Have you ever stopped yourself from adding color to a drawing because you were afraid of ruining it and/or just couldn't decide which combination to go for? How have famous artists used color to give their work impact and the ability to efficiently transmit a particular mood or emotion to their viewers? Have you ever wondered how colors around you affect you in your day-to-day life? It's no secret that artists need to have vast knowledge about the different Elements of Art and how to use them in order to create compositions that are both visually pleasing and effective at transmitting ideas or emotions to their public. Color is one of these elements! When I'm explaining the different Elements of Art (Color, Shape, Line, Texture, etc.), I like segmenting each into its more objective aspects (pertaining to cold technical drawing/painting skills) and its more subjective aspects (relating to how they can affect a viewer's emotions/mood). For me, a great art piece demonstrates both technical knowledge on part of the artist and is able to transmit a message or feeling. This is why I like to get aspiring artists thinking about both of these aspects simultaneously as their journey progresses.
Today I'll be sharing an amazing Color infographic created, and very kindly shared, by Invaluable! Invaluable.com is a renowned online marketplace that sells fine art, as well as antiques and collectibles (links to their website and social media channels can be found at the end of this post).
Their infographic helps us understand the different emotions that each color can transmit, and shares specific examples of famous paintings that effectively used each. Let's get into the guest post! Color Psychology and It's Use in Art
by Invaluable
You may not realize it, but colors have a large impact on your emotions and actions. Color psychology is the study of how different pigments can cause different behaviors. Dating back to the 15th century, color theory is still implemented in a variety of ways. Individuals, institutions, and businesses carefully pick which colors to incorporate into their brand. Because colors symbolize different feelings, you may be able to understand a lot about a brand simply from analyzing its hues. Marketers also take advantage of human reactions to color by packaging products to draw attention and even evoke emotion. If you’re interested in the psychological science behind color, Invaluable put together the infographic below using art to explain it. 
How Artists Use Color to Evoke Emotion. Infographic by Invaluable. Click on the image above to read their complete blog post!
Visit the blog section Invaluable's website for more great art-related posts! Follow them on social media at: facebook.com/InvaluableOfficial twitter.com/invaluablelive instagram.com/invaluableofficial pinterest.com.mx/invaluable Sending out a huge thanks to Invaluable for sharing this great infographic with us and thank you for reading! I hope you found this blog post inspiring and helpful. Become a Patreon community member to get access to: -Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary -Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists -Weekly sketchbook prompts to help you stay consistent and progressing your art skills -Direct feedback from me -Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art -Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared -Live Q&A sessions -Live classes on Art Fundamentals and Monthly Creative Assignments + much more! *Click below to learn more! 
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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. :) Why, hello there! Thanks so much for visiting my little artistic corner of the Internet today! Today's post includes a video in which I'll be sharing the sketching time lapses for Inktober prompts 6-11, as well as how I came up with the ideas behind these quick pen and ink illustrations. It's definitely a challenge to come up with a new original idea every-single-day, but I'm still going strong and am hoping to make it through! I'm also sharing links to the exact sketchbook, drawing pens and ink that I'm using for this year's challenge, so make sure to find those at the end if you're interested in buying some new supplies for yourself. Check out my previous Inktober-related blog post/video titled: 5 Tips to Make it Through Inktober and How I'm Going About it for specific tips to get the most out of this drawing challenge. Also, here are a few past blog posts in which I share a ton of helpful info about pen and ink drawing/shading. They will definitely help you step up your game throughout the rest of this challenge! If you enjoy this video, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I publish a new one every-single-week sharing art tips, drawing/painting tutorials and encouragement for beginner/intermediate artists. My Inktober SuppliesHere are the supplies I'm using for all of my Inktober sketches this year. I buy a lot of my art supplies through Amazon myself and, because I really enjoy sketching with pen and ink, I already had them in my arsenal!
