Fantastic! One of the best and easiest to understand set of practices (at least for me) to become more proficient with watercolor. Thank you so very much for sharing!!
Steve this is the most helpful video I have ever come across and I am going to start from the beginning again. I have never quite grasped the water ratio problem. I started with watercolor 5 years ago, this month in fact, at the age of 72. I think I will be watching this video many times to remind me what to practice on. I read a saying a while ago which I loved. I will not be starting again from scratch, I will be starting again from a position of experience. Thank you for your wonderful videos Steve!
I like this topic, I often try to run before I can walk with some aspects of watercolour painting. Only recently, I dusted off my old Alwyn Crawshaw books that I started with many years ago and had a go at the basic exercises.
Thank Steve for sharing your wisdom. Thought I was to hold to take up water coloring, but I practice daily . Some times I take a break for a day otherwise it’s fun at 73 . Started when I was in my late 60’s.
Thanks for posting. I took a'pre-wc' calss and then 'Watercolor 1' at Yale - and I passed the coyrse. I didnt let that happen. My hwk was a series of lucky outcomes and not foundational skills. I knew i didnt really know what i was doing. My 3rd time thruthe basics of Watercolor - I caught my error by the 2nd class. I wasnt dabbing out my brush after rinsing it. BAM! that was the ticket!
As someone who has been doing water color painting for over 65 years this video is good advice. I would add never let the technical aspects stop you from having fun and enjoy just splashing the water and color about and seeing what surprises and happy accidents can happen.
I totally agree...dos and donts are okay and great..just like a training bike..once we start going then we make our own discoveries.. But as a beginner two years ago, coming from a totally digital background, I needed beginner videos to even know what I am getting into. Had zero idea about paper, brush, pigments etc which seem too obvious now..
Great video and just what I needed to hear today. I think the choice to go back and learn and relearn is a good one. So many things have changed and been invented to help us. I am so excited to have found this art work again. It gives me great pleasure to learn new, exciting things. It gives me something to look forward to and to challenge myself with. So much good content for us on UA-cam! Great job!
I would just add,,,use Good watercolor paper! Its all about the water on the Paper, and i wasted so much time with cheap paper,,,its just not the same as good cotton paper. Thanks Steve!
So glad I came across your video today! I have been watching countless tutorials, but realize I just cannot start to paint a picture, without practicing the fundamental watercolour skills you describe. Getting out my brushes,paper and 2 dishes of water and working on this tonight! I want to paint some Christmas cards as I never got any mailed out last year as I got covid. So I wanted to do something special this year. Thanks for your inspiration and great tips!👏🏻 Cheers 👩🏻🦰🇨🇦
Thank you for covering again for begginers. I was following you since two years, painting every day and yet find this video Oh So Refreshing. This reminds me how i have been doing so far and the journey certainly has been SO unpredictable and fulfilling
I have been painting with watercolor for two years. I thought this video was going to give me a new technique. What it did give me was, remember the basics and practice, practice practice until these basic skills become intuitive. What I call muscle memory. Like learning how to hit a baseball, a new dance step, play an instrument, or yes ride a bicycle. Remember the basics before taking brush to paper. Thanks Steve.
14:08 how i admire your comment on how you wanted to relook at your approach to watercolor even after so many years of going in directions that aimed at your sense of perfection. That tells me how much you love the journey and not just how it finally turns out. And i think the medium of watercolor at times teases us on to challenge ourselves in so many ways that at times feel infinite
Thank you for the advice. I have been struggling lately and now I am ready to take a step back to practice the basics of watercolor again. Great advice!
Thanks Steve I felt like a failure by not learning all these steps. You have made me realize that it is ok to start watercolor painting all over again... very good advice.
The one thing that I had to learn (and practice) is to be mindful of the leading edge when you’re doing a wash around some object or part of your painting. If you let that edge get too dry, you’re doomed.
Each of the things you mentioned about “water control” I have done as a beginner! Then you have how much water put in the paint pans (put to much) then get actual paint to wet or go in to heavy w pigment. Thank you & feel should be a master painter after only 2 years (unrealistic expectation) unless just born with drawing & painting skills. Back to practice techniques!
Yes! In fact I weaned off BP meds totally after doing watercolor every single day. But key (for me) has been to enjoy the process and not stress myself on getting excellent results. But yes, because I paint every day, i see how I have improved on my own standards...
looking back? I cannot believe how long I painted watercolour - had the occasional happy accident that kept me motivated - but I simply did not know that WATER CONTROL was so *essential*. And I had no %$3@ idea that I did not know! I instead thought I was stupid / useless "what is wrong with me. You tube = SEEING someone dab their brush on a towel / paper CONTINUALLY ? WTF? why are they doing that. Your exercises are GOLD = subscribed. Much respect ❤
It took me over a year of not getting excess water (off brush by dabbing it on paper towel)! Made my day when you said, Get that water off the brush if must squeeze it as many YT tutorials never showed them doing that part (off camera) so helped me & change paper type often) bet doesn’t help but onward!
Thank you for this. I have used watercolour for years and I’m still learning and making mistakes. I think it’s the most unpredictable medium. Control of water was the hardest for me.
I love the analogy of riding a bike. My mind can wrap around that "feel" -- and I have experienced it in the very smallest ways in my few months of learning watercolor. It's an encouraging concept!
