Seeing artistically does not happen automatically. We must constantly develop our powers of observation.
-Eugene Delacroix
I often receive messages from beginner artists asking me how or where to start for faster, more effective progress. The one skill I'd advise beginners to strategically work on developing right away is their observation. This may sound obvious, but there's so much misinformation out there that creates confusion among aspiring artists to the point that, lots of them, don't truly get started at all. Not to mention, there's such a desire to move forward at lightning speed, they skip over the basics (which only leads to hitting walls and plateaus). This is why I wanted to share today's message and tips with you. Why is building up your observational skills so important as a beginner artist? Being able to draw or paint doesn’t only involve knowing how to use your medium effectively. It's also about taking in visual information on a deeper level and thinking about it critically in order to replicate (and even improve) what you're seeing on paper/canvas. Without good observation, you simply won’t be able to draw or paint a subject accurately. *Unless you've already built up this skill in the past, you know your subject on a deep level, and have perhaps lost sight over the years. If a skilled, knowledgeable artist looses a percentage of her/his sight, in many cases she/he will be able to make up for the information she/he is lacking. Even abstract artists who’re working more intuitively and/or don’t use any type of reference photo or life subject, still need to make use of their observation as more colors, shapes, lines, and textures get added to the paper/canvas. By using their observation and critical thinking, they make choices as to what to add, subtract or alter to improve their visual compositions. This is why, as we move on in our art journeys, it’s essential to continue developing our observational skills alongside mastery over our medium(s). 
What is observation, exactly? Observation is a process that involves our eyes and our brains/conscious thought. Most non-artists tend to see things only at surface level. Great observation is about being conscious and aware of what’s in front of you, taking it in via all senses possible, and making connections. As artists, this practice allows us to better inform our work and more information gets stored in our brains long-term. Not to mention, it results in more expressive, unique artwork that has ourselves in it. 5 Practical Tips for Developing Your Observational Skills
1. Use references or draw/paint from direct observation If you're a beginner artist and you still believe things like: "real artists don't use references" or "real artists work solely from imagination", it's time to realize these are total myths and not how the creative process works (at least not for most of us). Continuing to believe this will only hinder your progress. In this blog post, I provide three examples of famous artists who used reference photos as inspiration for their work. Artists use all kinds of references, in all kinds of ways. *Think about it: If you don’t have anything to look at and study, how can you possibly build up your observational skills? It’s also through using references and drawing/painting from direct observation that we learn about essential Art Fundamentals such as Color, Light Behavior, Perspective and Anatomy. Also, remember: The way we think things look like is often not what they actually look like in real life. 2. Observe before putting pencil/paintbrush to paper Before jumping into the drawing or painting process, take a few minutes to observe your reference or whatever you have in front of you. Ask yourself questions such as:
Once you start with your drawing or painting, make sure you continue looking and analyzing. You can ask any professional artist that makes use of references or direct observation, and they’ll tell you that over 50% of their working time is spent observing! 
Check out my FREE Patreon-exclusive tutorial and class samples here.
3. Get to know your subject The more you know about your subject, the more you’ll notice. This is why it's so important, especially if you’re drawing/painting a subject that's new to you and/or is more complex, to inform yourself about it. Go beyond using just one single reference. Compile photos, watch videos, read about the characteristics that make it different from other subjects of its kind. Take notes. For example, if it's your first time drawing a portrait, you're likely going to arrive at much better results if you learn about the structure and proportions of the human head, as well as individual facial features, before jumping into the final piece.
4. Cut out distractions
In order to truly observe, we need to stay in the present and focus. The ability to focus deeply is uncommon in this fast-paced, constantly multitasking world. However, as artists, it’s important to develop this ability and also to protect our working time by minimizing distractions in order to “get in flow”. We must allow ourselves the time to immerse ourselves in our subjects. *A few things I do that help me stay focused are: I have my phone on Airplane Mode or in another room, I don’t have social media or any tabs open on my computer that I don’t absolutely need, and I let other people know I’ll be working to minimize interruptions. This may sound hard, but I promise it gets easier the more you do it! 5. Bring in all your senses Skilled observers will take in, analyze and remember their surroundings using every sense possible. Try engaging not only your sight, but also smell, touch, sound and taste. This will inform your work more fully and there will be much more of yourself in it because we all experience things differently. Try practicing this in your everyday life, even when you’re not preparing to create a new piece. It will help you turn this into a habit. Extra points if you actually record your observations in writing! *Bonus Tip Play memory games on your own or with a friend. Observe a scene or a photograph for a full minute, then write a descriptive paragraph about it without looking. Try recalling as many details as you can. It often helps to go from general towards specifics. I hope these tips were helpful! 