I hope you enjoyed this post and learned something new, or got inspired to go and create a sketch for yourself. I wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your artistic journey! :) Thanks so much for popping by today! Become a Patreon community member to get access to: -Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary -Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists -Weekly sketchbook prompts to help you stay consistent and progressing your art skills -Direct feedback from me -Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art -Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared -Live Q&A sessions -Live classes on Art Fundamentals and Monthly Creative Assignments + much more! *Click below to learn more! 
*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. :) Are you an artist looking for a foolproof way to improve your drawing/creative skills in a short period of time? Have you always wanted to participate in #Inktober or other daily drawing challenges but find them a bit intimidating? Are you a beginner looking to make drawing and creativity a part of your daily life? Month-long drawing challenges like Inktober are no joke. Most of us have a lot going on in our lives and committing to producing one drawing a day (and actually sticking with it for the entire month) requires a huge amount of discipline. Even if one starts with the project excited and has proper fun creating those first few sketches, that initial burst of inspiration is probably going to dwindle at some point mid-way. And when that happens, it's going to take sheer determination to keep going! This said, if we are able to stick with it, growth will come inevitably and fast. By the end of the month, our drawing skills will have progressed and our creative abilities will be heightened. This type of experience is also incredibly valuable as it helps us make way towards finding our artistic style and voice. Committing to any sort of series like this one is a great way of pinpointing our strengths and weaknesses, which is essential. In this blog post, I'll be sharing my top five tips to ensure that you are progressing your drawing/creative skills as much as possible with this drawing challenge, but also staying sane along the way. These are all things I'm making sure to do myself throughout this month. I'm also including links to a few very helpful pen and ink drawing blog posts/YouTube videos that will help you step up your inking game. The video included in this post is a compilation of time lapses for my first five Inktober sketches. Make sure to follow me on Instagram to stay up-to-date with my progress throughout the month. I'm sure I'll be missing a few days here and there, but I am planning to make up for them as soon as I'm able to. Check out these helpful pen and ink sketching blog posts/YouTube videos!1. Pen & Ink Sketching: 6 Shading Techniques 2. Guide to Shading Techniques: Hatching, Crosshatching, Scribbling and Others 3. Shading Simple Objects Using Hatching, Crosshatching and Other Drawing Pen Techniques 4. Shading a Hand Using Pen and Ink (Complex Subjects) Inktober Tips
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Staedtler Pigment Liner Sketch Pens: Black (4 pack) $15.67
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Prismacolor Drawing Pencil Set: Turquoise, 12 pack $13.99
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I hope you enjoyed this post and learned something new, or got inspired to go and create a sketch for yourself. I wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your artistic journey! :)
Thanks so much for popping by today!
*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. :)
Are you impressed by artists who are able to achieve high levels of realism in their work and wish you could also get to that point, someday? Interested in bringing realistic form and three-dimensionality to your drawings so that they can really pop out? Have you gained some confidence creating line sketches, and are ready to start adding realistic light and shading effects?
Even though I consider myself much more of a sketcher and a painter than a realistic drawer per se, I think it's essential to make time for these kinds of studies. I also think that it's important for aspiring artists to devote time to achieving believable drawings/paintings because this is what's going to lead them to develop great observational skills and grasp fundamental art topics such as proportion, value, perspective, form, etc.
In today's blog post, I'll be sharing a video time-lapse of a portrait I drew using regular pencils, as well my top six tips to apply when attempting to create a realistic drawing of any type of subject (whether it be a face, animal, arrangement of objects, etc.).
By understanding and practicing the six key points I'll be sharing below, beginner artists will start making much faster progress and will soon be creating impressive, more professional-looking drawings.
I want to make something clear. To achieve realism, we need references. These references are going to allow us to observe what subjects actually look like in real life. If we don't use references, we are going to be working from what we think subjects look like.
References provide us details and remind us of tiny intricacies that we would have otherwise not thought about. And when attempting to achieve realism, it's ALL about observing the subtleties and being able to recreate them accordingly.
References can take the form of photographs or compositions we have arranged to draw from life (otherwise called working from direct observation).
