Watercolor Painting Techniques, Lessons, Tutorials, and Resources
Watercolor & Gouache Techniques & Lessons:
Brush Techniques -- John Lovett's detailed instructions show you how to paint thin straight lines, broad washes of uniform color as well as graded washes and variegated washes, controlled splashes, and those wonderfully fractured brush strokes that give texture to your watercolor paintings.
Jackson's Watercolour demonstration by Keith Hornblower -- Online video demonstration of an Italian street scene, showing how to loosely create a watercolor painting with lively washes of color.
It's All About Edges -- Christopher Schink stresses the importance of using a variety of edges (hard, soft, and broken) in your watercolor paintings.
Controlling Watercolour -- Johannes Vloothuis explains the four basic ways to apply watercolor to paper, sharing his tips for creating soft diffused areas that contrast nicely with rough textures or hard edges.
Painting Reflections -- In this online video Dermot Cavanagh demonstrates how to paint convincing reflections in a body of water with the wet into wet watercolor technique.
Beyond Watercolour With Chris Forsey -- Online video demonstration teaches how to add other water based media to your watercolour such as acrylic and acrylic ink to create dynamic and lively watermedia paintings.
Working with a Split Primary Color Palette -- Susie Short teaches how you to achieve the colors you want - providing a warm and a cool for each primary color so you can avoid muddy colors.
How to Paint with 4 Pigments -- Cyrille Jubert shows how to paint a remarkably colorful dog portrait in watercolor using a limited palette of only 4 colors.
Watercolor Demonstration with Brenda Swenson -- Brenda shows how she uses transparent watercolor glazes to build up rich glowing color.
Watercolor Demonstration by Kay Barnes -- Kay gives a demonstration of how she uses wet-in-wet techniques with transparent watercolors.
Learning Center Watercolor Lessons -- Yong Chen's website offers watercolor painting demonstrations with step-by-step instructions for still lifes, portraits, and landscapes.
Watercolor Painting and Projects -- Learn basic skills and watercolor techniques, including supplies you will need and how to mix watercolors. Then progress to the watercolor painting projects for easy to follow tutorials and step-by-step instructions.
Watercolor Art Lessons -- Step-by-step demonstrations of watercolor portraits, landscapes, flowers, and more.
Painting Values with Layered Washes -- Pat Howard layers washes of watercolor to create atmospheric perspective in a landscape painting.
Bruce MacEvoy's Watercolor Guide -- A wonderful resource that provides lots of information about watercolor papers, brushes, paints, color theory, palettes, techniques, and more.
Making Sense of Staining, Sedimentary and Transparent Pigments -- Caroline Buchanan explains the different types of pigments, their positive and negative characteristics, and how to make the best use of them in your watercolor paintings.
Alcohol Textures Watercolor Technique -- Because alcohol and watercolor don't mix well, dripping alcohol into your watercolor washes causes it to repel the paint and create lighter areas.
Correcting Mistakes in Watercolour -- Johannes Vloothuis describes how to correct errors in watercolor paintings.
Arty Articles by Nita Leland -- A multitude of great articles on color, paint, technique, marketing, setting up an artist's studio, and more.
Watercolour Equipment, Tips & Tutorials -- Peter Saw starts with an overview of artists' materials used in watercolor painting, providing some suggestions along the way. Then he provides brief lessons in painting trees, rocks, and clouds as well as some in-depth articles about composition and color mixing.
Abstract Watercolour on Yupo Paper -- Step-by-step instructions for creating an abstract painting with watercolors on Yupo brand synthetic paper.
Watercolor on YUPO Paper -- This online tutorial demonstrates how to paint a scene rich with color and texture using watercolor, a palette knife, and YUPO synthetic paper.
Exporing Opaque Watermedia by Stephen Quiller -- Compares the four watermedia (transparent watercolor, gouache, acrylic, and casein), explaining their visual qualities and handling characteristics, and how best to combine them.
John Lovett's Painting Lessons -- Beautifully illustrated step-by-step instructions, techniques, and advice for watercolorists.
Jan Hart: Last Light, A Demonstration -- Jan demonstrates how she creates a southwestern landscape in watercolor.
Watercolor Lessons and Exercises -- A wealth of information by Ellen Fountain, N.W.S.
Watercolor Tips & Techniques -- Interesting tidbits such as "Choosing a Palette of Colors" from an experienced watercolor instructor, Ellen Fountain, N.W.S.
Secrets to Painting Water in Watercolor -- Esteemed watercolor artist Penny Soto shows you how to paint reflections in water.
Watercolour and Mixed Media Abstract -- Jane Hoed teaches some unusual mixed media techniques that can be used to provide texture and interest in your watercolor paintings, or combine them together to create an abstract work of art.
Watercolor Floral Painting Demo -- Watercolor demonstration by Liz Fluehr.
Watercolor Painting Demo -- Watercolor demonstration by Lian Zhen showing his color pouring, blowing, and negative painting techniques.
