rub gently until part of it lifts and then gently pull the rest off. Make sure you remove it completely and lightly dust your painting off so no pieces are left behind. 
Removing masking fluid
6. Soften hard edges and finish any last details
Once your masking fluid has been removed, you'll notice that you're left with very stark-looking, sharp white shapes. If you're creating a painting that's more on the realistic side (like in the car painting time lapse video I've included in this post), you'll probably want to soften at least some of these. To do this, simply wet your paintbrush in clean water and do some gentle scrubbing on those sharp lines, moving the pigment around on your paper. However, be very careful not to cover up all of your white! Now is also the time at which you can further deepen values in your painting if you need to, or carefully create any washes you feel would improve your painting. Allow to dry completely before removing any masking tape. *For the purpose of this abstract exercise, I left my white lines as they were after having removed my masking fluid because I liked the look of it. If you'd like to explore softening some of them or even adding in extra washes of color, go for it! 
Erase those pencil lines!
Masking Fluid Pro Tips!1. If you want to use a paintbrush for masking fluid placement, soak its bristles in dishwashing soap (or rub them gently on a bar of soap) before dipping it into the masking fluid. This will make it easier to remove the masking fluid when you're done. 2. Never shake your masking fluid bottle before starting with its application. This creates air bubbles and may lead to coagulation, which may make it harder to place on desired areas and may affect the outcome of your work. 3. Only apply masking fluid on bone-dry paper and only remove it from bone-dry paper. 4. When using masking fluid, resist the urge to speed up drying times using a hairdryer or any sort of heat tool. Warm air can cause the already-hardened masking fluid to stick to your paper even more, which can later lead to rips and tears as you try to remove it! 5. Never allow hardened masking fluid to be on your paper for extended periods of time (over two days). Whether this is a problem or not will depend on a number of variables such as masking fluid and paper brands/types, environmental temperature, etc. However, be wary of leaving masking fluid on your paper for long periods of time because it can get to a point at which it may be impossible to remove! 6. Explore different ways you can apply and use masking fluid! There are so many ways to do it, from placing it carefully the way we did in today's exercise, to splattering, smearing, etc. Experimenting with different tools and techniques can definitely open up your horizons about what's possible with watercolors and will also allow you to have different tricks up your sleeve whenever you're painting complex subjects! What method do you personally use to create highlights in your watercolor paintings? Do you have any negative experiences with masking fluid? I'd love to know in the comments section below!
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Hey there, creative friends! In this week's blog post, I'll be sharing some of my recent sketchbook entries and finished paintings (both watercolor and oils). As far as sketchbook work, I continue challenging myself whenever I'm able to, focusing on subjects that are difficult for me. For these last entries, I practiced female figure studies and a male portrait (I rarely draw men!). The oil paintings included here are two in my new landscape series. I have now completed three out of the five I will be selling. Very soon, I'll be sharing progress of the fourth one. So do follow me on Instagram if you wish to know how that goes! Once I complete these five landscapes, I'm going to be working on five still lives. I currently sell my original artwork only in Mexico, but have plans of opening online shops to ship to other countries in the near future! So due stay tuned! :) The watercolor paintings included here, are part of the group of illustrations I created for the June calendar design I will be sending over to my e-mail subscribers very soon! At the end of each month, I send them free printable calendars in both Letter and Tabloid size featuring my illustrations. :) If you'd like to become part of my insider group and receive these exclusive freebies, as well as helpful art content and news about offerings that will help you progress artistically, subscribe here: 
Landscape oil painting by Erika Lancaster. Oils on 90 x 70 cm. stretched canvas.
Female pose study 1. Pencil sketch by Erika Lancaster.
Female pose study 2. Pencil sketch by Erika Lancaster.
Female pose study 3. Pencil sketch by Erika Lancaster.
Male portrait study. Pencil sketch by Erika Lancaster.
Monstera leaf watercolor painting by Erika Lancaster
Lemonade in mason jar watercolor painting by Erika Lancaster
Seashell watercolor painting by Erika Lancaster
Thanks so much for visiting and checking my work out! I really appreciate it! If you're a beginner/intermediate artist looking to improve your work, do check out the posts below! I constantly produce helpful blog posts and YouTube videos with art tips, tutorials and encouragement! Have a beautiful weekend! 