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Wondering how to use watercolor pencils for best results? How are watercolor pencils different from regular colored pencils and traditional watercolor paint? Where to start when learning about this versatile medium? Watercolor pencils are an incredibly fun, beginner-friendly, versatile medium that continues gaining popularity among art enthusiasts all around the globe. What makes watercolor pencils so different from other art mediums is the fact that they're a drawing and painting tool all wrapped up in one. They're a blend of characteristics offered by traditional colored pencils and particularities of watercolor paint. Because of this, watercolor pencils bring an infinite amount of possibilities in terms of both strategies to go about creating art, but also in overall outcome/style. However, this also makes them a bit confusing in terms of what basic skills and techniques we should cover as beginners, which are the best supplies to use alongside them, etc. There are a few key things that I’ve learned as I’ve continued exploring and pushing myself with this medium throughout the last few years. 
Egg on Toast. Watercolor pencils on paper. Erika Lancaster.
My Top 5 Watercolor Pencil Tips1. Use quality watercolor pencils Truth be told, when I first started using watercolor pencils, I didn’t like them at all. I struggled to get the vibrant colors I wanted, there was way too much texture left behind, and I had trouble blending colors, as well as creating gradients. It wasn’t until I invested in better quality watercolor pencils that I started actually enjoying the process and liking my end results. I first invested in a smaller (but better quality) set with 12 colors from Derwent. Once I understood the medium a bit better, and was confident in the fact that I wanted to go long-term with it, I invested in a larger set from Faber-Castell. A couple of the best watercolor pencils in the market are: Faber Castell's Albrecht Durer and Caran D'ache Museum Aquarelle. Both offer smaller and larger sets. *Always remember, larger sets are not necessarily better than smaller sets.* 2. Give thought to your paper With watercolor pencils, we usually bring in at least some amount of water into the process. Because of this, it’s essential to work on paper that’s intended for water-soluble mediums such as watercolor paper. I enjoy working on hot press watercolor paper, which is the least textured of all. The more textured your paper is, the more visual texture and “sketchiness” will be left at the end. This is because the tip of your pencils will skip against the tooth of the paper as the pigment is being applied. In other words, the pigment is not applied evenly. Two brands that offer great hot press watercolor paper are Canson and Winsor & Newton. Another thing to consider is the thickness of your paper. Whenever you’re bringing water in, you’ll likely want medium-to-heavier weight paper (140 lbs. in weight or more). Thinner papers will easily buckle or even tear, making the process more frustrating than it needs to be. Another option is illustration board! It's smooth and very sturdy. 
Nature Scene with Bridge. Watercolor pencils on paper. Erika Lancaster.
Check out my FREE Patreon-exclusive tutorial and class samples here.
3. Pre-select your colors I’m a huge believer in giving thought to your colors before jumping in, as well as in limiting the amount you'll be using for the piece on hand. By swatching out and choosing the specific watercolor pencils you'll be using, there’s much less of a chance you’ll accidentally create undesired colors as your painting. Also, by keeping your amount of colors limited and thinking about repeating colors throughout your piece, you’ll arrive at more harmonious results. Five minutes of prep work can make a huge difference in how smoothly your process goes, as well as in the quality of your end results. 4. Protect your highlights and lightest value areas Just like when working with traditional watercolor paint, I like incorporating the brightness and beauty of the paper as part of the piece. We're working with transparent paint after all and there's no need to bring in white! Before getting started with the painting process, I plan for highlight areas and light value sections where I want to make use of very translucent color. I make sure to apply little-to-no color in these areas so that, at the end, I have plenty of my paper shining through them. Heavier applications of color are reserved for darker midtone areas and darkest darks. This creates that dimension, lightness and glow that watercolor allows. 5. Embrace the sketchy look! Unless you’re applying your colors on a separate paper that you're using as a palette, activating them with water there, and only applying color on your painting with a paintbrush *I share about this technique in the video below (34:43)*, you’ll likely always be left with some amount of texture. This is the case, even when you’re working with higher quality pencils and the smoothest of papers. You can certainly go in and try to get rid of every-single-little textured section, but this often leads to an overworked, flat look. Now-a-days I embrace the texture left behind by the pencils and actively think of ways to combine painterly effects with some amount of sketchiness. This creates a balance that's visually pleasing and interesting to look at.