Drawing from direct observation is essential for artists that have gained a certain level of skill using photographic references, as it provides a more challenging opportunity to further our artistic development.
As I've mentioned in other blog posts and YouTube videos, drawing is the basis for everything else in art. I believe all artists, no matter how skilled they've already become or what particular medium they've chosen to gain mastery in, should continue making time to sharpen their drawing/observational skills throughout their journeys.
Personally, I make sure to schedule in time for it on a weekly basis, even though what I sell are my paintings!
Tips to Improve Your Realistic Drawing
1. Make sure you're using a quality reference
Whether you're using a photograph or drawing from life, it's essential to put in time to search for a great picture or create a great composition.
If you're using a reference photograph, make sure it has a great resolution that is going to allow you to zoom in as needed, and that it shows a great play between lights and shadows. Do not use an overexposed or underexposed photograph as reference, as this will not lead to a good three-dimensional looking piece.
If you're a beginner just starting out, something that is going to be very helpful is opening up your photograph in a photo-editing software like Photoshop or Gimp and turning it into black and white/grayscale. This is going to allow you to pinpoint lights, darks and mid-tones a lot easier.
Being able to discern between different values in your reference is absolutely key to you being able to recreate them. Make to mistake, value is much more important than color when creating realism.
If you're a bit more experienced and are starting to draw from life, check out my blog post titled Why Drawing from Direct Observation is Essential and 10 Tips to Improve. In it, I explain why drawing from life is so important in order to progress our skills even further, and share a few tips to make the process less daunting.
2. Know and prepare your art supplies
When I first started drawing I used regular printing paper, my pencils from school, and had no idea about the different types of erasers that existed. While this is perfectly fine when we're just starting out, and I actually am all for creating art with limited and basic tools, when you're ready to really improve your work, it's essential to invest in actual drawing supplies.
Using tools for the type of artwork you're intending to create is going to ensure that you're not making the process extra-difficult for yourself and you'll be able to progress much faster.
All of the following art supplies are products I myself use and consider to be of excellent quality for the price they're being offered at.
Using tools for the type of artwork you're intending to create is going to ensure that you're not making the process extra-difficult for yourself and you'll be able to progress much faster.
All of the following art supplies are products I myself use and consider to be of excellent quality for the price they're being offered at.
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When I set out to create a drawing that is more on the realistic side, I make sure to have the following supplies on hand:
-A few different pencil grades (2H or H for the initial sketch, a couple of mid-grade a 2B or 4B to start placing values gradually, and one darker grade like an 8B for darkest areas)
-Drawing or sketching paper (smooth paper is going to ensure smooth blending)
-A kneaded eraser or eraser intended for smaller areas
-A regular soft rubber eraser for larger areas
-A blending stump or tortillon to blend smaller areas
-A tissue paper to blend larger areas
-A quality sharpener
-A scrap piece of regular paper or tracing paper to rest my hand on as I'm working
3. Always start with a light initial sketch, focusing on largest shapes first
When we're starting with any kind of drawing, it's absolutely essential to learn to visualize what we're looking at as a combination of simple shapes and to tune out details.
The proportion and location of these different elements in regards to each other has to be spot on, before even thinking about moving on to things like shading and texture.
It's the absolute worst to spend hours developing details and even creating beautiful, smooth shading just to step away from our drawings and realize that the proportions/locations of different elements are off.
Also, whether you're creating your initial sketch by tracing over a photograph or freehand, make sure those initial lines are created lightly so that they can be invisible at the end (we want no visible lines when creating realism).
The proportion and location of these different elements in regards to each other has to be spot on, before even thinking about moving on to things like shading and texture.
It's the absolute worst to spend hours developing details and even creating beautiful, smooth shading just to step away from our drawings and realize that the proportions/locations of different elements are off.
Also, whether you're creating your initial sketch by tracing over a photograph or freehand, make sure those initial lines are created lightly so that they can be invisible at the end (we want no visible lines when creating realism).