Such a great video. Thank you for making it. I wish I'd found something like it when I was just starting out. There are so many "beginner" tutorials out there that never even mention water control. I feel like I spent my first year of painting wondering whey I always ended up with giant puddles on my page. 😅
Five years of studying painting and only three profs ever mentioned/demonstrated techniques to me (one of which was Jacob Lawrence). I guess they all thought we came to university with our brains already full with technique knowledge. So, sir, thank you for your informative, carefully thought out videos of instruction.
Steve, you’ve hit the nail on the head! I took up Watercolour again about 7 years ago and have learned from your countless videos and many other artists what I didn’t really know before. It IS, as you said all about water control. I’m sure this will help many beginners and remind others of why you named this channel The mind of watercolour. Water has a mind of its own. Thank you Steve.
After using so much watercolour paints i found that each brand and each pigment worked differently. I like to spend time with the paint to understand them
This should help a LOT of people! I find myself wanting to shout out to so many utubers in their watercolour videos "DRAIN YOUR BRUSH!!" Water control and a feeling for brush loading just seems to bypass so many... yet there is no progress that way- just wasting time. So yeah: this is a fantastic video- let's hope folk take heed!
Thank you for this, Steve! Great advice and always good to hear more than once. One more thing that beginners could benefit from knowing related to water control is that not all papers handle water the same. So my advice would be to get a decent paper that you can afford and work with that until you are comfortable before venturing out to try a bunch of other papers. Save yourself a little frustration!
Love this video. I have painted with watercolor for quite some years, by myself in my studio. Basically self taught. I like your suggestion to go back to square one. That is what I am doing and really enjoying it.
Water control is definitely a fundamental skill and I agree Steve, probably the most basic when it comes to starting the journey. I sometimes see very accomplished watercolorists just soaking the paper for wet on wet and I am amazed at how they manage to control that insanity. Great tips Steve. Good to see your face my friend. Let's do a collab video soon.
This video Steve, absolutely, MUST go viral! I’ve learned these techniques over time, organically. But man, I wish I’d seen this when I first started. You’re an amazing teacher and artist. God bless you!
Steve you are so right! I have been painting watercolor for maybe seven years now and it only recently dawned on me that most of my problems stem from my using too much water! And I see this all the time with other watercolor artists. They keep adding more and more water until their paper is saturated and it is a mess! Learning the basic skills you just went over …. Has helped me become a much better watercolor artist! Thank you for reminding me to practice them until they become second nature. You are such s good teacher. Love all your videos! God Bless!
100% all of this. I figured this out after watching a lot of your videos (and others). I also learned with trial and error that some papers are more forgiving than others. But you have to learn how water (and pigment in the water) moves and dries on the paper you’re using, otherwise you’re never going to be happy. Doing value swatches is so terribly tedious but you have to do it if you want control of the medium.
Thank you! I have been trying for months haha... and failing for months. But I keep at it and keep failing. I just love it. Thanks for Yr great advice. I'll go and pracrise this advice. Stay tuned. 😂
I learned watercolor from you, so its always come easily. Thank you. Thank you for being the shelter during my storm of life. I was in a horrible place. Finding your channel was like finding a shelter filled with the world of watercolor. I knew art was something God sent me to cope when I saw the Bible verses at thr end of your videos. Serendipitous.
I have had an answer from God here. For 2 years I felt like I had maybe turned coloring and painting into idols I spent all my time watching videos. So I didnt colour or paint lest I sin. I prayed on my heart for the Holy Spirit to answer whether this was true or a lie. I have been disabled 20 years and lay in my recliner all day and just got my electric wheelchair. I remember seeing a scripture here too. Im going throigh a time of crisis and thank God for using your comment to answer a prayer Ive waited for years to hear a reply for from God. God bless you.
@mariatriesart8389 God bless you too! I just saw your comment. I wish it hadn't taken so long for me to respond. From 2019 to 2023, I spent 3 to 6 months in the hospital per year & the rest of the time in bed. My family was called in to 'say goodbye' to me at least 3 times during this time period. I'd always take my art supplies to the hospital & they'd sit in my bag until I was strong enough to create. When I could pick up a pencil & paint, I knew I was closer to going home. This year, I've only spent about 1½ month in the hospital in total. I still spent most of my time in bed watching videos & and painting, so I have a glimpse of understanding what you're enduring. I'm determined to use art to share my testimony & glorify God. My skills aren't where I want them, but I was a total beginner in 2019. It's hard to give myself grace for not progressing in art. So, reading your comment, put things into perspective for me. I'm thankful that God is indeed using me despite my artistic inadequacy. It's all I pray for. So you're an answer to my prayers as well. I'd like to see your art. My name is the same on Instagram.
The number of techniques is never ending. Pigment control is similar to tuning an instrument or engine. Looking for that sweet spot. When you find it now, you're running.
I did all right in my watercolor classes, but without the discipline of the classroom I became too intimidated to try. This sounds like a great idea. Thanks.
Thank you so much for this video. I've been painting in watercolor for about two years and I'm just now finding my ability to use skills without too much thought. You've given me a good reminder to keep coming back to the basics!
Thanks Steve. This helps me explain to my new students who have never painted in watercolor. Sometimes they look at me like a deer caught in the headlights! All seniors too.
As a tutor this is exactly what I’ve been trying to get across. This is the only tutorial that beginners should need and should be compulsory at all watercolour classes! Absolutely great good no nonsense tutorial well done and thanks for posting.
Oh my goodness this video is absolutely incredible. Learned so much from this video. The correct things to practice on to become better at using watercolor paints. Watercolor brings me so much joy, but couldn’t figure out some of the things I needed to change in order to grow. Thank you so much. You have a new subscriber. Extremely excited to learn more from you.