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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I hope this post was helpful and inspiring!
Thanks so much to Debbie Woodliffe for so generously sharing all of this useful information with us. It has certainly gotten me excited for Inktober and all the amazing work I'm sure I'll get to see next month.
Thank you for reading and I wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your art journey.
*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 helpful and inspiring art content. :)
Confused as to why your watercolor landscapes are looking unrealistic and flat?Looking for best ways to create realistic greens for your watercolor botanical pieces? How can you make unnatural looking greens in your watercolor sets look more realistic?
Lots of beginners getting started on their journey with watercolor struggle with creating lively, interesting greens.
This is not surprising, as many greens included in commercial watercolor sets are very unnatural straight out of the pan/tube, and they usually haven't taken time to learn about the Color Wheel and color relationships, or how to mix colors in order to modify their saturation and value.
Add to this the fact that, when working with watercolor, having good water control and understanding that we're working with a translucent medium is a must.
Without this skill and understanding, you'll likely create heavy, flat-looking paintings even with great green mixtures!
My advice?
Start by understanding the characteristics that set watercolor apart from other painting mediums, such as:
-Watercolor is transparent (not opaque like acrylics, oils or gouache). We're meant to use this translucency to develop depth, but also arrive at an end result that is light and seems to glow from within.
-We paint on paper, which is inherently more delicate and easier to overwork than, say, canvas or wood. Because of this, it's essential to learn when we have to allow the paper to dry.
-We're using thin layers of paint and are not looking to cover up our entire painting area with thick layers of paint as we would when working with opaque mediums.
-We're planning/saving our highlights throughout the painting process, as it's the whiteness of the paper that'll stand in place for our lightest areas, as well as other light value sections in which we're looking to incorporate the brightness and beauty of the paper as part of the piece.
-Because the white of the paper stands in place for our lightest value areas, and we're using translucent paint, no white paint is necessary.
-We use plenty of water along the way and are constantly modifying the water- to-paint ratios in our mixtures depending on whether we want lighter/paler color or darker/more saturated color.
Start by developing your water control with exercises similar to what I share in my free Watercolor for the Total Beginner Mini-Course.
After familiarizing yourself with the basics of the medium on hand, start learning about the Color Wheel, as this will help you to understand relationships between different colors, as well as essential Color Theory-related topics such as Color Temperature, Value and Saturation.
By developing these basic skills and knowledge on these key topics, mixing believable and lively greens will be a breeze!
In the thorough video below, I share my two main strategies for creating realistic green color mixtures, how to further desaturate/mute out greens by adding different colors, and also how I paint a tree that shows a variety of green values for depth.
Confused as to why your watercolor landscapes are looking unrealistic and flat?Looking for best ways to create realistic greens for your watercolor botanical pieces? How can you make unnatural looking greens in your watercolor sets look more realistic?
Lots of beginners getting started on their journey with watercolor struggle with creating lively, interesting greens.
This is not surprising, as many greens included in commercial watercolor sets are very unnatural straight out of the pan/tube, and they usually haven't taken time to learn about the Color Wheel and color relationships, or how to mix colors in order to modify their saturation and value.
Add to this the fact that, when working with watercolor, having good water control and understanding that we're working with a translucent medium is a must.
Without this skill and understanding, you'll likely create heavy, flat-looking paintings even with great green mixtures!
My advice?
Start by understanding the characteristics that set watercolor apart from other painting mediums, such as:
-Watercolor is transparent (not opaque like acrylics, oils or gouache). We're meant to use this translucency to develop depth, but also arrive at an end result that is light and seems to glow from within.
