If you enjoyed this video and found it helpful, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I share a brand new video every week with art tips, drawing and painting tutorials and mindset/productivity tips for artists. *Subscribe HERE*




Materials I Used

You don't need these exact supplies to follow along, but here's what I used for this watercolor pencil cat painting tutorial:

Paper

• Cold-pressed watercolor paper (140 lb, 100% cotton)

*Note: I used the back side of the paper for a slightly smoother surface. When working with watercolor pencils, a smoother paper, such as hot-pressed watercolor paper, often allows for more even pigment application and finer detail.

Watercolor Pencils

• Faber-Castell Goldfaber Aqua watercolor pencils

These are student-grade watercolor pencils that perform beautifully and offer excellent value for the price.

Brushes

• Medium round brush (approximately size 6) for activating larger areas
• Small round brush (approximately size 3) for details
• Mop brush and larger round brush (optional, for the background)
• Rigger or liner brush for whiskers and fine details

Other

• Clean water
• Absorbent towel or paper towel (essential for controlling moisture)
• Permanent White gouache for highlights and whiskers
• Masking tape or artist's tape
• Tracing paper (optional, for transferring your sketch)

Before You Start: Color Selection Matters

One of the most important parts of this process happens before you ever put pencil to paper.

Rather than reaching for lots of different colors, I recommend keeping your palette simple and thinking primarily in terms of value, not color "correctness":

• Light values
• Midtones
• Dark values

A limited palette often creates more harmonious and believable results, while making it easier to focus on accurately capturing the subject's structure and lighting.

For this cat portrait, I used:

• A warm yellow
• Two browns (one medium and one dark)
• A gray (for the lighter fur areas)
• Greens (for the eyes)
• Pink and red (for the nose and ears)
• A "wildcard" purple to add depth and help unify the color scheme

*Colors: 233- Cold Grey IV, 108- Dark Chrome Yellow, 187- Burnt Ochre, 176- Van Dyke Brown, 170-May Green, 167- Perm. Green Olive, 131- Medium Flesh, 121- Pale Geranium Lake, 137- Blue Violet

Don't be afraid to introduce a color that isn't immediately obvious in your reference photo. Strategic use of unexpected colors can add richness and visual interest while helping tie different areas of the painting together.

*Tip: Always test and activate your watercolor pencil colors with water before applying them to your artwork. Watercolor pencils often look quite different once activated, and this simple step can help you avoid undesired surprises later on.

Process
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Step 1: Build a Light, Loose Foundation

The goal of this first stage is to establish your basic colors and values without getting caught up in details.
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Begin by applying your lightest colors to each area of the cat. Use the side of the tip of your watercolor pencil whenever possible to cover larger areas faster, and keep your pressure light.

At this stage, you're simply mapping out the painting, not trying to create fur texture or realistic detail.

Simplify the Subject

Rather than thinking about individual hairs, simplify the fur into larger value and color groups:

• White fur areas → gray
• Brown and gray fur areas → yellow and browns

Work gradually from light values to dark values:

1. Lay down your warm yellow base layer.
2. Add your medium brown in the shadow areas and mid-tones.
3. Reserve your darkest brown for the deepest shadows and darkest accents.

Keeping this progression in mind helps prevent the painting from becoming too dark too quickly and allows you to build depth gradually through later layers.

*Tip: If you're having trouble identifying the shadow shapes, try squinting at your reference photo. This reduces visual detail and makes the major value shapes much easier to see, helping you place your darker colors more accurately.

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​What makes this process work isn't perfection. It's building your painting gradually, layering thoughtfully, and staying aware of your values every step of the way.


As you continue practicing with watercolor pencils, keep these key ideas in mind:

• Start light and build gradually.
• Let the paper shine through to preserve luminosity.
• Be selective with texture rather than trying to render every detail.
• Step back from your work regularly to assess it with fresh eyes.

Most importantly, give yourself permission to learn through the process. Watercolor pencils have a bit of a learning curve, but once you become comfortable with them, they offer a beautiful balance between drawing and painting.

I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial and feel inspired to give this cat portrait a try.

​Happy painting!

*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, so that I can keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. Thank you!
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​If you're learning watercolor, mastering basic watercolor washes is one of the most important skills you can develop early on.

Watercolor behaves very differently from acrylic or oil paint. Because it’s fluid and transparent, learning how to control water, pigment, and brush movement is essential for creating clean, even washes and smooth color transitions.