Steve thank you so much for this. I've been painting for five years, and I needed to know more about this topic. You are a great teacher and artist for all of us.
I had a try at watercolour and drawing about 40 years ago and gave up. Now, at almost 73, a spark of interest while playing with my grandchildren got me started again and a new world opened up. Gorgeous colours, fascinating brush strokes, a new way of seeing. Thanks for putting into words what I am struggling with.
❤Excellent! Thank you! I’ve taken a sabbatical from WC. 🌀 not exactly a planned one. 🌀 here in the upstate of SC. Now I feel like I have plan, step by step as you presented. Blessings! ✝️
Ooo! We did that at our fifth grade!! - when just started our schooling for a couple of weeks we did it in many variations and any "smudge" means to start the exercise over again - our instructional books always started with that!😊😊
Wonderful points Steve. As a 40+ year watercolor painter, I especially love your point about GOING BACK and practicing water control skills. Great advice!
BINGO! You are soooooooooo right! “Getting it” with water control has been a very frustrating trial and error experience for me. Thank you soooooooo much for this tutorial!!! I have and do follow several artists, none of which have explained this skill in this way!!
Omg i needed this so bad….. really excellent. Ive recently lost my skill & needed to hear this. I was coming off of two art shows doing lotsa acrylics so i needed to hear these concepts again. Made a huge difference when i sat down to paint today after watching this video. Thank you thank you thank u. Please play this again. Very vrry helpful.
Very good advice, even for those who've been in love with watercolor painting for some time. You once suggested using images from coloring books for flat wash practice and I found that very helpful. And every time I paint trees, I your voice in my head reminds me about the importance of edges! Your videos are priceless. Thank you!
Splendid ! Of all the videos I have washed over the years, delivvered by you, maestro, or oothers I have never felt that there were any distance between you , the teacher and little me , an old man at the sea , in the other end ! I took it all in , and I understood every word and even the meaning of them as well. And I felt that you were sitting here , tight in front of me, in my little studio. Instead of speaking from a screen in front of me. For all you said, did you say to me in person ! All hit me, an old atist from my childhood , a very long time back, that for fiften years back and so, cuted out, mey drawings, my pastels, my oil and acrylic , my charcoal , youn name it, to consentrate om the watercolor and its kindom only. Nevertheless , Maestro, here you are telling me who wrong I have been in my delivery of pigments and water to the paper all the time! And still I feel happy. Just happy. In an age of more than 80 years I can start all over to do it in "your way" . Never too late ! Thank you so much.
I am lucky I stumbled on to your videos very early in my w/c journey. And I think the 2nd video I watched was water control it was so valuable and I filled a practice book full of your exercises. When I want to play with colour but don't want to do a picture I will make a patchwork page of the different techniques. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Hi Steve, this is the first time I've come across your video. Thank you so much for this. You now have a new subscriber. From all the watercolour videos I've seen on learning how to use watercolour, this is the first video that's completely different and actually teaches you about watercolour and the techniques required. You're a blessing to so many.
Thanks Steve. As a reborn beginner, I am really learning this time around. Although not exactly following this prescribed method and steps, all I am doing right now is learning water control with measured color work. Just practicing techniques to understand them and understand the Mind of Watercolor so to say……. Pray the cleanup is going well and some semblance of normal, however small, is returning.
These are helpful reminders… Two things that bear mentioning that also affect water control our type of paper and a mixing pallet. Student grade papers can really acquire puddles very easily. And a nice clean mixing pallet leaves you a place to kind of squeeze out your brush, without having to constantly waste the water and pigment on a paper towel. But mostly the paper situation, really drastically affects water control. But I guess that just takes getting used to your supplies and all of what you talked about still applies. Thanks, Steve!
Always excellent teaching methods Steve! It is true, we always relearn those skills especially if working with more than one media or having many long term illnesses I find that doing a more elaborate thumbnail or 2 helps me to remind myself especially when my memory fails me. No different than playing music for years but when asked to replay a song done hundreds of times sometimes it is helpful to pickup the sheet music and reorient myself. Btw the phrase of the mentality or mind of water control is now coined in Spanish from you to me to others. We all can share what we learn and certainly painting, whether a hobby or working those commissions needs that solid foundation that you described - working and asking for help or pointers and certainly your courses would be wonderful for anyone. Great reminders from the minders. ❤
AAAAGGGGGHHH. You used the "P" word! You are so right. Nothing helps understanding or opens doors to pathways toward improvement like practice. As a former martial arts teacher (just shy of 50 years with that as part of my life) I used to see two major paths people took in practice: active and passive. From my experience, active practice is where the mind is engaged and focused. Behavioral rhythms develop. Active practice allows concurrent self-critiquing of technique and adjustment during the practice. This is where doors open to improvement possibilities. In short, active practice is where learning occurs. Breakthroughs happen. Small victories occur. Passive practice, on the other hand, is a dead end. The mind is not engaged and it's just a repetitive behavior with no self-assessment or even awareness. Improvement does not happen. Often the only door that opens is the one to frustration. And that's not fun and learning is supposed to be fun, no matter what the subject. My second career was in teaching, and I've seen this from university to community college to high school level in multiple subjects. Learning cannot be fun if it is not rewarding and does not generate a sense of achievement. I came to watercolor from Chinese Brush Painting, Xie Yi style ("idea writing"). It's the more spontaneous style of CBP and techniques adapt pretty well to watercolor. Painting with soot ink is actually watercolor painting and one controls the lightness/darkness of what is delivered to the paper through the dilution of the ink. Not much wet into wet with CBP, though. Thanks for going back to basics, Steve. I know it was beneficial to me.