Have you reached a point in your art journey at which you feel relatively confident about your skills but are anxious to find your own style and voice? Are you stuck with your art and feel that your own perfectionism and/or fear of failure is keeping you from moving forward? "Create your own visual style... let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others." -Orson Welles
There is a point in every artist's journey at which a substantial amount of time and effort has been dedicated to developing artistic skills, but the artist has yet to decide what ideas he/she wants to share with the world and what mediums, techniques and style will set him/her apart from others. It takes an immense amount of work, exploration and introspection to push through this point, but it's important to keep on until the breakthrough happens. In my opinion, it's exactly THIS desire to push through the initial phase that differentiates a hobbyist from a pro. It's a point at which perfect rendering and technique becomes just as important as (or may even take back seat to) having an artwork transmit the ideas or feelings we are striving to transmit. In this blog post, I will be sharing five very useful tips that will help you loosen up and express more of yourself through your art. It's this exploration that will help you discover yourself as an artist. If you're at this point, it's time to experiment fearlessly and push your limits! I wrote a blog post several months ago in which I share an excellent method that you can apply to start discovering your own art style using other artists' work as inspiration. This strategy will be very useful for you in this stage, so make sure to check it out after this post. How to Effectively Use Other Artists' Work as Inspiration and a Great Method to Start Developing Your Own Artistic Style. Currently, I'm doing a lot of exploratory work with oils on canvas. If you've been following my work for any amount of time, you probably already know that I love working on smaller-scale watercolor illustrations. However, I've had the pleasure of creating larger decorative fine art for local clients and have really enjoyed it! I'm making time for oil painting as much as I can and am planning on selling my artwork internationally in the near future. I'm working on a series of five large landscape oil paintings. I will be sharing these with you throughout the upcoming weeks so stay tuned! 
Landscape oil painting by Erika Lancaster (90 x 70 cms.).
5 Tips That Will Help You Become More Loose and Expressive When Creating Art "Regularity, order, desire for perfection destroy art. Irregularity is the basis of all art." -Pierre-Auguste Renoir 1. Gain confidence in your skills by learning and practicing Art Fundamentals In order to draw or paint freely, you need to have a certain level of confidence in your skills. And the only way to truly gain confidence in anything, is by practicing first-handedly. Knowing Art Fundamentals inside and out is going to help you IMMENSELY, and is the basis for everything else. Things like composition, harmony, proportion, color, perspective, texture, value, etc., have to be engrained in your head so that you can apply this knowledge naturally and organically as you are creating your artwork. Aside from knowing Art Fundamentals, it's also imperative for you to have some experience working with whatever medium and supplies you're thinking of using. How are you going to paint or draw freely if you feel like you're constantly fighting with the medium? The saying "Learn the rules before you can break them." applies here! In my blog post titled Why Sketchbooks Are Essential Tools for Artists and A Few Usage Tips I share how I personally use my sketchbooks on a daily basis to make sure I'm progressing continuously. 2. Prepare yourself mentally before you begin It's absolutely essential to start a challenging piece in the right headspace. Once you have arrived at the idea of what you'll be creating, start with positivity and confidence. I've mentioned this before, but our minds are EXTREMELY powerful! Remember, if you think you're going to fail, you most likely will. Now is the time to embrace experimentation and throw perfectionism out the window! Allow the magic to happen as you work with your medium and tools. Do your best to give up some of your control and allow your medium to do some of the speaking for itself. 3. Paint with larger brushes and, if possible, on a larger substrate Painting/drawing at a larger scale will not only encourage more arm movement (which in turn leads to more dynamic work), but allows you to focus on larger shapes. Using a larger brush, or drawing tools like chalk or charcoal, also make it more difficult to obsess over tiny little details. This, in turn, challenges you to think about what is actually needed in your composition and what can be left out. Not to mention, larger pieces are also (usually) meant to be viewed from farther away. At the moment of drawing or painting, step back and continuously remind yourself that the piece is meant to be appreciated from a distance. If you're creating a painting, remember that your paintbrush is not meant to be held as a writing pencil or pen! Try holding it with your thumb and index finger, and keep the rest of your hand relaxed. Beginners have a tendency to hold brushes very close to the bristles to feel more in control. Try holding your brush farther up the handle, anywhere from halfway up to the tip. Explore the different types of brush strokes your brushes are able to create, and the shapes and textures their bristles naturally leave behind. Load your paintbrushes with a good amount of paint so that there's more of a chance for interesting "natural" occurrences to happen. 
4. Use music Music can have such a deep impact on our mood and inspiration levels! I love creating a good, long playlist for myself prior to starting with a painting. Music helps keep my creativity flowing and my energy high for hours. Our taste in music will vary from person to person, of course. Perhaps an artist looking to create an extremely dynamic abstract painting would be inspired by music with a faster/upbeat tempo. Whereas, another artist might find more relaxing, classical music more helpful. Regardless of your taste in music, create a playlist that will help you stay positive, inspired and motivated to continue. 5. Learn to leave your brushstrokes alone Do your best to place your brushstrokes (or lines if your drawing) with intention and then leave them alone! Allow the organic occurrences to happen and think of how you can use these effects to your advantage instead of trying to correct them or blend them out. Stop yourself from pushing forward with actions that are really not really necessary. Try to do more with less and don't obsess over every tiny little accident! Let go of the mental need to control everything! I hope that you found this post helpful and that it encouraged you to keep exploring and moving forward with your art! I wish you all the best and remember to enjoy the process!