-We paint on paper, which is inherently more delicate and easier to overwork than, say, canvas or wood. Because of this, it's essential to learn when we have to allow the paper to dry.
-We're using thin layers of paint and are not looking to cover up our entire painting area with thick layers of paint as we would when working with opaque mediums.
-We're planning/saving our highlights throughout the painting process, as it's the whiteness of the paper that'll stand in place for our lightest areas, as well as other light value sections in which we're looking to incorporate the brightness and beauty of the paper as part of the piece.
-Because the white of the paper stands in place for our lightest value areas, and we're using translucent paint, no white paint is necessary.
-We use plenty of water along the way and are constantly modifying the water- to-paint ratios in our mixtures depending on whether we want lighter/paler color or darker/more saturated color.
Start by developing your water control with exercises similar to what I share in my free Watercolor for the Total Beginner Mini-Course.
After familiarizing yourself with the basics of the medium on hand, start learning about the Color Wheel, as this will help you to understand relationships between different colors, as well as essential Color Theory-related topics such as Color Temperature, Value and Saturation.
By developing these basic skills and knowledge on these key topics, mixing believable and lively greens will be a breeze!
In the thorough video below, I share my two main strategies for creating realistic green color mixtures, how to further desaturate/mute out greens by adding different colors, and also how I paint a tree that shows a variety of green values for depth.
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*
Two Strategies for Creating Natural, Lively Greens with Watercolor
Strategy #1: Using a Base/Ready-Made Green
Choose a "base" green to work with, making sure to notice how warm (yellow-biased) or cool (blue-biased) it is.
You can use any green, but depending on whether it's very warm or cool biased (or somewhere in-between), you're probably going to have to add more or less of your other colors.
Choose a yellow and a blue to add into your "base" green. To create your lighter green, mix yellow into it. To create a dark green, mix blue into it.
In the video above, you can see me explore adding two different yellows and two different blues into my base green so that you can see how the addition of different colors leads to different lighter and darker greens.
For this strategy, you can see your "base" green as your "midtone" or "medium" green.
Continue modifying the ratios of the colors in your color mixtures until you arrive at a lighter green, a medium green and a darker green.
With these color mixtures created on your palette, you'll be ready to paint greenery that has depth and dimension to it.
I'd highly recommend trying out the exercises shared in the video to start getting comfortable with color mixing and to get to know the colors you're able to create with the set you have.
Swatches for Strategy#1: Using a Ready-Made "Base" Green
Strategy #2: Using Yellow and Blue to Create Green
Choose a blue and a yellow, then mix them together to create your green. Blue and yellow are Primary Colors that create green (a Secondary color).
Take your time modifying your color mixture, adding more blue or yellow, until you mixture looks green on your palette.
I'd recommend exploring different blue and yellow combinations you have available, as the temperature of the blue and yellow you use, as well as how dark or light it is, will have a great impact on your end green result.
These variables will also have an impact on how muted/desaturated your end result is.
In the video above you can see me exploring both warm and cool yellow and blue color combos, and you can see the immense difference in those green results.
Some greens look way more natural than others and there's no need to bring in a third color to desaturate it further.
To create your lighter greens, simply add more yellow into your mixture. For your darker greens, simply add more blue into your mixture.
And, once again, with your light, midtone/medium, and darker green color mixtures ready on your palette, you're set to start painting!
Swatches for Strategy#2: Using Yellow and Blue to Create Green
Want to mute out a green?
Whether you're using a ready-made green or have created your own green mix using either of the aforementioned strategies, here are three ways to make them look a bit more natural:
-Add in a bit of green's Complementary Color (opposite to green in the Color Wheel), which is red
-Add in a brown/neutral color such as Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Sepia or Van Dyke Brown
-Add in Payne's Gray or Neutral Tint
Tree studies created using the "base" green strategy. Sap Green was used as the "base" green. Indian Yellow was added to create lighter green. Indigo was used to create darker green.
Supplies used in video:
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*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 helpful and inspiring art content. :)
Eager to learn watercolor painting but confused as to where to start? Have you started on your journey with watercolor, but always experience frustration during your painting processes and/or end up disappointed with your results?