Love this lesson - been doing watercolor for 3 plus years now - getting better most of the time BUT find I MUST push water around every day to feel good about my end result! Love pushing water around - amazing - magic medium! This was excellent!,, 🙏
Water coloring is painting with… colored water. 🤯 Seriously. As someone who has always managed better with acrylic paints and is trying to learn watercolor, this concept is like a revelation.
I have been learning watercolor for awhile now and draw at the same time. I practice something every day even if it is just drawing shapes. Also videos but videos teach that persons style more than basics. For me I have limited videos to the style that is attracting me at the moment. I found in doing this I have learned the basics and every so often a grand ahhh ahhhhh that makes something stick with me 😊 thank you❤
This has to be my favorite video of yours to date, Steve! I shared it with my Facebook group. They are mostly acrylic painters and many want to cross over to watercolor, but are very intimidated with it. They try to use watercolor paint the same way they used acrylics, and many fail and give up. I try to teach my followers that each medium is like a language - they may appear to be similar in ways, but you have to explore the charactreristics and attributes to each of them and apply them in the unique way they require. Your video here points out may of the reasons why this is true. It is a great overview of the watercolor medium and explains things simply in a way that is very understandable to even those who are very new to the mediu. Anyway - thanks so much! You are always appreciated! :)
Steve, I decided to come back to your videos when I saw this posted! I’ve watched so many of your creative videos, but when I would go to do them, I would become lost. Like so many skills of life going back to fundamentals is always eye-opening this rekindles my interestin my first love, which is watercolor paintings. I can see immediately that I had not hold those skills! I’m truly looking forward to taking these tasks in the order you recommend. It is so valuable to learn from a professional like yourself thank you so much.
I need to do this. I started out with gouache not watercolor. Now I’m going back & forth between the two, using the two together most times. I feel like I’m holding myself back on learning watercolor because I keep reaching for the gouache to fix my mistakes. I think taking it back to just focusing on watercolor & learning it better would help me move forward. Thanks for video.
I’ve watched a lot of videos but non have talked about these basic skills. Thank you for sharing and I hope with lots of practice I will be successful.
WOW! You are so right. I have been watching videos and even beginner watercolor tutorials, holy moly have I been having trouble! I am going to watch this video again tomorrow and practice along with it. I have been trying to jump into the beginner videos and paint like they do (because it is a beginner tutorial). I think you have hit the nail on the head, and I will be practicing along with this video tomorrow! Thank you so much!
Thank you for this video. I really had hit a bump in the road. I've only been painting with watercolour for about 4 years. Before that I drew portraits in pencil and wished that one day I could dare to pick up watercolours because someone once told me that it was far too complex for me. I'm glad I reached a point where I no longer cared if it was complex because it is one of the most exciting mediums to use. The fact that it does have a mind of its own is part of that. I got stuck because I wasn't practicing and this will make me go back and reassess everything I thought I knew.
I learned watercolor from you, so its always come easily. Thank you. Thank you for being the shelter during my storm of life. I was in a horrible place. Finding your channel was like finding a shelter filled with the world of watercolor. I knew art was something God sent me to cope when I saw the Bible verses at thr end of your videos. Serendipitous.
Hullo Steve, mindful practice is such a great term as well as the perfect approach! I have found that many watercolorists don’t even bother to warm up! I believe that every time we pick up a brush or pencil or whatever we use a warm up time is crucial for any type of success! I have adopted the create tones practice before starting my work. Going from weak tea or tinted water to heavy cream and as many tonal shifts as I can create help me “get ready” to paint! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and ideas with us. Please take care, be safe and have yourself a lovely day!
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Fantastic! One of the best and easiest to understand set of practices (at least for me) to become more proficient with watercolor. Thank you so very much for sharing!!
Steve this is the most helpful video I have ever come across and I am going to start from the beginning again. I have never quite grasped the water ratio problem. I started with watercolor 5 years ago, this month in fact, at the age of 72. I think I will be watching this video many times to remind me what to practice on. I read a saying a while ago which I loved. I will not be starting again from scratch, I will be starting again from a position of experience. Thank you for your wonderful videos Steve!
I like this topic, I often try to run before I can walk with some aspects of watercolour painting. Only recently, I dusted off my old Alwyn Crawshaw books that I started with many years ago and had a go at the basic exercises.
Thank Steve for sharing your wisdom. Thought I was to hold to take up water coloring, but I practice daily . Some times I take a break for a day otherwise it’s fun at 73 . Started when I was in my late 60’s.
Thanks for posting. I took a'pre-wc' calss and then 'Watercolor 1' at Yale - and I passed the coyrse. I didnt let that happen. My hwk was a series of lucky outcomes and not foundational skills. I knew i didnt really know what i was doing. My 3rd time thruthe basics of Watercolor - I caught my error by the 2nd class. I wasnt dabbing out my brush after rinsing it. BAM! that was the ticket!
As someone who has been doing water color painting for over 65 years this video is good advice. I would add never let the technical aspects stop you from having fun and enjoy just splashing the water and color about and seeing what surprises and happy accidents can happen.
I totally agree...dos and donts are okay and great..just like a training bike..once we start going then we make our own discoveries..
But as a beginner two years ago, coming from a totally digital background, I needed beginner videos to even know what I am getting into. Had zero idea about paper, brush, pigments etc which seem too obvious now..