4. Keep in mind that in realism, there are no visible lines
In real life, the shapes we see are created by subtle differences in values, which are influenced by light and shadow. These shapes are not outlined as they are in cartoons.
It's essential to stay away from creating any sort of stark-looking lines, whether it's around our different shapes/planes or in an area we're intending to create a smooth gradient in.
This said, we are required to draw lines when we are working on creating some kinds of texture (hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, etc.). However, even in these cases, the "lines" we are leaving behind are not uniform from one edge to the other, but have a variety even within them in terms of thickness or value.
They most likely go from thick to thin or from dark to light, etc., which leads to much less stark looking lines.
It's essential to stay away from creating any sort of stark-looking lines, whether it's around our different shapes/planes or in an area we're intending to create a smooth gradient in.
This said, we are required to draw lines when we are working on creating some kinds of texture (hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, etc.). However, even in these cases, the "lines" we are leaving behind are not uniform from one edge to the other, but have a variety even within them in terms of thickness or value.
They most likely go from thick to thin or from dark to light, etc., which leads to much less stark looking lines.
5. Create gradual, smooth transitions between your different values
Unless you're working with a photograph (or with a real-life composition) that shows very dramatic lighting, transitions between lights and darks must be gradual and smooth.
There should be no stark changes between one to the next and there shouldn't be any visible lines throughout these transitions either.
There should be no stark changes between one to the next and there shouldn't be any visible lines throughout these transitions either.
6. Make sure you are creating a very wide variety of values throughout your drawing
In order for your drawing to really pop out and transmit a sense of realistic three-dimensionality, you have to develop a huge range of values throughout your piece.
There have to be very light areas (which will appear almost white at the end), there have to be very dark areas (which will appear almost black at the end) and there have to be a ton of mid-values in between.
Practice creating a beautiful balance between lights and darks.
A lot of beginners make the mistake of not going dark enough where needed. Don't be afraid to go dark (as long as the values are really there in the reference). This said, make sure you're never pressing down too hard on your paper because this can damage it and cause visible scratches that will not be able to be fixed!
For the most part, I like working my way towards the darks gradually. Also, as you're working, you'll probably find that you're darkening some areas that you were intending to leave light.
This is where small, detailing erasers come in super handy because they allow you to go back in and lighten these areas. They also allow you to pull out highlights wherever needed, which is crucial for realistic looking hair.
There have to be very light areas (which will appear almost white at the end), there have to be very dark areas (which will appear almost black at the end) and there have to be a ton of mid-values in between.
Practice creating a beautiful balance between lights and darks.
A lot of beginners make the mistake of not going dark enough where needed. Don't be afraid to go dark (as long as the values are really there in the reference). This said, make sure you're never pressing down too hard on your paper because this can damage it and cause visible scratches that will not be able to be fixed!
For the most part, I like working my way towards the darks gradually. Also, as you're working, you'll probably find that you're darkening some areas that you were intending to leave light.
This is where small, detailing erasers come in super handy because they allow you to go back in and lighten these areas. They also allow you to pull out highlights wherever needed, which is crucial for realistic looking hair.
*Bonus Tip: Make sure that you're looking at your reference, at least, 50% of the time you spend working!
Portrait drawing by Erika Lancaster
Become a Patreon community member to get access to:
-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Weekly sketchbook prompts to help you stay consistent and progressing your art skills
-Direct feedback from me
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Live Q&A sessions
-Live classes on Art Fundamentals and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!
*Click below to learn more!
*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. :)
Do you feel like you're constantly fighting against your supplies when painting with watercolors? Feel like a failure after every single little mistake you make throughout your painting process? Do you frequently end up frustrated with yourself and throw away more paintings than you actually keep?
In today's post, I'll be sharing five common watercolor painting mistakes and what I personally do to fix them or avoid them altogether. By making use of these tips and tricks, you'll end up with a painting that is going to have way more positives than negatives.
When using watercolors, we cannot just simply cover up our mistakes with a new layer of paint. This artistic medium requires us to be much more mindful and delicate, even, right from the start of the painting process.