Water and brush control are two basic skills that anyone looking to learn watercolor should focus on in the beginning.
Why?
Because without these two skills, it's going to be very difficult to succeed with pretty much any kind of painting you set out to work on, whether it's a completely abstract piece or something more realistic.
My advice for beginners getting started with any new drawing or painting medium is to devote time to explore it without pressuring themselves to complete a full piece or to achieve perfection in any way.
Get to know your medium.
Do some research to understand what sets it apart from other drawing or painting mediums, and what the main things are that one should know about in order to create a piece that allows it to perform/"shine" to its full capabilities.
In this video, I share the top things I wish I knew about watercolor when I was getting started, in which I share these main characteristics.
Compare and contrast watercolor paintings with pieces created with opaque painting mediums such as acrylics or oils.
Take notes.
For example, when it comes to watercolor, we're meant to use the medium's translucency, in combination with the whiteness of the paper under the paint, to create depth and volume.
*We don't even need white paint!
Another thing that distinguishes watercolor from other painting mediums is the fact that we're working on paper as opposed to canvas, wood or other tougher substrates.
And, while we're using paper that's intended for water-soluble mediums, it's still paper. Paper is much more fragile (especially in its wet state) and, thus, it's much more easily overworked/damaged.
As opposed to the heaviness that opaque painting mediums can have, when we're working with watercolor, we're trying to achieve a lighter-looking outcome...a piece that seems to glow from within.
When the medium's characteristics are taken into account as we're painting, and the basic "rules" are understood (which we can decide to break later), it's much more likely that we'll arrive at the results we're looking for.
Aside from doing research and continuing to learn about these things, basic drills and exercises on brush strokes, as well as washes are essential in the beginning.
This hands-on practice will help us tackle complete paintings with greater confidence and ease.
This said, the following drills and exercises are very helpful, even for artists who're more advanced, as we have to get to know our brushes every time we invest in a new one.
In the following watercolor tutorial video, I walk you step-by-step through the main brush strokes to practice as a beginner, as well as the three must-know washes.
I'd recommend practicing these in a sketchbook that's intended for watercolor, or on accessibly priced (but quality) watercolor paper. I'll leave some great options at the end of this post.
Eager to learn watercolor painting but confused as to where to start? Have you started on your journey with watercolor, but always experience frustration during your painting processes and/or end up disappointed with your results?
Water and brush control are two basic skills that anyone looking to learn watercolor should focus on in the beginning.
Why?
Because without these two skills, it's going to be very difficult to succeed with pretty much any kind of painting you set out to work on, whether it's a completely abstract piece or something more realistic.
My advice for beginners getting started with any new drawing or painting medium is to devote time to explore it without pressuring themselves to complete a full piece or to achieve perfection in any way.
Get to know your medium.
Do some research to understand what sets it apart from other drawing or painting mediums, and what the main things are that one should know about in order to create a piece that allows it to perform/"shine" to its full capabilities.
In this video, I share the top things I wish I knew about watercolor when I was getting started, in which I share these main characteristics.
Compare and contrast watercolor paintings with pieces created with opaque painting mediums such as acrylics or oils.
Take notes.
For example, when it comes to watercolor, we're meant to use the medium's translucency, in combination with the whiteness of the paper under the paint, to create depth and volume.
*We don't even need white paint!
Another thing that distinguishes watercolor from other painting mediums is the fact that we're working on paper as opposed to canvas, wood or other tougher substrates.
And, while we're using paper that's intended for water-soluble mediums, it's still paper. Paper is much more fragile (especially in its wet state) and, thus, it's much more easily overworked/damaged.
As opposed to the heaviness that opaque painting mediums can have, when we're working with watercolor, we're trying to achieve a lighter-looking outcome...a piece that seems to glow from within.
When the medium's characteristics are taken into account as we're painting, and the basic "rules" are understood (which we can decide to break later), it's much more likely that we'll arrive at the results we're looking for.
Aside from doing research and continuing to learn about these things, basic drills and exercises on brush strokes, as well as washes are essential in the beginning.
This hands-on practice will help us tackle complete paintings with greater confidence and ease.
This said, the following drills and exercises are very helpful, even for artists who're more advanced, as we have to get to know our brushes every time we invest in a new one.