Great video and just what I needed to hear today. I think the choice to go back and learn and relearn is a good one. So many things have changed and been invented to help us. I am so excited to have found this art work again. It gives me great pleasure to learn new, exciting things. It gives me something to look forward to and to challenge myself with. So much good content for us on UA-cam! Great job!
I would just add,,,use Good watercolor paper! Its all about the water on the Paper, and i wasted so much time with cheap paper,,,its just not the same as good cotton paper. Thanks Steve!
great video for even us old folks who've been painting on cave walls!
😂 You've got experience to draw on!
@@mindofwatercolor LOL.
So glad I came across your video today! I have been watching countless tutorials, but realize I just cannot start to paint a picture, without practicing the fundamental watercolour skills you describe.
Getting out my brushes,paper and 2 dishes of water and working on this tonight! I want to paint some Christmas cards as I never got any mailed out last year as I got covid. So I wanted to do something special this year. Thanks for your inspiration and great tips!👏🏻 Cheers 👩🏻🦰🇨🇦
Thank you for covering again for begginers. I was following you since two years, painting every day and yet find this video Oh So Refreshing. This reminds me how i have been doing so far and the journey certainly has been SO unpredictable and fulfilling
I have been painting with watercolor for two years. I thought this video was going to give me a new technique. What it did give me was, remember the basics and practice, practice practice until these basic skills become intuitive. What I call muscle memory. Like learning how to hit a baseball, a new dance step, play an instrument, or yes ride a bicycle. Remember the basics before taking brush to paper. Thanks Steve.
13:52 Thanks for this advice. That had never occurred to me, but then again, I am still a beginner (a perpetual beginner 😂, but I love it).
14:08 how i admire your comment on how you wanted to relook at your approach to watercolor even after so many years of going in directions that aimed at your sense of perfection.
That tells me how much you love the journey and not just how it finally turns out.
And i think the medium of watercolor at times teases us on to challenge ourselves in so many ways that at times feel infinite
Thank-you for the pep talk. I LOVE watercolor but get frustrated when the idea 💡 does not translate onto the paper.
Thank you for the advice. I have been struggling lately and now I am ready to take a step back to practice the basics of watercolor again. Great advice!
Thanks Steve I felt like a failure by not learning all these steps. You have made me realize that it is ok to start watercolor painting all over again... very good advice.
The one thing that I had to learn (and practice) is to be mindful of the leading edge when you’re doing a wash around some object or part of your painting. If you let that edge get too dry, you’re doomed.
Each of the things you mentioned about “water control” I have done as a beginner!
Then you have how much water put in the paint pans (put to much) then get actual paint to wet or go in to heavy w pigment.
Thank you & feel should be a master painter after only 2 years (unrealistic expectation) unless just born with drawing & painting skills.
Back to practice techniques!
At 74 yo I’m getting a really late start!! lol. Hopefully with your guidance I will succeed enough to enjoy it. Not trying to be a professional. 😊😊😊😊😊
You can do it.
I love the act of painting with watercolor more than finishing an image. It's soooo soothing.
Yes! In fact I weaned off BP meds totally after doing watercolor every single day. But key (for me) has been to enjoy the process and not stress myself on getting excellent results. But yes, because I paint every day, i see how I have improved on my own standards...
looking back? I cannot believe how long I painted watercolour - had the occasional happy accident that kept me motivated - but I simply did not know that WATER CONTROL was so *essential*. And I had no %$3@ idea that I did not know! I instead thought I was stupid / useless "what is wrong with me. You tube = SEEING someone dab their brush on a towel / paper CONTINUALLY ? WTF? why are they doing that. Your exercises are GOLD = subscribed. Much respect ❤
Thank you! Never too late to learn something new. I do all the time.
It took me over a year of not getting excess water (off brush by dabbing it on paper towel)!
Made my day when you said, Get that water off the brush if must squeeze it as many YT tutorials never showed them doing that part (off camera) so helped me & change paper type often) bet doesn’t help but onward!
Thank you for this. I have used watercolour for years and I’m still learning and making mistakes. I think it’s the most unpredictable medium. Control of water was the hardest for me.
I love the analogy of riding a bike. My mind can wrap around that "feel" -- and I have experienced it in the very smallest ways in my few months of learning watercolor. It's an encouraging concept!
Such a great video. Thank you for making it. I wish I'd found something like it when I was just starting out. There are so many "beginner" tutorials out there that never even mention water control. I feel like I spent my first year of painting wondering whey I always ended up with giant puddles on my page. 😅
Five years of studying painting and only three profs ever mentioned/demonstrated techniques to me (one of which was Jacob Lawrence). I guess they all thought we came to university with our brains already full with technique knowledge. So, sir, thank you for your informative, carefully thought out videos of instruction.
Steve, you’ve hit the nail on the head! I took up Watercolour again about 7 years ago and have learned from your countless videos and many other artists what I didn’t really know before. It IS, as you said all about water control. I’m sure this will help many beginners and remind others of why you named this channel The mind of watercolour. Water has a mind of its own. Thank you Steve.
Thank you so much. I'm a beginner, and this is exactly what I needed to learn.
Me too 😂
Muito obrigada!🌷🇧🇷
After using so much watercolour paints i found that each brand and each pigment worked differently. I like to spend time with the paint to understand them
This should help a LOT of people! I find myself wanting to shout out to so many utubers in their watercolour videos "DRAIN YOUR BRUSH!!" Water control and a feeling for brush loading just seems to bypass so many... yet there is no progress that way- just wasting time. So yeah: this is a fantastic video- let's hope folk take heed!
