Here’s the thing…There are lots of “reviews” about which are the best watercolor paints on the market. But none of them seem to tell you “how” to choose what’s best for your needs. And frankly, most of those reviews seem to have been written by people who probably haven’t picked up a paint brush in their […]
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Setting up a watercolor palette can be a bit of a brain-teaser, especially when you begin learning watercolors. When I first started painting it took me a while to figure out which colors to use and how to organize them. And over time, I’ve agonized over the best choice of paints to include in my […]
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A watercolor sketch can be defined as an unfinished, unrefined painting, usually made as a rough draft before a finished work of art. Some people see it as part of a process. But I think these simple versions of paintings are a valuable ingredient to successful watercolors. Sketching is a good habit for developing and improving […]
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I’d like to show you a simple and effective way to paint autumn watercolor leaves. Fall is just beginning where I live, and the first leaves are starting to drop. The following “watercolor fall leaf compositions” are really simple to paint. I think you’ll find the process surprisingly easy and that it produces some great […]
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I’ve heard it said that coffee boosts creativity. Whether that’s true or not, I thought you might like to join me by following along with this watercolor coffee cup tutorial. I’m always on the lookout for new subjects to paint. The ring stain of coffee on my desktop provided the inspiration for this latest watercolor. I […]
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Do you find it frustrating? Reading about all those multiple, fabulous techniques for watercolor painting. Methods which are so obscure you’ll probably hardly ever use them! Sure, it’s fun to know these things. But I don’t think that helps you progress with watercolor painting. So I thought I’d talk to you about the fundamental watercolor techniques that […]
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Have you ever seen a beautiful piece of watercolor art and thought “I want to paint like that”? Many budding artists hold back because they just don’t know how to start painting in watercolors. I think that’s too bad. Because I believe the joy of creating with watercolors is within anybody’s reach. Some people simply […]
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When you’re a beginner you make mistakes. And mistakes are good because you can learn from them. One of the things watercolor artists sometimes see as a problem is “watercolor blooms”. You’ve probably already seen these unexpected blotches that seem to appear out of nowhere… Right? When I was starting out with watercolors I would get […]
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Spring is upon us again! The early blooming plants are starting to flower. And that makes me want to paint. One of my favorite springtime blooms is the magnolia. Eventually, I’m going to plant one in my garden. But for now, I thought I’d show you one way to portray these beautiful flowers in watercolor. This […]
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Don’t you think it’s curious? The way certain watercolors provoke emotion, but others fall short of your expectations. Color plays a huge role in successful painting, which is why color theory in watercolor art is a valuable thing to grasp. Understanding colors and how they interact with each other can go a long way to […]
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