Have you ever noticed how watercolor paints behave differently ? Some colors produce a smooth even wash, but others seem to have a life of their own, creating amazing textured patterns. When you play around with watercolors for a while you’ll soon notice this interesting aspect of watercolor painting. Don’t worry, there’s nothing wrong with your paint […]
Continue readingIt’s a simple question… Right ? And the answer probably seems obvious to more experienced watercolor artists. I remember when I was learning about watercolor painting, I wasn’t sure how other artists used tubes of paint. I found it quite mysterious how to handle paint in this form. And the more I thought about it the more […]
Continue readingTo wet or not to wet ? That is the question… Wet on wet and wet on dry are both important parts of any watercolorist’s painting vocabulary. Each technique has its own specific qualities, producing very different and delightful results. When I started watercolor painting I was vaguely aware of these two painting methods. But I have […]
Continue readingYou know what ? Watercolor paper isn’t the only surface you can paint on ! Yep… That’s right ! In fact one of the most common questions I see asked by artists is: “Can you use watercolor on canvas” ? The quick answer is “yes”. But of course it’s slightly more complicated than that. There a few things you need […]
Continue readingFrustrating isn’t it? Like a lot of new watercolorists, I didn’t understand about layering paint. When I started painting I would use too much water and fuss over the wet paint with my brush. I remember enthusiastically painting layer upon layer of paint until the end result looked murky and overworked! Have you ever found yourself doing […]
Continue readingI hear it all the time! What color paints do you recommend? This is something that I agonized over when I first started painting with watercolors! The choice of paint colors is staggering, especially when you consider watercolor brands like Daniel Smith (they have a huge collection of over 250 paints!) And good quality watercolors are expensive! I didn’t […]
Continue readingPaper… It’s one of the essential components in watercolor painting. And believe me, when you really get going, you’re going to use a lot of it ! I remember when I started watercolor painting, I went to a huge art store near to where I live. They had an amazing choice of watercolor paper. All kinds of […]
Continue readingYou’ve probably heard artists talking about “tone” when describing art. When I first started watercolor painting I was a bit confused by all the vocabulary. One of my favorite artists Stan Miller talks a lot about value and tone and describes this as one of the fundamentals of good painting. You might also hear artists […]
Continue readingLooking for good watercolor brands? I know what you’re thinking. There’s a huge choice of watercolors on the market and you haven’t got a clue which are good and which are a waste of time. I was in the same predicament when I started watercolor painting. Choosing the right supplies is a big deal – especially when you’re […]
Continue readingSo you’re ready to make a dent in the world of watercolors. Good for you. I remember the first watercolor paints I used at school when I was a kid. It was a huge pan set. The colored bricks were as big as my hand with rounded edges for safety ! To be honest, the results were […]
Continue reading