"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." -Scott Adams
Are you in the process of finding your art style and voice, or do you feel you still need to practice your basic art skills? What type of artwork are you most drawn to, and how do you think this will translate into your own artwork? I'd LOVE to hear from you in the comments section below.
Do you frequently experience phases of low creativity? Are you currently unmotivated to continue pushing your artistic skills forward? Does a lack of inspiration stop you from creating and progressing as an artist? "Inspiration and work ethic, they ride right next to each other." - Jack White
All artists are bound to go through some kind of creative block from time to time, no matter how talented or experienced they may be. This makes it absolutely essential (especially for us working artists) to have some sort of effective system set in place to keep us productive and moving forward consistently. Though we may consciously decide to take breaks from our art from time to time, being an artist is synonymous with constant creation. Keeping creativity levels high day-in-and-day-out can certainly be exhausting, and it's impossible to be in the perfect headspace for creation ALL of the time. However, taking long breaks from our art will most definitely affect our progress. In today's blog post, I will share the method I personally use to re-engage with my art in difficult times. This strategy will help you whenever you're feeling uninspired, unmotivated, frustrated, or even just bored with your current art routine. The goal is to ensure that you're moving forward, even when you're not at your best. You can make the exercise as easy or difficult as you'd like at any given point in time. I'll explain in a bit. But first, there's something we have to touch upon! I find there are two main reasons that we can hit creative blocks as artists: 1. We may not feel like creating because we feel insecure or simply bored with our current art routines. In these situations, we have to learn to suck it up and get to work. Sometimes we have to be okay with just showing up and doing what we can. 2. We can be mentally and physically drained by everything we have going on in life, and will very likely hit a wall even if we DO show up. Each one of us is in a different situation, but it's imperative to make time for self-care. It should be our priority above all else. If you're in the first camp, I encourage you to power through. The more you push yourself to create in these times of low inspiration, the easier it will become. If you're in the second, I really recommend you take a few days to plan out how you'll be prioritizing your mental and physical well-being from here on out. I truly, 100% believe that if you're not taking care of yourself, EVERYTHING else will suffer, including your artistic progress. Read my blog post titled How I Find Inspiration as an Artist and Some Ideas to Keep You Going. There, I share the mentality I have adopted that helps me stay inspired and keep creative blocks at bay! *This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing you helpful and inspiring art content. If you're considering buying art supplies online, and you're finding my content useful, I'd be extremely grateful if you'd consider using my links. :) 
Abstract painting by Erika Lancaster
Practical Life Tips to Get You Back Into the Flow of CreationBefore we actually get into the creative exercise, I'm going to give you a few general tips that you should try. I find when I apply these in my daily or weekly routines, I'm less likely to get into an art block to begin with. 1. Clean and organize your working area I don't consider myself a neat-freak by any means. However, I have to admit that when things start to get messy around me, it starts affecting me mentally (and thus my productivity suffers). By staying organized, there's much more of a chance you'll feel like getting to work. 2. Get moving Guys, I cannot stress the importance of physical exercise enough. Some of my best ideas come up when I'm moving! Not to mention, as artists/illustrators, we sit and/or hunch A LOT of the time and it's absolutely IMPERATIVE to stay healthy and work on our posture! Exercise has brought me a level of mental clarity and energy that I didn't have in my younger (and most sedentary) years. At the VERY least, make sure you're taking stretching breaks throughout the day! 3. Go be social or get out of your usual environment As artists, it can be easy to stay holed up in our studios all day long. Although we primarily work by ourselves, it's important to remember that our inspiration comes through actually LIVING experiences first-handedly. Sometimes, just going out for coffee with a friend or taking a walk around the block will do! Keep in mind you never want to get to a point at which you forget how to talk to other human beings! 4. Set aside some "me time" I don't know about you, but I feel like life gets so busy sometimes that if breathing wasn't absolutely automatic and necessary to continue living, I think I would forget to do it. Understandably, there will be periods of high stress in our lives, but these should be the exception and not the rule. Make sure you're setting aside time to do what you want to do in life and ENJOY IT! Make time for proper rest and to be alone as much as you feel you need to. 5. Start taking notes I carry a small sketchbook or notebook everywhere I go. I got in the habit of doing this a while back because ideas randomly pop up in my head throughout the day and I don't want to end up forgetting something that could lead to a good artwork or creative project in general. It's awesome to have a little bank of ideas in the background because, even if you don't use them immediately, you can come back to them when you can't find anything to work on. Check out my blog post titledWhy Sketchbooks are Essential Tools for Artists and a Few Usage Tips. 6. Get inspired by the other art genres Don't limit yourself to only getting inspired by the visual arts! Reading good literature, watching movies/documentaries, listening to music, and even cooking can lead to amazing ideas for new art pieces! Finding ways of mixing and matching things we love all across the board can lead to the most personal and unique art pieces! 