In the following watercolor tutorial video, I walk you step-by-step through the main brush strokes to practice as a beginner, as well as the three must-know washes.
I'd recommend practicing these in a sketchbook that's intended for watercolor, or on accessibly priced (but quality) watercolor paper. I'll leave some great options at the end of this post.
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*
Basic Watercolor Brush Strokes
*For these brush stroke exercises, I'd recommend using a medium-sized brush, whether it's a flat or a round (or both!). Something around a size 8-14 would do perfectly. Another suggestion that'll increase your practice is creating your strokes in different directions (horizontally, vertically, diagonally, etc.).
1. Thin Lines
To create thin lines, touch just the tip of your paintbrush to your paper and drag from one edge of your paper to the other with one consistent, flowing brush stroke.
Do your best to keep the thickness of your line as consistent as possible from start to finish. This means that only the tip of your paintbrush should be coming into contact with your paper from beginning to end.
2. Thick Lines
To create thick lines, you'll have to press down the belly of your paintbrush to your paper.
Just like with the thin lines, try to keep that pressure and the thickness of your lines consistent from start to finish.
You'll likely notice dry brushing effects near the ends of your lines, as paint and water start running out from your bristles.
Dry brushing is shown near the end (right) of my thick lines in the image below. You can see specks of white paper showing through, where my paint/water started running out and the color wasn't covering the paper as smoothly.
3. Thin-to-Thick Lines
For thin-to-thick lines, the pressure you're exerting on your paintbrush changes as you move from one edge to the other.
In other words, your arm is moving laterally, but you're simultaneously lifting and pressing, over and over. This creates variations in thickness throughout that line.
The challenge is to always have at least a bit of contact with the paper from start to finish.
4. C-Strokes
These are short, curved strokes that start out wider and taper at their tail ends.
Essentially, you press down the belly of your brush at the top, and release that pressure as you move towards the end of that stroke, all the while drawing a curve or "c" shape.
5. Flicking
For this one, you flick your wrist upwards (or in whichever direction you'd like) in one quick, short stroke.
There's no need to press down your paintbrush bristles onto your paper very much at all, but at the end of the flicking motion, you do want to lift your bristles from your paper in order to have that tapered look at the end.
You want the "base" or "root" of your stroke to have a slightly thicker look than the end.
This brush stroke is very handy when adding grass to landscapes.
4. C-Strokes
These are short, curved strokes that start out wider and taper at their tail ends.
Essentially, you press down the belly of your brush at the top, and release that pressure as you move towards the end of that stroke, all the while drawing a curve or "c" shape.
5. Flicking
For this one, you flick your wrist upwards (or in whichever direction you'd like) in one quick, short stroke.
There's no need to press down your paintbrush bristles onto your paper very much at all, but at the end of the flicking motion, you do want to lift your bristles from your paper in order to have that tapered look at the end.
You want the "base" or "root" of your stroke to have a slightly thicker look than the end.
This brush stroke is very handy when adding grass to landscapes.
6. Bouncing
I think of bouncing as a form of stamping. All you have to do after you've loaded up your paintbrush, is press down its bristles so that their entirety comes into contact with your paper, and lift. On and on.
There is no dragging or lateral movement of any kind. Just press and lift, and press and lift.
You can imagine how much of a difference it would make if I had used a flat brush instead of a round, as the "stamped" shapes would not look like water drops or leaves, but would be more boxy/angular.
This one is great to create the illusion of leaves when painting nearby trees and plants.
7. Scribbling
To do scribbling (shown in orange in the image below), loosen up your wrist and really practice using your paintbrush in a variety of different ways.
You're looking for irregularity all throughout (no organized patterns or perfect shapes) and this is created via shifting and changing the pressure you're exerting on your paintbrush, but also the angle you're using your paintbrush at (90°/45°/30° from your paper, etc.), and the direction you're painting towards.
You're moving your paintbrush up and down, but also laterally in different ways. Curves and loops are also great.
Just let your wrist go and embrace irregularity!
8. Scribbling + Bouncing
This is a combination of both techniques which can be seen in the image below at the top (the magenta/purplish color).
You'll notice some visible "stamped" leaf/drop shapes, while other shapes are more irregular in terms of their shape and size.