I use several different kinds of paint for my own work and when I make the switch to watercolors, it helps me to remember that I'm using this medium's transparency, in combination with the whiteness of my paper, to produce a wide range of values.
I am not covering up my substrate and layering paint, as I would with oils or acrylics, but using my paper in itself as my lightest value. This is what's going to help create watercolors' distinctive "glowing" effect.
There's way more of a chance that you'll produce a great watercolor painting if you do, at least, a bit of planning before starting, and are able to remain patient throughout the process.
It's also essential that you are aware of this medium's characteristics and have practiced basic exercises before jumping into a more complex subject.
I highly recommend reading my blog post titled 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting With Watercolors if you're just getting started.
All this said, it's important to know that you don't have to get frustrated with yourself and throw away a painting every-single-time you've made a mistake.
If you're mistake is small (which it should be if you're staying focused throughout the process), there most likely will be a way to make it less noticeable. There are also specific things you can do to avoid these mistakes in the first place!
For the time-lapse video included in this post, I painted a subject that I knew would be extra challenging for me and would allow me to demonstrate how I approach my mistakes on a real project.
Though I knew that my painting wasn't going to be "perfect" when that first mistake happened, I was determined to push through, and I'm happy I did. I learned a lot from it and will apply this knowledge in future paintings.
*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. :)
Do you feel like you're constantly fighting against your supplies when painting with watercolors? Feel like a failure after every single little mistake you make throughout your painting process? Do you frequently end up frustrated with yourself and throw away more paintings than you actually keep?
In today's post, I'll be sharing five common watercolor painting mistakes and what I personally do to fix them or avoid them altogether. By making use of these tips and tricks, you'll end up with a painting that is going to have way more positives than negatives.
When using watercolors, we cannot just simply cover up our mistakes with a new layer of paint. This artistic medium requires us to be much more mindful and delicate, even, right from the start of the painting process.
I use several different kinds of paint for my own work and when I make the switch to watercolors, it helps me to remember that I'm using this medium's transparency, in combination with the whiteness of my paper, to produce a wide range of values.
I am not covering up my substrate and layering paint, as I would with oils or acrylics, but using my paper in itself as my lightest value. This is what's going to help create watercolors' distinctive "glowing" effect.
There's way more of a chance that you'll produce a great watercolor painting if you do, at least, a bit of planning before starting, and are able to remain patient throughout the process.
It's also essential that you are aware of this medium's characteristics and have practiced basic exercises before jumping into a more complex subject.
I highly recommend reading my blog post titled 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting With Watercolors if you're just getting started.
All this said, it's important to know that you don't have to get frustrated with yourself and throw away a painting every-single-time you've made a mistake.
If you're mistake is small (which it should be if you're staying focused throughout the process), there most likely will be a way to make it less noticeable. There are also specific things you can do to avoid these mistakes in the first place!
For the time-lapse video included in this post, I painted a subject that I knew would be extra challenging for me and would allow me to demonstrate how I approach my mistakes on a real project.
Though I knew that my painting wasn't going to be "perfect" when that first mistake happened, I was determined to push through, and I'm happy I did. I learned a lot from it and will apply this knowledge in future paintings.
Watercolor Cougar by Erika Lancaster. Schmincke watercolors on Fabriano 140 lb. watercolor paper.
Art supplies used for this watercolor painting:
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Five Ways to Avoid or Fix Watercolor Mistakes
It's important to understand that no mistake will be completely erased with any of these techniques. What you're trying to do is make them less noticeable, so that they don't distract from the great areas of your painting.
Mistake #1: Accidentally covering up your lightest areas (whites)
How to avoid this:
Make sure that you take time to plan and decide how you'll be protecting your lightest areas before starting with the painting process. You can do this by either creating a "map" for yourself (drawing small shapes around these areas using a pencil) and very carefully working around them as you're painting.
If you're painting a very complex subject with very small areas you want to protect, I recommend using masking fluid, as I did to protect the whiskers of this cougar.