7. Create a Pinterest Inspiration board (or a folder on your desktop) Collect artwork that appeals to you and use it as inspiration. However, never EVER compare yourself to other artists! Try to target and make notes of specific characteristics you like (maybe it's the colors the artist used, the line work, how effectively emotions are transmitted, etc.) and try to implement it in your own way. Check out my Pinterest inspiration board here. Read my post titled How to Effectively Use Other Artists' Work as Inspiration and a Great Method to Start Developing Your Own Artistic Style to learn about my personal approach of getting inspiration from artists I admire, while making sure I'm creating something truly original. 8. Ditch the perfectionist attitude Many times, we keep ourselves from even starting because we're afraid of wasting supplies and/or producing something that won't measure up to our expectations (or the expectations of others). I honestly believe that being a perfectionist is one of the worst mistakes an artist can make. It wasn't until I understood that creating art is more about the process than the end product that I started to really improve my skills and make progress towards finding my style. Not everything is supposed to be a masterpiece! My Secret Tool for Staying Creatively Inspired and Challenged
As artists, we should embrace exploration and challenge. It is through exploring different techniques, supplies and/or subjects that we not only expand our abilities, but are able to learn about our personal likes, dislikes and areas of improvement. I like taking moments of low inspiration or motivation to step out of my comfort zone and do something that will challenge me in a way that I haven't been in a while, whether it's a shorter pencil sketch or a painting using mediums or styles I haven't explored. See, even if you've already discovered your artistic medium of choice and are set on your subject or technique, stretching your boundaries is a great way to stimulate your creativity, reinvigorate yourself and reignite your passion for art. Through explorations uncommon to you, you're able to arrive at ideas you wouldn't have thought of, ideas that can later be applied in your larger pieces. When I'm truly in a tough mental state, I don't pressure myself to generate an amazing product at all, but focus much more on the exploration and journey. I disconnect from my inner critique and focus on enjoying the feel of my supplies, each individual color, line and shape. I allow things to happen naturally. This is what I decided to do on the day I filmed the video included here. What's important, is to keep moving forward at least in a small way, and not give up altogether.
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Focusing on only this area of the picture.
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Because I'm mainly using this image to practice rocks, I decided to open it in Photoshop and crop out a section that I thought would make for a nice little painting. This allowed me to focus on the subjects I wanted to practice. |
Painting Process
Quick watercolor flower and rock studies and paintings.
Watercolor Poppy Field
1. Before actually starting with my complete painting, I created individual studies of two of my favorite landscape flowers.
2. After deciding I wanted to create a field of Poppies, I looked for a high quality picture online that included a good amount of them in it. It's important to develop an eye for what images could possibly lead to nice looking paintings.
3. I taped my watercolor paper onto a thick piece of cardboard and, using the wet-on-wet technique described in the first video of this series, I created a blurry background effect using yellow and light green. While wet, I dropped in a few dots of my red Poppy flower mixture because I wanted my furthest flowers to appear blurred out. I allowed my first layer to dry completely.
4. I started adding in very loose and irregular red shapes that would later be turned into the tops (or petals) of the Poppy flowers. At this point, I started using deeper red color mixtures with a less amount of water in them, but I still didn't go too dark, taking it one step at a time. I made sure to add just enough shapes for it to look like a field of Poppies, but not too many that it would look too crowded. It's SO important to know when to stop!
5. I jumped around from flower to flower, adding in deeper red values carefully. I created the illusion of separate petals by placing few curved lines here and there. The darkest hue used within the petal area was created by adding in blue to my red mixture. As always, my darkest values were placed very deliberately and only where needed (see reference image at all times).
6. I started adding in individual blades of grass using a medium green paint mixture and clean upward motions (using my thin round brush). I created the effect of realistic depth by making the blades of grass smaller as they got closer to the horizon line (further from the viewer).
7. Once I had added the first layer of grass, I allowed it to dry and went back to work on my Poppies. To soften some of the noticeable darker shapes left within the petal areas, I wet my brush with clean water and did gentle scrubbing. I did this only here and there.
8. I created a deeper green value and painted the flower stems, more grass, as well as flower buds scattered throughout. To create a sense of depth, I made sure to leave the most crisp-looking and vibrant green blades of grass closest to the viewer and the most translucent ones closest to the horizon line. I also made sure to add at least a bit of a darker green to my flower buds in order to transmit a more believable sense of form.
Specific colors I used for this study:
Lemon Yellow
Permanent Green Olive
Cadmium Red Light
Permanent Carmine
Ultramarine Blue
Watercolor Rocky Creek
1. I opened my reference photograph in a photo-editing software and cropped an area that would allow me to focus on painting rocks. Using a pencil, I created a very light sketch on my watercolor paper, getting inspired by the image but not fussing to much about drawing it EXACTLY the same.
2. I wet the entire rock area and started laying down my first and most translucent paint mixture, making sure to leave small areas free of pigment. Saving small white areas is very important when creating believable stones and rocks!