Practicing these fundamental washes is especially important because most watercolor paintings begin with large areas of color. Skies, backgrounds, base layers, and many larger shapes rely on smooth, controlled washes.

When beginners skip practicing this skill, they often continue struggling with streaky or splotchy results whenever they try to paint these bigger areas.

In this guide, we’ll cover the three fundamental watercolor washes every beginner should know:

• Flat wash
• Graded wash
• Variegated wash
  
  

In this video, I demonstrate step-by-step how to create each wash using a pre-wet technique and a tilted board, which makes the process much easier and more predictable.

If you enjoyed this video and found it helpful, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I share a brand new video every week with art tips, drawing and painting tutorials and mindset/productivity tips for artists. *Subscribe HERE*



​Why I Like Pre-Wetting the Paper First

In the video above, you'll notice that I wet the paper with clean water before applying color.

This technique is called wet-on-wet, and it offers several advantages when painting washes. 

In this blog post and accompanying video, I explain the difference between wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry techniques, and why both are important.

Pre-wetting the paper:
• Helps paint spread more evenly 
• Reduces harsh brush strokes
• Makes it easier to blend color smoothly
• Gives you more time to work before the paint dries

When the paper has been evenly pre-wetted, the pigment naturally flows across the surface and settles more softly. This makes it much easier to achieve the smooth, even transitions we’re looking for in watercolor washes.

*One important note: the paper should be wet, but without puddles. If too much water is present, the pigment can flood uncontrollably and you may end up with splotchy areas. You're looking for an even sheen. 
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1. Flat Wash

A flat wash is an even application of a single color across a shape.
The goal is to create a smooth, consistent layer of color without visible streaks, patches, or shifts in value.

To create a flat wash:

• Pre-wet the area evenly
• Load your brush with paint (coffee or milk consistency works well)
• Apply the color starting at the top of the shape
• Paint two to three horizontal brushstrokes, then reload your brush and continue in the same way, making sure the color remains consistent throughout the entire area
• Work downward gradually until the shape is fully filled

You can also try lightly tilting your board to help create smoother results as you go and after applying your color. 



2. Graded Wash

A graded wash is when a single color transitions smoothly from dark to light (or vice versa).

To create a graded wash:

• Pre-wet the area evenly

• Start with a darker, more concentrated mix of paint (milk consistency works well)
• Load your brush and apply your first strokes at the top of the shape
• As you move downward, dip your brush into your water container to dilute the color more and more, allowing it to become lighter as you go
• Avoid reloading your brush with paint- let the pigment naturally run out as you work downward
• Pay close attention to the color as you go. If you don’t see a noticeable shift in value, dip your brush into your water again to further dilute the mixture

You can also try lightly tilting your board to help create smoother results as you go and after applying your color. 



3. Variegated Wash

A variegated wash involves blending multiple colors smoothly within the same shape. Instead of transitioning only in value, this wash allows different colors to softly merge into one another.

To create a variegated wash:

• Pre-wet the area evenly
• Apply your first color
• While the paper is still wet, introduce a second color nearby
• Allow the pigments to blend naturally on the paper

Avoid overworking the area. Let the paint do the blending for you- overblending can easily lead to flat, muddy results.

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​For a full list of my current favorite supplies, go here. 




Tips for Smoother Watercolor Washes
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When practicing watercolor washes, a few simple habits can make a big difference in how smooth and controlled your results look.

1. Use a larger brush than you think you need.
Larger brushes hold more water and pigment, which helps you cover bigger areas more evenly and avoid streaky passages.

2. Work with confident, intentional strokes.
Hesitant brush movements often lead to uneven coverage or visible streaks. Try to move your brush calmly and decisively across the shape. Work swiftly. 

3. Avoid overworking the paper.
Going back over the same area too many times can disturb the paper surface and create muddy color. Apply the paint, guide it where needed, and then allow it to settle. Small imperfections are better than overworked results with stark textures. 

4. Practice on simple shapes first.
Rectangles, squares, and circles are perfect for getting comfortable with how washes behave before applying them to more complex subjects.

5. Work on a slightly tilted board.
Another helpful tip is to work with your paper slightly tilted rather than completely flat. This small angle allows gravity to help guide the flow of water and pigment.

When your board is tilted, a small bead of paint forms along the lower edge of the wash, allowing you to gradually move the color downward while keeping the surface smooth and connected.