To learn everything you need to know about using masking fluid with watercolors, visit my blog post titled Using Masking Fluid with Watercolors: Everything You Need to Know.
How to fix it:
Use the lifting technique to remove some of the pigment from your paper. If your paint is still wet, simply take your rag or paper towel and gently blot your paper with up and down motions (not sideways as this will damage the paper).
If your paint is already dry, no problem! As long as you're using decent quality watercolor paint, they can be reactivated by re-wetting them. All you have to do is rinse your brush well, remove excess water from its bristles and do gentle circular scrubbing motions in the area.
Don't go back in with too much water, though, and stay mindful about not damaging your paper.
Remember that the more wet your paper is, the more fragile it is. So once you've removed all you can, just let it go and allow the area to dry.
*It's important to know that different colors are going to have different staining qualities on your paper, and that the quality/type of paper you're using will affect the outcome of this technique.
*Also, the thicker the paper you're working on, the more scrubbing and lifting it will allow without you damaging it. These techniques won't work well if you're using lightweight paper. I love working on paper that's 140 lbs. and thicker.
Make sure that you take time to plan and decide how you'll be protecting your lightest areas before starting with the painting process. You can do this by either creating a "map" for yourself (drawing small shapes around these areas using a pencil) and very carefully working around them as you're painting.
If you're painting a very complex subject with very small areas you want to protect, I recommend using masking fluid, as I did to protect the whiskers of this cougar.
To learn everything you need to know about using masking fluid with watercolors, visit my blog post titled Using Masking Fluid with Watercolors: Everything You Need to Know.
How to fix it:
Use the lifting technique to remove some of the pigment from your paper. If your paint is still wet, simply take your rag or paper towel and gently blot your paper with up and down motions (not sideways as this will damage the paper).
If your paint is already dry, no problem! As long as you're using decent quality watercolor paint, they can be reactivated by re-wetting them. All you have to do is rinse your brush well, remove excess water from its bristles and do gentle circular scrubbing motions in the area.
Don't go back in with too much water, though, and stay mindful about not damaging your paper.
Remember that the more wet your paper is, the more fragile it is. So once you've removed all you can, just let it go and allow the area to dry.
*It's important to know that different colors are going to have different staining qualities on your paper, and that the quality/type of paper you're using will affect the outcome of this technique.
*Also, the thicker the paper you're working on, the more scrubbing and lifting it will allow without you damaging it. These techniques won't work well if you're using lightweight paper. I love working on paper that's 140 lbs. and thicker.
Mistake #2: Laying down too much dark paint in the beginning stages or creating flat/stark looking shapes or lines
How to avoid this:
Remember that a good watercolor piece requires patience. Take your painting one-step-at-a-time and always start with light, translucent values and work your way towards darker darks incrementally.
Look at your reference and add your darkest values only where you actually see them (usually even these areas have somewhat of a variation in color and translucency in them in order to avoid flatness).
Generally speaking, you want to keep very dark/saturated colors only in the areas that really require them and make use of the medium's translucent qualities.
How to fix it:
Went a bit crazy laying down way too heavily pigmented paint mixture in a larger area (or sooner) than intended? Don't fret! Use the lifting technique described in the previous point using your rag to gently blot the area while it's still wet or use your clean, damp brush to do some scrubbing.
Be gentle while you remove as much pigment as possible and allow to dry before attempting to do anything else in that area.
You can also use the pulling/spreading technique in order to dissipate the concentrated pigment into a larger area. Of course, you don't want to spread that pigment into areas that are meant to be white or affect other colors you've already placed, so be careful.
I've found, dissipating that stark line or edge into a gradient really helps remove that flatness that we've mistakenly created. Do what you can and leave it. Move on to work on other areas of your painting.
Later on, when the area is completely dry, you can go back in and make any overworked areas less noticeable by adding more paint carefully and playing around with values/washes.