3. I jumped from one rock to the other deepening values and then allowed them to dry while I continued with the other areas of my painting. *Please refer to the first two blog posts/videos of this series if you'd like to know more about how I paint skies, water and trees.
4. I went back to my rocks, deepening values and creating a sense of shadow behind and between the rocks. At this point I also softened some of the transitions between my values by doing my scrubbing technique with a clean brush.
Specific colors I used for this study:
Sepia Brown
Ivory Black
Yellow Ochre
Cadmium Yellow Light
Permanent Green Olive
Cadmium Red Light
Permanent Carmine
Ultramarine Blue
What's your favorite natural subject/element that you like integrating (or would like to learn how to integrate) into your watercolor landscapes? Leave me a comment below!
Have you ever started painting a watercolor landscape and hit a wall when adding in trees and/or plants? Do you find you start your trees well but frequently end up overworking them, producing lifeless and flat green blobs? Are you getting tired of always painting the same kind of tree?
Welcome to the second part of the Watercolor Landscapes for Beginners Series!
Trees and plants are, arguably, the most important parts of any landscape (at least this is the case when there are no other living subjects included). For this reason, it's a great idea to make time to study them before actually attempting to paint a composition of this kind.
This blog post includes a video in which I walk you through six different tree studies. Throughout these time-lapses, I share the steps I go through when painting trees using watercolors, as well as all of my personal tips and tricks. With practice, you'll be painting believable trees that have life to them and add areas of interest in your paintings.
Before you begin drawing or painting trees, or anything else for that matter, there's nothing better than going out and observing what the subject actually looks like in real life. Go for a walk and take some photos at your nearest park. At the very least, look for high quality photographs online and create a little collection.
Take a moment to observe their shape, the variety of hues and textures they can have, the shadows created by them and within them, etc. Make notes! Attempt to paint them in plein air someday!
Check out my blog post titled Why Sketchbooks are Essential Tools for Artists and a Few Usage Tips to learn how I use my sketchbooks to improve my artistic skills everyday (even when I have small amounts of time).
Trees and plants are, arguably, the most important parts of any landscape (at least this is the case when there are no other living subjects included). For this reason, it's a great idea to make time to study them before actually attempting to paint a composition of this kind.
This blog post includes a video in which I walk you through six different tree studies. Throughout these time-lapses, I share the steps I go through when painting trees using watercolors, as well as all of my personal tips and tricks. With practice, you'll be painting believable trees that have life to them and add areas of interest in your paintings.
Before you begin drawing or painting trees, or anything else for that matter, there's nothing better than going out and observing what the subject actually looks like in real life. Go for a walk and take some photos at your nearest park. At the very least, look for high quality photographs online and create a little collection.
Take a moment to observe their shape, the variety of hues and textures they can have, the shadows created by them and within them, etc. Make notes! Attempt to paint them in plein air someday!
Check out my blog post titled Why Sketchbooks are Essential Tools for Artists and a Few Usage Tips to learn how I use my sketchbooks to improve my artistic skills everyday (even when I have small amounts of time).
Simple watercolor landscape with tree in the foreground.
Check out other parts of the series below!
Let's get started with the tutorial!
Supplies you will need:
-Watercolor paper or sketchbook
-Watercolors (basic colors will do)
-Paintbrushes (at least two round brushes in different sizes)
-Rag or paper towel
-Cup of water
-Pencil (HB-2B)
-Gum eraser
Want to know more about the supplies I'm currently using? Visit my my blog post My Favorite Art Supplies (So Far).
-Watercolors (basic colors will do)
-Paintbrushes (at least two round brushes in different sizes)
-Rag or paper towel
-Cup of water
-Pencil (HB-2B)
-Gum eraser
Want to know more about the supplies I'm currently using? Visit my my blog post My Favorite Art Supplies (So Far).
Painting Process
1. Loosen up your hand by practicing the "scribbling" technique using your paintbrush and a piece of scrap watercolor paper.
2. Create your initial pencil sketch lightly, focusing on the largest shapes of the tree.
3. Create your lightest and most translucent hues using a mixture of yellows and greens.
4. Begin placing your lightest layers of paint by using light scribbling motions and making sure to leave white areas between your clumps of leaves. Remember, you are NOT painting each individual leaf, but creating the illusion of leaves!
5. Once you have placed your initial lightest values of yellow and/or green, "drop" darker hues onto certain areas. Allow wet-on-wet effects to happen. Don't go overboard! Set aside and allow to dry. At this point only lightest to mid-green values should be placed.
6. Create your second set of paint hues (mid-tones to darker values) using the previous colors, but adding in dark blue and brown. Abstain from using black.
7. Start placing your mid-tones to darkest values deliberately. Remember the point is not to cover up previous layers of paint, but only to add darker values where needed. *Use your pictures to conclude how much of your darkest values should be added and where (remember these are mostly where cast shadows would be between your clumps of leaves-no more!).