Watercolor Tips from George Simmons -- George Simmons shares his advice for working with watercolors. The article primarily addresses the materials he uses.
Watercolor Floral Demo by George Simmons -- George Simmons offers a thorough step-by-step demonstration for painting the gladiolus flower.
Watercolor Painting Tips -- Joe Cartwright provides tips for anyone learning how to paint in watercolors, including advice on watercolor materials.
Watercolor Painting Demonstrations -- Joe Cartwright shares his watercolor techniques for painting flowers, landscapes, and seascapes.
The Difference between "Mixing" and "Visual" Complements -- Watercolor demonstration by Hilary Page.
Understanding How Reflected Light Works -- Christopher Schink teaches artists how to detect the subtle color changes that occur in shadows. By understanding why and where these color changes occur, you can learn to exaggerate them and make your painting more vibrant and convincing.
How To Create Light with Layers -- Watercolor demonstration by Carole Katchen.
How to Paint "Backward" -- Watercolor demonstration by Ken Hosmer.
Painting Negative Spaces -- John Fisher demonstrates the technique of negative painting.
Painting Metal -- In this demonstration, John Fisher teaches how to create a metallic effect (or look of shiny metal) in your still life paintings.
Watercolour demonstrations -- John Fisher generously shares all of his free step-by-step watercolour demos.
Floating Watercolors into Clear Water -- Barbara Nechis explains her technique for intermingling watercolors and creating, abstract organic forms.
Watercolor Lesson: "Homestead" -- William Powell gives a step-by-step demonstration in watercolor painting.
Susie's Watercolor Tips -- Susie Short offers ideas for fun watercolor projects and tips for painting specific subjects, including demos for painting water drops, flowers, beaches, and trees.
Making Waves -- Don Jusko gives guidelines for sketching and painting ocean waves.
Free Instructional Videos by Blick Art Materials -- A series of YouTube videos on a variety of media.
Tips and Techniques for Advanced Artists -- Keene Wilson provides advice and techniques gathered from studying watercolor instructors. Scroll down to get to the "Focus on Watercolor" section.
Watercolor Supplies:
Brush Shapes 101 -- Explains the various brush shapes and how they can help you to create soft edges, fine details or sweeping passages of color.
Brush Hairs 101 -- Explains the different characteristics of brush hairs or bristles (durability, cost and which ones you should choose for your media or style of painting).
Brushes for Watercolor Painting -- Alistair Butt discusses watercolor painting brushes, which brush to use for which job, how to clean them, and how to store them.
Watercolor Papers -- Alistair Butt discusses the 3 brands of watercolor papers he prefers.
Papers for Watercolor Painting -- Explains the different types of watercolor paper and how the paper will affect your painting.
Choosing the Right Watercolour Paper -- Learn about the grain, permanence, and weight of watercolor papers, and how they will affect the results you get.
Stretching Watercolor Paper -- Explains how to stretch watercolor paper so it will remain flat during the painting process.
All About Paper -- Learn about the different types of paper that are available, and the various properties you should consider to choose the best paper for your particular medium.
What is Archival Paper? -- Explains what archival paper is exactly and what it means for artists. Learn what causes paper to deteriorate over time, and get tips for preserving your artwork (how you should store your artwork).
Blick Art Materials -- Retailer specializing in art materials and supplies for artists.
Matting & Framing:
Framing Your Watercolour Paintings -- Lorraine P. Dietrich discusses mats, mounting, and backing materials.
Our favorite Painting Books
Powercolor - Master Color Concepts for All Media
What every artist needs to know about color. Way beyond basics! Important real vs. wheel color truths. Color theory evolution, mixing management, psychology, physics, optics, paint properties and manufacturing. Ten artists demo in various media/ subject/style.
The Dance of Watercolor: Beginners and Beyond (DVD)
Demonstrations of underpainting and overpainting, lighting effects, water reflections, and subtle shadow colorations.
A Celebration of Light
Create watercolor paintings with better compositions, more color and textures, and effective backgrounds. Jane includes instructions on how to paint reflections, glass, lace and beautiful light patterns.
Watercolor in Motion: How to Create Powerful Paintings, Step by Step (Book & DVD)
Demonstrations help you learn different techniques such as wet on wet, and soft and hard edges and the best way to blend colors.
Paint Watercolors that Dance with Light
Sun-drenched images that will make you want to pick up a brush! Artist and instructor, Elizabeth Kincaid, teaches you how to capture that elusive play of light that will make your watercolor paintings come alive with glowing beauty.
Color Choices
Learn to use color in striking and unusual ways. Quiller explains the how and why of color theories and provides inspiration with his own colorful works of art.
The Painterly Approach: An Artist's Guide To Seeing, Painting And Expressing
By focusing on shapes and values, rather than line, readers are taught to identify abstract patterns in order to achieve a more painterly outcome.
Mastering Composition: Techniques and Principles to Dramatically Improve Your Painting
This book and instructional DVD provides step-by-step demonstrations that teach you composition and design theory. Use the basic principles of design to create more effective works of art with harmony and movement.