Remember that a good watercolor piece requires patience. Take your painting one-step-at-a-time and always start with light, translucent values and work your way towards darker darks incrementally.
Look at your reference and add your darkest values only where you actually see them (usually even these areas have somewhat of a variation in color and translucency in them in order to avoid flatness).
Generally speaking, you want to keep very dark/saturated colors only in the areas that really require them and make use of the medium's translucent qualities.
How to fix it:
Went a bit crazy laying down way too heavily pigmented paint mixture in a larger area (or sooner) than intended? Don't fret! Use the lifting technique described in the previous point using your rag to gently blot the area while it's still wet or use your clean, damp brush to do some scrubbing.
Be gentle while you remove as much pigment as possible and allow to dry before attempting to do anything else in that area.
You can also use the pulling/spreading technique in order to dissipate the concentrated pigment into a larger area. Of course, you don't want to spread that pigment into areas that are meant to be white or affect other colors you've already placed, so be careful.
I've found, dissipating that stark line or edge into a gradient really helps remove that flatness that we've mistakenly created. Do what you can and leave it. Move on to work on other areas of your painting.
Later on, when the area is completely dry, you can go back in and make any overworked areas less noticeable by adding more paint carefully and playing around with values/washes.
Mistake #3: Bleeding colors (when you didn't plan for them)
How to avoid this:
It's really essential for you to know the different effects that watercolors allow and when to use different techniques. I wouldn't recommend moving onto a complex piece if you haven't practiced simple exercises that will allow you to know your medium's characteristics.
If you want to know more about the essential watercolor techniques you should be aware of and specific exercises that you should definitely try before moving on to painting specific subjects, I highly recommend checking out my free Watercolor for the Total Beginner Mini-Course.
Essentially, when you place a paint mixture on a previously wetted paper, it will expand/bleed/intermix. This is referred to as the wet-on-wet technique and will lead to a blurred-out effect that you, most likely, do not want in some areas of your painting.
Before starting with your painting process, give thought to what areas you want blurred out, and which you want more definition in. The more defined you want an area, the more important it is for you to wait for the previous layer of paint to dry before applying more paint on top.
How to fix this:
Gently blot your paper with your paper towel immediately when this intermixing starts happening in order to prevent it from expanding more. Allow it to dry completely.
If the mistake is small and the color left behind is faint, chances are you will be able to add more definition to the area with subsequent layers once it's dry.
It's really essential for you to know the different effects that watercolors allow and when to use different techniques. I wouldn't recommend moving onto a complex piece if you haven't practiced simple exercises that will allow you to know your medium's characteristics.
If you want to know more about the essential watercolor techniques you should be aware of and specific exercises that you should definitely try before moving on to painting specific subjects, I highly recommend checking out my free Watercolor for the Total Beginner Mini-Course.
Essentially, when you place a paint mixture on a previously wetted paper, it will expand/bleed/intermix. This is referred to as the wet-on-wet technique and will lead to a blurred-out effect that you, most likely, do not want in some areas of your painting.
Before starting with your painting process, give thought to what areas you want blurred out, and which you want more definition in. The more defined you want an area, the more important it is for you to wait for the previous layer of paint to dry before applying more paint on top.
How to fix this:
Gently blot your paper with your paper towel immediately when this intermixing starts happening in order to prevent it from expanding more. Allow it to dry completely.
If the mistake is small and the color left behind is faint, chances are you will be able to add more definition to the area with subsequent layers once it's dry.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com. Click on image to visit original site.
Mistake #4: Creating muddy colors
Check out this blog post that I specifically created to help avoid this issue!
How to avoid this:
The very best thing you can do in order to avoid muddy colors to begin with, is to take time to test and experiment how the pigments you're planning to use mix together. Before starting to paint, give thought to the color palette needed for your composition. Plan the exact colors you'll be using, and keep your palette limited (5-6 colors usually works for me).
I cannot paint without my scrap piece of watercolor paper beside me that allows me to constantly test out color mixtures and transparencies throughout the process.