So glad to see you again. I remember now, focus, start at the beginning with water and practice. Yes, play. Thank you. BLESS 🙏🏼
Thank you for this, Steve! Great advice and always good to hear more than once. One more thing that beginners could benefit from knowing related to water control is that not all papers handle water the same. So my advice would be to get a decent paper that you can afford and work with that until you are comfortable before venturing out to try a bunch of other papers. Save yourself a little frustration!
Love this video. I have painted with watercolor for quite some years, by myself in my studio. Basically self taught. I like your suggestion to go back to square one. That is what I am doing and really enjoying it.
Water control is definitely a fundamental skill and I agree Steve, probably the most basic when it comes to starting the journey. I sometimes see very accomplished watercolorists just soaking the paper for wet on wet and I am amazed at how they manage to control that insanity. Great tips Steve. Good to see your face my friend. Let's do a collab video soon.
Yeah, it takes lots of practice. Even after all these years, I'm still learning! A collab sounds good! Thanks for chiming in Marty.
This video Steve, absolutely, MUST go viral! I’ve learned these techniques over time, organically. But man, I wish I’d seen this when I first started. You’re an amazing teacher and artist. God bless you!
Thanks! Glad it was helpful.
@@mindofwatercolor 🥰
Thanks also for the Bible verses. They are reminders also!!
Steve you are so right! I have been painting watercolor for maybe seven years now and it only recently dawned on me that most of my problems stem from my using too much water! And I see this all the time with other watercolor artists. They keep adding more and more water until their paper is saturated and it is a mess! Learning the basic skills you just went over …. Has helped me become a much better watercolor artist! Thank you for reminding me to practice them until they become second nature. You are such s good teacher. Love all your videos! God Bless!
100% all of this. I figured this out after watching a lot of your videos (and others). I also learned with trial and error that some papers are more forgiving than others. But you have to learn how water (and pigment in the water) moves and dries on the paper you’re using, otherwise you’re never going to be happy. Doing value swatches is so terribly tedious but you have to do it if you want control of the medium.
Thank you! I have been trying for months haha... and failing for months. But I keep at it and keep failing. I just love it.
Thanks for Yr great advice. I'll go and pracrise this advice. Stay tuned. 😂
I learned watercolor from you, so its always come easily. Thank you. Thank you for being the shelter during my storm of life. I was in a horrible place. Finding your channel was like finding a shelter filled with the world of watercolor. I knew art was something God sent me to cope when I saw the Bible verses at thr end of your videos. Serendipitous.
I have had an answer from God here. For 2 years I felt like I had maybe turned coloring and painting into idols I spent all my time watching videos. So I didnt colour or paint lest I sin. I prayed on my heart for the Holy Spirit to answer whether this was true or a lie. I have been disabled 20 years and lay in my recliner all day and just got my electric wheelchair. I remember seeing a scripture here too. Im going throigh a time of crisis and thank God for using your comment to answer a prayer Ive waited for years to hear a reply for from God. God bless you.
@mariatriesart8389 God bless you too! I just saw your comment. I wish it hadn't taken so long for me to respond. From 2019 to 2023, I spent 3 to 6 months in the hospital per year & the rest of the time in bed. My family was called in to 'say goodbye' to me at least 3 times during this time period. I'd always take my art supplies to the hospital & they'd sit in my bag until I was strong enough to create. When I could pick up a pencil & paint, I knew I was closer to going home. This year, I've only spent about 1½ month in the hospital in total. I still spent most of my time in bed watching videos & and painting, so I have a glimpse of understanding what you're enduring. I'm determined to use art to share my testimony & glorify God. My skills aren't where I want them, but I was a total beginner in 2019. It's hard to give myself grace for not progressing in art. So, reading your comment, put things into perspective for me. I'm thankful that God is indeed using me despite my artistic inadequacy. It's all I pray for. So you're an answer to my prayers as well. I'd like to see your art. My name is the same on Instagram.
The number of techniques is never ending. Pigment control is similar to tuning an instrument or engine. Looking for that sweet spot. When you find it now, you're running.
I did all right in my watercolor classes, but without the discipline of the classroom I became too intimidated to try. This sounds like a great idea. Thanks.
Thank you so much for this video. I've been painting in watercolor for about two years and I'm just now finding my ability to use skills without too much thought. You've given me a good reminder to keep coming back to the basics!
Thanks Steve. This helps me explain to my new students who have never painted in watercolor. Sometimes they look at me like a deer caught in the headlights! All seniors too.
As a tutor this is exactly what I’ve been trying to get across. This is the only tutorial that beginners should need and should be compulsory at all watercolour classes! Absolutely great good no nonsense tutorial well done and thanks for posting.
The size and kind of brush makes so much difference in control and a nice mixing dish. Those things we treat ourselves with.
Oh my goodness this video is absolutely incredible. Learned so much from this video. The correct things to practice on to become better at using watercolor paints. Watercolor brings me so much joy, but couldn’t figure out some of the things I needed to change in order to grow. Thank you so much. You have a new subscriber. Extremely excited to learn more from you.
Steve thank you so much for this. I've been painting for five years, and I needed to know more about this topic. You are a great teacher and artist for all of us.
This is very helpful advice. 😮 Thank you 😊
I’m 71 years young and new to watercolour… I so much love your approach! Thank you so much for your help!
I had a try at watercolour and drawing about 40 years ago and gave up. Now, at almost 73, a spark of interest while playing with my grandchildren got me started again and a new world opened up. Gorgeous colours, fascinating brush strokes, a new way of seeing. Thanks for putting into words what I am struggling with.