If the paper is completely flat, water tends to sit still on the surface, which can sometimes lead to uneven drying patterns or unwanted blooms. Even a small tilt of about 10–20 degrees can make washes feel much easier to control.

I explain how to careful absorb excess water off edges in the video above. 

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​Looking for step-by-step guidance to improve your paintings?

​This pillar is about understanding the theory that makes art work.

We’re talking about:

• Composition
• Color Theory
• Value​​
• Form
• Perspective
• Light Behavior
• Basic Anatomy

These are not “beginner topics” that you study once and move past. They’re core areas that we continue deepening over time.

Highly skilled artists revisit and refine their understanding of these principles throughout their careers.

A strong grasp of fundamentals allows you to:

• Create balanced compositions
• Build convincing depth and form
• Use light intentionally
• Guide the viewer’s eye through your piece
• Achieve visual harmony

If your work often feels slightly “off” and you can’t quite explain why-  proportions look strange, lighting feels inconsistent, or your compositions lack balance- this is often a fundamentals gap.
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Without a solid foundation, technique alone isn’t enough to carry a piece.​


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​Understanding theory is powerful. But you also need the ability to execute it.

Technical skill is your ability to:

• Understand how your materials behave
• Follow a clear, intentional process
• Control your tools with confidence
• Solve problems as they arise

You might understand value in theory… but struggle to mix the right paint consistency, or achieve a range of values by using different pencil grades. 

You might know what perspective requires… but find your forms look wonky when you're drawing.

If you often feel like you’re fighting your materials- or your idea looks clear in your mind but doesn’t translate onto paper- that’s not a creativity issue.

It’s a technical skill that needs strengthening.

And the good news? Technical skills are extremely trainable once you identify the gap.

I personally experienced this in my own journey. I had strong fundamentals and creative ideas from art school, but I struggled with certain techniques because I tried to figure everything out alone.

Once I invested in learning from artists who truly understood graphite and watercolor, my progress accelerated. I had to unlearn habits I’d built by guessing.
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Execution matters.
Without it, your ideas can’t fully come to life.

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This is the pillar many artists overlook without realizing it.

Creative vision is your ability to:

• Generate original ideas
• Make intentional artistic decisions
• Communicate emotion
• Create work that feels meaningful and personal

Many artists become comfortable following step-by-step tutorials. They produce beautiful results, but feel completely lost when asked to create an original art project of their own. 

If that sounds familiar, it doesn’t mean you’re not creative.

It usually means you haven’t spent enough time practicing independent artistic decision- making and creating work from scratch.

Trusting your own artistic decisions and vision is essential, and slowing down to peel back the layers so you can understand yourself more deeply- and what you truly want to say through your art- is just as important.

And like any skill, this strengthens with use.

Before starting new pieces, ask yourself: 

• What do I actually want to express in this drawing/painting?
• What emotion do I want the viewer to feel?
• What artistic choices support that message?

When you begin practicing those questions, your work becomes more personal, more intentional, and more powerful.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why am I not improving at drawing even though I practice?

Often, artists practice consistently but focus only on finished pieces instead of strengthening fundamentals, technical skills, or creative thinking. Improvement happens when practice is balanced and intentional.
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What should beginners focus on first: drawing or painting?

Beginners benefit greatly from strengthening drawing fundamentals first, especially understanding form, perspective, and value. These skills directly impact painting quality.
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How do I develop my own artistic style?

Artistic style develops naturally as you strengthen fundamentals, improve technical control, and begin making intentional creative decisions instead of only following tutorials.

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Whether you’re working on building consistency, improving your sketching and watercolor skills, or strengthening your fundamentals through structured lessons, you’ll find a tier that supports you over on my Patreon.

Learn more about my membership here.
​

If you enjoyed this video and found it helpful, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I share a brand new video every week with art tips, drawing and painting tutorials and mindset/productivity tips for artists. *Subscribe HERE*
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Mistake 1: Choosing Projects That Are Too Advanced

​We’ve all been there.

You see a masterpiece on Instagram and think, "I’m going to paint that!" Three hours later, you’re frustrated, your confidence is shot, and you’re convinced you have no talent.

The truth? It’s rarely a lack of talent; it’s a lack of foundations.

When you jump into a project where every single element or technique is new to you- like mastering wet-on-wet and complex perspective at the same time- you're setting yourself up for burnout.