Know and understand the Color Wheel and the relationships between colors. Explore Analogous and Complementary colors, and decide how you want to approach deepening color values and creating shadow effects.
Take time to do exercises before even attempting to paint a complex subject or else you'll end up frustrating yourself more than you need to.
In the third class of my free Watercolor for the Total Beginner Mini-Course, I walk you through several color mixing exercises, which you'll find extremely useful!
*Don't mix more than 3 different colors together, unless you know what you're doing.
How to fix this:
If you've mistakenly laid down a muddy color on your paper, try to absorb what you can while it's still wet and allow the area to dry. There are some cases in which adding a light wash of a brighter color on top, will make the mistake less noticeable.
How to avoid this:
The very best thing you can do in order to avoid muddy colors to begin with, is to take time to test and experiment how the pigments you're planning to use mix together. Before starting to paint, give thought to the color palette needed for your composition. Plan the exact colors you'll be using, and keep your palette limited (5-6 colors usually works for me).
I cannot paint without my scrap piece of watercolor paper beside me that allows me to constantly test out color mixtures and transparencies throughout the process.
Know and understand the Color Wheel and the relationships between colors. Explore Analogous and Complementary colors, and decide how you want to approach deepening color values and creating shadow effects.
Take time to do exercises before even attempting to paint a complex subject or else you'll end up frustrating yourself more than you need to.
In the third class of my free Watercolor for the Total Beginner Mini-Course, I walk you through several color mixing exercises, which you'll find extremely useful!
*Don't mix more than 3 different colors together, unless you know what you're doing.
How to fix this:
If you've mistakenly laid down a muddy color on your paper, try to absorb what you can while it's still wet and allow the area to dry. There are some cases in which adding a light wash of a brighter color on top, will make the mistake less noticeable.
Mistake #5: Overworking or damaging your watercolor paper
How to avoid this:
If you're anything like me and you enjoy using techniques like scrubbing, lifting and layering, buy decent quality paper that's at least medium weight or thicker (140 lbs. and heavier). I personally cannot work on thin, flimsy paper.
However, even when using thick, quality paper, it's essential to learn when to stop and allow your paper to dry. The more experience you gain, the faster you'll be able to recognize when your paper needs time to recoup!
In the video included here, you'll notice I jump around a lot. If I do something I don't like, I absorb/lift what I can, and leave it. I work somewhere else and come back to that area to fix it later. I do not obsess over imperfections and move on with the process.
How to fix this:
Damaged paper simply cannot be fixed (unless you want to cut that part off). Of all the mistakes mentioned in this post, this is probably the deadliest, so stay mindful throughout the process so it never gets to this point.
Try not to get to obsessive over your mistakes, take a learning experience for what it is, and move on with the work you can do.
If you're anything like me and you enjoy using techniques like scrubbing, lifting and layering, buy decent quality paper that's at least medium weight or thicker (140 lbs. and heavier). I personally cannot work on thin, flimsy paper.
However, even when using thick, quality paper, it's essential to learn when to stop and allow your paper to dry. The more experience you gain, the faster you'll be able to recognize when your paper needs time to recoup!
In the video included here, you'll notice I jump around a lot. If I do something I don't like, I absorb/lift what I can, and leave it. I work somewhere else and come back to that area to fix it later. I do not obsess over imperfections and move on with the process.
How to fix this:
Damaged paper simply cannot be fixed (unless you want to cut that part off). Of all the mistakes mentioned in this post, this is probably the deadliest, so stay mindful throughout the process so it never gets to this point.
Try not to get to obsessive over your mistakes, take a learning experience for what it is, and move on with the work you can do.
To finish up this post, I want to encourage you to not get frustrated over small mistakes. There is a certain beauty behind imperfection, and what you should be striving for with each piece is progress.
Trying to chase perfection with every single drawing or painting you create is probably going to end up hindering you and not allowing you to move forward as fast as you could.
Thanks so much for reading!
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is a participant in the Shareasale.com Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Shareasale.com partner companies.
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