❤Excellent! Thank you! I’ve taken a sabbatical from WC. 🌀 not exactly a planned one. 🌀 here in the upstate of SC. Now I feel like I have plan, step by step as you presented. Blessings! ✝️
Ooo! We did that at our fifth grade!! - when just started our schooling for a couple of weeks we did it in many variations and any "smudge" means to start the exercise over again - our instructional books always started with that!😊😊
Wonderful points Steve. As a 40+ year watercolor painter, I especially love your point about GOING BACK and practicing water control skills. Great advice!
Thanks Dale. Glad to hear it's helpful even to seasoned artists!
BINGO! You are soooooooooo right! “Getting it” with water control has been a very frustrating trial and error experience for me. Thank you soooooooo much for this tutorial!!! I have and do follow several artists, none of which have explained this skill in this way!!
Excellent learning exercises
Omg i needed this so bad….. really excellent. Ive recently lost my skill & needed to hear this. I was coming off of two art shows doing lotsa acrylics so i needed to hear these concepts again. Made a huge difference when i sat down to paint today after watching this video. Thank you thank you thank u. Please play this again. Very vrry helpful.
Very good advice, even for those who've been in love with watercolor painting for some time. You once suggested using images from coloring books for flat wash practice and I found that very helpful. And every time I paint trees, I your voice in my head reminds me about the importance of edges! Your videos are priceless. Thank you!
Splendid ! Of all the videos I have washed over the years, delivvered by you, maestro, or oothers I have never felt that there were any distance between you , the teacher and little me , an old man at the sea , in the other end ! I took it all in , and I understood every word and even the meaning of them as well. And I felt that you were sitting here , tight in front of me, in my little studio. Instead of speaking from a screen in front of me. For all you said, did you say to me in person ! All hit me, an old atist from my childhood , a very long time back, that for fiften years back and so, cuted out, mey drawings, my pastels, my oil and acrylic , my charcoal , youn name it, to consentrate om the watercolor and its kindom only. Nevertheless , Maestro, here you are telling me who wrong I have been in my delivery of pigments and water to the paper all the time! And still I feel happy. Just happy. In an age of more than 80 years I can start all over to do it in "your way" . Never too late ! Thank you so much.
"It's like pushing a wet noodle across a table." I felt that.
I am lucky I stumbled on to your videos very early in my w/c journey. And I think the 2nd video I watched was water control it was so valuable and I filled a practice book full of your exercises. When I want to play with colour but don't want to do a picture I will make a patchwork page of the different techniques. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
You're a VERY good teacher. I ran a ceramics school for a long time and you have a teaching gift.
Hi Steve, this is the first time I've come across your video. Thank you so much for this. You now have a new subscriber. From all the watercolour videos I've seen on learning how to use watercolour, this is the first video that's completely different and actually teaches you about watercolour and the techniques required. You're a blessing to so many.
Yay! So happy you did this video! I tried to look through your videos to find one. Thanks!!
This is just what I needed. I can’t do what I want because I lack there skills.
Steve besides the information I just wanted to say, you’ve found a great camera/lighting combination. Your skin color and the room look very natural.
Fantastic video. Required watching for anyone who wants to paint! ❤
Thanks Steve. As a reborn beginner, I am really learning this time around. Although not exactly following this prescribed method and steps, all I am doing right now is learning water control with measured color work. Just practicing techniques to understand them and understand the Mind of Watercolor so to say……. Pray the cleanup is going well and some semblance of normal, however small, is returning.
These are helpful reminders… Two things that bear mentioning that also affect water control our type of paper and a mixing pallet. Student grade papers can really acquire puddles very easily. And a nice clean mixing pallet leaves you a place to kind of squeeze out your brush, without having to constantly waste the water and pigment on a paper towel. But mostly the paper situation, really drastically affects water control. But I guess that just takes getting used to your supplies and all of what you talked about still applies. Thanks, Steve!
Always excellent teaching methods Steve! It is true, we always relearn those skills especially if working with more than one media or having many long term illnesses I find that doing a more elaborate thumbnail or 2 helps me to remind myself especially when my memory fails me. No different than playing music for years but when asked to replay a song done hundreds of times sometimes it is helpful to pickup the sheet music and reorient myself. Btw the phrase of the mentality or mind of water control is now coined in Spanish from you to me to others. We all can share what we learn and certainly painting, whether a hobby or working those commissions needs that solid foundation that you described - working and asking for help or pointers and certainly your courses would be wonderful for anyone. Great reminders from the minders. ❤
Focus, focus, focus! Values and water ratios, hmmm….i think they are first cousins! My area where I need practice and focus!
AAAAGGGGGHHH. You used the "P" word! You are so right. Nothing helps understanding or opens doors to pathways toward improvement like practice.
As a former martial arts teacher (just shy of 50 years with that as part of my life) I used to see two major paths people took in practice: active and passive. From my experience, active practice is where the mind is engaged and focused. Behavioral rhythms develop. Active practice allows concurrent self-critiquing of technique and adjustment during the practice. This is where doors open to improvement possibilities. In short, active practice is where learning occurs. Breakthroughs happen. Small victories occur. Passive practice, on the other hand, is a dead end. The mind is not engaged and it's just a repetitive behavior with no self-assessment or even awareness. Improvement does not happen. Often the only door that opens is the one to frustration. And that's not fun and learning is supposed to be fun, no matter what the subject. My second career was in teaching, and I've seen this from university to community college to high school level in multiple subjects. Learning cannot be fun if it is not rewarding and does not generate a sense of achievement.