The Fix: Find Your "Sweet Spot"

Before you start your next piece, ask yourself:

• Is everything in this project new to me?
• Have I practiced at least 50% of these skills before?

The Goal: Aim for a project that is familiar enough to feel manageable but challenging enough to keep you excited. If it’s too hard, break it down. If it’s too easy, add one new element or technique.

I talk more about this "sweet spot", which I refer to as "The Goldilocks Zone" in this video here. 



Mistake 2: Not Breaking Work Into Learnable Parts

Many artists fall into the trap of only valuing the "Final Polished Piece."

We want the gallery-ready result without doing the unglamorous work that gets us there.

If you only focus on the finish line, you miss the building blocks.

A healthy art practice needs a balance of finished work and isolated practice.

Stop trying to conquer an entire genre in a single weekend.

Instead, think of your art like a language: you need to learn the "words" (individual skills) before you can write the "novel" (a finished masterpiece).

Here are a couple of examples of how you can break down your practice based on what you love to create:

If you’re chasing Watercolor Landscapes:
Don’t worry about the whole vista yet.
Focus on the building blocks of nature:

• The Sky: Practice soft-edged clouds and "wet-on-wet" gradients.
• The Earth: Study trees, water and how to mix "natural" greens.
• The Depth: Master aerial perspective- making distant mountains look hazy and light.

If you’re diving into Graphite Portraits:
Instead of getting overwhelmed by a full likeness, master the "map" of the face:

• Structure: Use the Loomis Method to nail those tricky facial proportions every time.
• Features: Spend a week drawing just eyes, then just noses, then just lips.
• Isolation: Practice drawing features from different angles before trying to put them all on one head

*Pro Tip: Intentional, step-by-step practice leads to faster progress than struggling through ten "failed" full drawings or paintings.



Mistake 3: Neglecting Your Mindset

Though being an artist can be incredibly fulfilling, it is usually also a lonely, vulnerable endeavor.

We create from our hearts, share our souls with the world and often face silence or rejection.

If you only value "perfect results," this journey will feel miserable.

Mindset is just as important as technical skill. If you don't manage your expectations, you'll quit before you get good.

The Fix: Celebrate Actions, Not Outcomes

Since you can’t control how people react to your art or whether you win a competition, stop making those your primary goals.

​Instead, celebrate what you can control:

• Celebrate effort: "I sat at my easel for two hours today."
• Celebrate courage: "I posted my work even though I was nervous."
• Celebrate consistency: "I practiced drawing hands for five days straight."

​When you value the process over the result, you become unstoppable.

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Ready to turn these insights into action?

If you're tired of feeling stuck and ready to see real growth in your creative practice, I’ve put together something special for you!

I’m sharing a free replay of my Goal Setting for Artists Workshop-the exact roadmap I use to stay inspired without the overwhelm.

In this workshop, we’ll dive into:

• The "Why" Behind the Brush: How to set goals that actually build your confidence and skill, whether you're painting for joy or for income.
• Real-Life Follow-Through: Stop setting "someday" goals and start setting meaningful ones you can actually achieve.
• Productivity Without Burnout: My personal time-management strategies for building a sustainable practice that fits your life.
• The 2026 Blueprint: I’ll walk you through the exact goal-setting system I am personally using this year.
• From Big Dreams to Daily Tasks: A step-by-step guide to breaking down your yearly vision into manageable weekly wins.

*Bonus: You’ll also get a downloadable workbook to help you map out your journey as we go!
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Materials Used in the Tutorial

For this tutorial, I used Staedtler Mars Lumograph Black pencils in HB, 4B, and 8B. These are carbon-based pencils, which means:

• You can achieve true blacks, not just dark gray
• The finish stays matte rather than shiny

That said, you can absolutely use traditional graphite pencils if that’s what you have on hand. The drawing process remains exactly the same.

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3. Refine the Shape
Now you can soften angles, add smaller curves, and bring in the natural irregularities along the silhouette. Include smaller tertiary veins and clean up or erase the original block-in.

4. Develop Light Values (HB Pencil)
Start by covering the entire leaf lightly with a soft gray base using the side of your pencil. Keep your pressure gentle-you don’t want it too dark at this stage.
Once the base is down, gradually layer in the darker areas you see in your reference. When you finish this stage, you should see at least two gray values in your leaf. 

For a full list of my current favorite supplies, go here. 

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