While you should never be afraid of adding dark values to a watercolor painting, you should add them carefully and only where needed.
8. Paint your tree trunk and branches, using your rag or paper towel to lift some paint in certain areas to create texture and a sense of form.
Watercolor tree studies by Erika Lancaster.
Specific colors I used to paint these trees:
Yellow Ochre
Cadmium Yellow Light
Permanent Green Olive
Ultramarine Blue
Sepia Brown
Before I end this post, I would like to remind you to have fun creating these studies. Enjoy your explorations and embrace imperfection! Re-do them as many times as you need to before you move on to the third part of the series, which will be coming up next Friday. :)
Were you able to follow along with some of these studies? What was the most difficult tree for you to paint and which was the easiest? Leave a comment below!
Thanks so much for coming by and I hope to see you next week for the third part of this series!
Interested in learning how to paint watercolor landscapes, but find most tutorials a bit hard to follow? Looking to get into painting landscapes in a way that is less overwhelming and will ensure a more effective outcome?
Welcome to the first part of the Watercolor Landscapes for Beginners Series!
Landscape compositions are complex because they are made up of a large variety of elements, layers and effects. As beginners just starting out with watercolors, we usually still lack an effective control of water and are unaware of specific techniques that will lead to the effects we want to achieve, which can make painting a complete picture extremely frustrating!
Due to all of this, I don't recommend looking for full-landscape video tutorials right off the bat. By taking things one step at a time, you are able to build a solid foundation, ensure a natural and more enjoyable progress, and make it A LOT more likely to end up with a finished product you're actually proud of.
This is why I've created this mini-series for you. :)
In this series, we're going to be breaking landscapes apart into different commonly used elements or "layers". We will be studying each element individually before using them to create a complete landscape. Today, we're starting with the furthest layer in any landscape, which is the sky. After this, we're moving into elements that are usually located within the foreground and/or middleground.
Haven't watched the introductory video? Check it out in last week's blog post:
Watercolor Landscapes for Beginners- New YouTube Series
If you're interested in following the series throughout the upcoming weeks and having your final landscape published here on my blog, make sure to subscribe to be part of my insider group! Everyone who joins us in the challenge and contacts me at the end of the series will have their work published, no exceptions! :)
*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing you helpful and inspiring art content. If you're considering buying art supplies online, and you're finding my content useful, I'd be extremely grateful if you'd consider using my links. :)
Art supplies
Check out other parts of the series below!
Let's get started with the tutorial!
Supplies you will need:
-Watercolor paper over 140 lb/300 gsm in weight
(I recommend thicker paper due to the use of large amounts of water)
-Watercolors (basic colors will do)
-Masking tape
-Paintbrushes (at least one larger flat brush and a smaller round brush)
-Rag or paper towel
-Cup of water
-Pencil (HB-2B)
-Gum eraser
Want to know more about the supplies I'm currently using? Visit my my blog post My Favorite Art Supplies (So Far).
(I recommend thicker paper due to the use of large amounts of water)
-Watercolors (basic colors will do)
-Masking tape
-Paintbrushes (at least one larger flat brush and a smaller round brush)
-Rag or paper towel
-Cup of water
-Pencil (HB-2B)
-Gum eraser
Want to know more about the supplies I'm currently using? Visit my my blog post My Favorite Art Supplies (So Far).
5 Essential Tips to Apply in Your Exercises
1. Always start with light and translucent colors/values, and work your way towards darks slowly and deliberately.
2. Save your white areas from the start. Do your best to protect these areas as you progress.
3. Allow layers to dry before applying subsequent ones.
4. For all distant elements or layers that require blurrier, gradient color effects, use the wet-on-wet technique. Simply wet your paper with clean water using a large brush and apply paint directly on the wet surface. As you move towards layers in the foreground, create sharper effects by using less and less water.
5. As you start placing your darker values, make sure you are ONLY adding them were necessary. Stay away from creating blocks of uniform, solid color.
*Your rag or paper towel will be your best friend throughout the process because it allows you to "lift" paint off from your paper if you've placed too much. You can also create smoother transitions by wetting your (clean) paintbrush and doing some scrubbing on your previously applied paint layers. This reactivates the paint and allows you to create smoother transitions wherever you see fit.
Ready? Follow along with me!