I came to watercolor from Chinese Brush Painting, Xie Yi style ("idea writing"). It's the more spontaneous style of CBP and techniques adapt pretty well to watercolor. Painting with soot ink is actually watercolor painting and one controls the lightness/darkness of what is delivered to the paper through the dilution of the ink. Not much wet into wet with CBP, though.
Thanks for going back to basics, Steve. I know it was beneficial to me.
Coisa estranha... Esse comentário aparece como publicado há 21h , sendo que o vídeo tem 40 min apenas da publicação. 🤔
Hi after watching this it’s been enlightening to reflect on my skills thanks
absolutely spot on! there's a lot that can go wrong when it comes to watercolour and that knowledge and skills is needed, to be able to manage it 🥰
Thank you. Nice overview for how to learn wayer control.
Thank you Steve I’m new at watercolor and your channel, I’ll try this❤️👍
Glad to have you aboard!
Love this lesson - been doing watercolor for 3 plus years now - getting better most of the time BUT find I MUST push water around every day to feel good about my end result! Love pushing water around - amazing - magic medium! This was excellent!,, 🙏
❤ wow! Such a great video! Absolutely perfect! Thank you so much! I hope all has been well with you! ❤
This is what I need to hear. Things like this!!! I hope to learn lots more from your videos!!
Great video Steve. I started watercolor a year ago and this is very helpful. Really described basics well. Thanks again.
I'm glad you found it helpful!
Water coloring is painting with… colored water. 🤯
Seriously. As someone who has always managed better with acrylic paints and is trying to learn watercolor, this concept is like a revelation.
What a good reminder! Thank you for this wonderful video. 🥰
Just what I needed to hear. Thanks!
I have been learning watercolor for awhile now and draw at the same time. I practice something every day even if it is just drawing shapes. Also videos but videos teach that persons style more than basics. For me I have limited videos to the style that is attracting me at the moment. I found in doing this I have learned the basics and every so often a grand ahhh ahhhhh that makes something stick with me 😊 thank you❤
I've only messed around with watercolor but after this I can see where MINDFUL play will take me farther. Thank you so much.
Thank You so much. I am getting back to watercolor & have been feeling frustrated. Now I know what to focus on. Also fitting in daily practice.
What was funny one time I wanted blooms and couldn't do it right. Water control is my problem, thank you Steve!
This has to be my favorite video of yours to date, Steve! I shared it with my Facebook group. They are mostly acrylic painters and many want to cross over to watercolor, but are very intimidated with it. They try to use watercolor paint the same way they used acrylics, and many fail and give up. I try to teach my followers that each medium is like a language - they may appear to be similar in ways, but you have to explore the charactreristics and attributes to each of them and apply them in the unique way they require. Your video here points out may of the reasons why this is true. It is a great overview of the watercolor medium and explains things simply in a way that is very understandable to even those who are very new to the mediu. Anyway - thanks so much! You are always appreciated! :)
Good summary and reminders
Steve, I decided to come back to your videos when I saw this posted! I’ve watched so many of your creative videos, but when I would go to do them, I would become lost. Like so many skills of life going back to fundamentals is always eye-opening this rekindles my interestin my first love, which is watercolor paintings. I can see immediately that I had not hold those skills! I’m truly looking forward to taking these tasks in the order you recommend. It is so valuable to learn from a professional like yourself thank you so much.
I need to do this. I started out with gouache not watercolor. Now I’m going back & forth between the two, using the two together most times. I feel like I’m holding myself back on learning watercolor because I keep reaching for the gouache to fix my mistakes. I think taking it back to just focusing on watercolor & learning it better would help me move forward. Thanks for video.
Great video Steve!!! Thank you!!!!
I’ve watched a lot of videos but non have talked about these basic skills. Thank you for sharing and I hope with lots of practice I will be successful.
I so appreciate your information for beginners, like me!
WOW! You are so right. I have been watching videos and even beginner watercolor tutorials, holy moly have I been having trouble! I am going to watch this video again tomorrow and practice along with it. I have been trying to jump into the beginner videos and paint like they do (because it is a beginner tutorial). I think you have hit the nail on the head, and I will be practicing along with this video tomorrow! Thank you so much!
Thank you for this video. I really had hit a bump in the road. I've only been painting with watercolour for about 4 years. Before that I drew portraits in pencil and wished that one day I could dare to pick up watercolours because someone once told me that it was far too complex for me. I'm glad I reached a point where I no longer cared if it was complex because it is one of the most exciting mediums to use. The fact that it does have a mind of its own is part of that. I got stuck because I wasn't practicing and this will make me go back and reassess everything I thought I knew.
I learned watercolor from you, so its always come easily. Thank you. Thank you for being the shelter during my storm of life. I was in a horrible place. Finding your channel was like finding a shelter filled with the world of watercolor. I knew art was something God sent me to cope when I saw the Bible verses at thr end of your videos. Serendipitous.
Practice 😳😵💫🤣❤️ I need so much practice I’m new here in this world, of watercolors.
That's the spirit! Every drop of water is practice!
Good tips for practice time. Thanks Steve. Hope all is well.
Hullo Steve, mindful practice is such a great term as well as the perfect approach! I have found that many watercolorists don’t even bother to warm up! I believe that every time we pick up a brush or pencil or whatever we use a warm up time is crucial for any type of success! I have adopted the create tones practice before starting my work. Going from weak tea or tinted water to heavy cream and as many tonal shifts as I can create help me “get ready” to paint! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and ideas with us. Please take care, be safe and have yourself a lovely day!