This technique is also great for leaves of plants and trees.
9. Dark-to-Light Lines
With one same load of your paintbrush, you start at the top by painting a line using the color at its most saturated (darkest) state.
In between each line, you dip your paintbrush in your container of water 1-2 times, remove the excess water, and paint the next line. Then you dip your paintbrush in your container of water again, remove the excess water, paint the next line, and so on and so forth until you reach the bottom.
This is a great exercise for water control and understanding translucency, as well as the wide range of values you can create with only one color.
3 Must-Know Watercolor Washes
*For these watercolor wash exercises, I'd recommend larger sized brushes, whether a large round/mop or a flat brush. The larger the painting area, the larger the brush you'll want to use. These strips I prepared for myself were around 3 inches in width and 6 inches in height. I used a 3/4" flat brush.
It's important to create enough juicy/saturated color mixtures for yourself on your color mixing palette and to work quickly as you're laying down that color. The less moving around of paint that you do after it's been placed on paper, the better.
1. Flat Wash
*For these watercolor wash exercises, I'd recommend larger sized brushes, whether a large round/mop or a flat brush. The larger the painting area, the larger the brush you'll want to use. These strips I prepared for myself were around 3 inches in width and 6 inches in height. I used a 3/4" flat brush.
It's important to create enough juicy/saturated color mixtures for yourself on your color mixing palette and to work quickly as you're laying down that color. The less moving around of paint that you do after it's been placed on paper, the better.
1. Flat Wash
The objective with the flat wash is to paint consistent/uniform color all throughout the shape.
What's important to take into account with this one is that, as you're making your way down (or upwards or sideways), your color will start running out from your paintbrush bristles and it'll become lighter and lighter.
How quickly this happens depends on the size of the space you're painting in, as well as the size of the paintbrush you're using. If the shape you're filling up with color is relatively small, and you're using a large brush, perhaps you'll make it through with just one load.
On the other hand, if you're trying to fill a larger space, and are using a smaller brush, you're going to have to reload way more often.
Keep your eye on the paper as you're filling that shape in and notice if/when the color is becoming weaker and, when it does, quickly load up your paintbrush with more paint and pick up where you left off before the paint that's on your paper starts to dry.
2. Graded Wash
For the graded wash, you're looking for your color to become lighter (or darker) as you move up/down. You're looking for a gradual change in value/translucency of the color you're laying down.
As opposed to the flat wash, you want your color to start running out from your paintbrush bristles so that it becomes weaker and weaker as you go.
Keep your eye on your paper and, as your making your way down filling in that shape, make sure your color is becoming more translucent.
If it's not, quickly dip your paintbrush in your container of water a couple of times, remove the excess water, and come back to pick up the edge of your shape where you left off.
I usually have to dip my paintbrush in my container of water to weaken that color at least a couple of times throughout the process to ensure that, when I reach the end of that wash, my color will be at its most translucent.
3. Variegated Wash
In a variegated wash, one color gradually turns into another color, which means we'll need at least a couple of different colors.
I'd recommend getting started with colors that are Analogous (right next to each other) in the color wheel. By choosing Analogous colors, you'll ensure vibrant transition colors throughout the gradient you create.
Complementary colors (opposites in the color wheel) mute each other out, and you can accidentally create muddiness or grays/browns in between, where your two colors merge together.
To create a variegated wash, paint in a section of your shape with one of your colors and then remove all of that color from your paintbrush bristles, remove the excess water, load up your paintbrush with the next color and paint in the rest of the shape.
In the video, I painted in the blue until I got around halfway down, I removed the blue from my paintbrush bristles, loaded up my paintbrush with purple and worked on the transitional gradient by overlapping this purple on top of the blue in the middle section.
I then removed the blue-purple from my paintbrush bristles, reloaded with just purple, and finished that last third so that I would only have purple as I made my way towards the bottom.
Check out my FREE Patreon-exclusive tutorial and class samples here.
I hope this post was helpful and wish you lots of progress and enjoyment as you move forward in your journey with watercolor!
Supplies:
I hope this post was helpful and wish you lots of progress and enjoyment as you move forward in your journey with watercolor!
Supplies:
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