5 Sky Watercolor Studies
Starting time in video: 3:20
-Colors used in this study: Ultramarine Blue, Prussian Blue
-No drying time in-between layers of paint
-Colors used in this study: Ultramarine Blue, Prussian Blue
-No drying time in-between layers of paint
Starting time in video: 6:30
-Colors used in this study: Prussian Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Permanent Carmine
-Allowed drying time in-between layers to create more definition in specific areas
-Colors used in this study: Prussian Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Permanent Carmine
-Allowed drying time in-between layers to create more definition in specific areas
Starting time in video: 10:40
-Colors used in this study: Prussian Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Permanent Carmine, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Red Light
-Allowed drying time in-between layers to create more definition in specific areas
-Colors used in this study: Prussian Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Permanent Carmine, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Red Light
-Allowed drying time in-between layers to create more definition in specific areas
Starting time in video: 17:05
-Colors used in this study: Prussian Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Permanent Carmine, Lemon Yellow, Sepia Brown
-Allowed drying time in-between layers to create more definition in specific areas
-Colors used in this study: Prussian Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Permanent Carmine, Lemon Yellow, Sepia Brown
-Allowed drying time in-between layers to create more definition in specific areas
Starting time in video: 25:20
-Colors used in this study: Prussian Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Permanent Carmine, Lemon Yellow, Sap Green, Sepia Brown
-Allowed drying time in-between layers to create more definition in specific areas
-Colors used in this study: Prussian Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Permanent Carmine, Lemon Yellow, Sap Green, Sepia Brown
-Allowed drying time in-between layers to create more definition in specific areas
I really recommend creating at least a few different sky studies before moving on to the second part of the series. Take your time, re-watch the video as many times as you'd like, and remember to enjoy yourself as you get to know this medium!
If you've been reading my blog posts for a while, you probably know by now how I am a HUGE believer in learning to enjoy the process. I think the journey is just as important, if not MORE important, than the final art piece. I encourage you to not focus only on creating a beautiful perfect finalized painting, but on spending time studying and experimenting with techniques, subjects and supplies.
I hope that you found this post/video helpful and that you've been inspired to create a few different watercolor sky studies for yourself! I'd LOVE it if you'd share any specific frustrations you have with watercolors in the comments section below.
Thank you so much for reading/watching and I hope to see you back here next week for the second part of this series!
Confused about the differences between watercolors and watercolor pencils? Are you curious if the skills you have acquired with either of these mediums translates into the other? Or, perhaps, you already bought a set of either and don't know how to use them for optimum results?
This blog post will help clear up most of the doubts that revolve around these two water-soluble artistic mediums. I will be comparing the two in terms of preparation of supplies, painting process, and will finish up with a side-by-side comparison of the finished art studies.
While I find it totally awesome that there are constantly new kinds of art supplies being produced and that an artist's options continue to grow, such a diversity in products may be overwhelming at times. All of these options can cause confusion, not to mention spending money on products that we may not end up using, which is always a bummer.
I'm a BIG proponent of encouraging artists to try every type of medium they can. Experiencing supplies first-handedly is definitely the BEST way an artist can come to conclusions about personal likes, dislikes and overall needs. Artists have to discover not only what artistic mediums suit their styles best, but also their preference in brands (what may be good for one of us may be terrible for the other).
However, art supplies can be very expensive and I certainly don't recommend investing in a new medium out of whim (unless you have the money to do so). We don't want to waste our money on materials that we may not enjoy using, which can happen even if the medium at hand is often compared to another which we have experienced and liked.
So, in order to save you some of the hassle, I will share my process as I create a simple painting using both watercolor pencils and watercolor paints. Then, I will compare the final outcomes and explain my conclusions. This way, you can decide for yourself if either of these is worth looking into. I'll also share some tips and tricks that may help you enjoy these mediums more and achieve more effective results.
To find a list of my favorite art supplies so far, read my blog post titled My Favorite Art Supplies (So Far).
Find the reference image of the apple I use in the video HERE, as well as a free outline drawing in printable PDF form at the end of this post!
To find a list of my favorite free online photo resources go to my post titled My Favorite Free Image Sites & Two Examples of References with Finished Illustrations.
Click on the image to go to original source at www.unsplash.com.
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Painting "map" I created showing the outline sketch as well as areas of lights and darks.
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Painting Process Using Both Art Mediums
Watercolor Pencil Study
Supplies needed
-Pencil
-Eraser
-Watercolor paper
-Brush (stiffer bristles)
-Watercolor pencils
-Sharpener
-Water
-Rag (for lifting)
Process
a) Create your pencil sketch lightly and select the colors you'll be using (this will depend on the reference photo you're working with). Lay down your colors as needed, leaving the whitest areas free of color. Imagine you're using regular colored pencils and start creating color mixtures as you see fit, being careful not to "burnish" or press on your paper too hard. Start off with a good amount of color right off the bat. You really don't have to think about it too much because the color will be moved around.
b) Once your initial layer of color has been added, use a paintbrush with a small amount of water to move the pigment around your paper. I like using a combination of straight/curved paintbrush strokes as well as scrubbing in small, circular motions. Try to pay attention to where the colors/values are in your reference picture so that you don't drag a color too far from where it should be. Look at your reference continuously.
c) Allow initial paint layer to dry COMPLETELY and place more pigment on areas you'd like to make darker. However many layers of detail you decide to add is up to you, just make sure to allow them enough drying time in-between. Focus on creating needed values, as well as creating washes of color wherever needed.
*When placing your deeper values, it's useful to wet your brush and take the pigment straight off the pencil tip! You can also use a watercolor pencil directly on your wet paper wherever you need a very dark value to be, but make sure that you are careful when doing this because you don't want to damage your paper.
d) Finally, it's up to you if you'd like to use your watercolor pencils to create any final details, outlines or expressive line work that you feel could compliment your painting!
Watercolor Paint Study
Supplies needed
-Pencil
-Eraser
-Watercolor paper
-Watercolor paints
-Brushes (softer bristles)
-Paint mixing palette
-Water
-Rag (for lifting)
Process
a) Create your pencil sketch lightly and prepare the colors you will be using (this will depend on the reference photo you have selected). Prepare your color palette by either taking some amount of pigment from your paint set and mixing it with water to create a few different values, or by creating color mixtures yourself.
b) Start laying down your first layer of paint, making sure to leave the lightest areas free of color. Start with your LIGHTEST and most transparent washes of paint.
c) Allow each layer to dry before moving on to the next. Remember, the point is not to COVER your previous layer of paint, but to go on adding deeper values ONLY where you can actually see them in your picture. The amount of layers you create is up to you (depending on how detailed you want your painting to be). Remember to look at your reference image continuously.
Comparing Finished Art Studies and Final Conclusions
Apple watercolor pencil painting. Magicfly watercolor pencils on Cold Press 140 lb. Art-n-Fly watercolor paper.
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Apple watercolor painting. Sakura Koi watercolor set on Cold Press 140 lb. Art-n-Fly watercolor paper.
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Differences
The main difference between these two art mediums is that watercolor pencils are a drawing AND a painting medium in one, when watercolor paint is only a painting medium. Furthermore, supplies needed are a bit different in that watercolor pencils require paintbrushes with stiffer bristles so that pigment can be effectively moved around the paper. No color mixing palette is needed with watercolor pencils, as the mixing happens right on the paper. However, we do need a sharpener.
In terms of process, the main difference noted is that the beginning stages of a watercolor pencil piece don't require as much thought and care as a watercolor painting piece does. Though I really recommend pre-selecting and preparing colors before starting with either medium, a watercolor painting involves creating sets of values and mixtures on a palette. Also, when laying down initial colors in a watercolor pencil project, the artist doesn't have to worry about being so precise because the color is going to move around a lot.
By comparing my finished studies side-by-side, we can conclude that watercolor pencils allow for a more controlled and tighter outcome when compared to the watercolor painting piece. Most of the time, some amount of line work will remain visible at the end when using watercolor pencils (I did my best to soften most line work in mine because I wanted to go for a painted look).
The watercolor painting has more of a luminosity to it, which may be related to the fact that I have more experience with this medium than with watercolor pencils. Also, brush strokes are a lot more visible, which create a more painterly effect.
Watercolor pencils are generally less messy and offer a solution for artists who want to create watercolor effects without the hassle of clean up. They can also be more portable,and don't require setting up a painting station when creating artwork in plein air.
Differences between watercolor pencils and watercolor paints.
Similarities
Because these mediums are water-soluble, both require watercolor paper for optimum results, as well as drying time in-between layers. It is also necessary for the artist to plan and protect the lightest areas before starting, in order to achieve effective luminosity and form. However, generally speaking, watercolor pencils require less water throughout the painting process which gives the artist more control and makes it somewhat easier to protect the whites.
Both mediums have their learning curves in regards to water control, but once the artist has enough practice with them, realism and more expressive "loose" effects can be achieved with both. Also, both mediums dry lighter than they look when they are wet, but color payoff will vary greatly depending on the quality of supplies used. Both allow lifting to a certain extent, which can be used to correct some mistakes.
Finally, both mediums require a certain amount of research in order to find quality products at affordable prices. Using lower quality products can lead to frustration and disappointment.
Both mediums have their learning curves in regards to water control, but once the artist has enough practice with them, realism and more expressive "loose" effects can be achieved with both. Also, both mediums dry lighter than they look when they are wet, but color payoff will vary greatly depending on the quality of supplies used. Both allow lifting to a certain extent, which can be used to correct some mistakes.
Finally, both mediums require a certain amount of research in order to find quality products at affordable prices. Using lower quality products can lead to frustration and disappointment.
Similarities between watercolor pencils and watercolor paints.
Final Conclusions
Though watercolors and watercolor pencils are often compared due to their water-soluble properties, they are different in terms of how they are used and may lead to artworks with very different characteristics. Depending on the artist's individual style and preferences, he/she may find one medium much more enjoyable than the other.
I personally wouldn't recommend watercolor pencils to artists that are specifically interested in painting techniques. However, watercolor pencils present a versatility that may be very appealing to artists that enjoy sketching/drawing and line work, as well as those looking to combine different techniques into one same project.
What are your personal thoughts regarding these two art mediums? Have you found either enjoyable or particularly frustrating? I'd LOVE to hear from you in the comments section below!
| apple_outlines_watercolor.pdf |
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