So, painting watercolor it's an strategy game. A hunting for the right colors and shapes. I'm guilty for wanting to see the final product too quickly. Thank you Matt, these are priceless tips!
Not really the "right colors and shapes". A watercolor painting can look good even with just a single color. It's all about the values. 80 percent of heavy lifting in paintings are done with values.
I have watched numerous tutorials of yours and you are the best teacher I have seen. You cover everything, explain options, and even show here how things can be achieved and do all of that with a calm voice. I am very grateful having come across your videos and can't thank you enough for sharing your knowledge. Sincerely, Fran
Two brushes! ready with different colours..and slow down!...and decide what is the essential essence of the scene. Thank you...needed these particular three today!
Point 2and 3 are me all over, especially including everything from the reference. Thanks Matthew. What I’d love to see is a photo reference of yours and how you decide what to include, leave out or modify. Perhaps you’ve already done a similar video. Another one with another photo would be so useful.
Such wonderful advice for the newbie in watercolor. One of the hardest struggles for me is to “let the fear go”, so that I can actually begin the painting. For the longest time I would watch UA-cam video, after video, and never pick up the brush. I am slowly learning to enjoy the process and not be so hung-up on the fear of not appreciating the final artwork. I am seeing little improvements with each attempt. 😁
It is SO true that it's hard to slow down, wanting the painting to look like something faster. But it definitely pays off pausing and allowing each step to happen naturally. All the difference in the world!
Great advice! I know I am guilty of thinking I have to go fast (I am 77 yo, and if I don't move fast, the paint and paper dry out). So I will follow your advice: plan, plan, pan, wet paper on both sides, have paint on palette, use two brushes (who knew?)
Great advice. I struggle to avoid copying reference photos, but now, thanks to you, I will focus on the essence, slow down and take a step back. The free video was spot on👍
I would wholly agree. The one class I took in person felt very rushed, often I was one of the last to finish each day. Others did two practice paintings in the time I had only done one half of one. But in the end, I came home and have finished them at my pace, to my liking.
As a public school science teacher I love the way you said "Wrong!" and "No!". I've been tortured with dozens of pedagogy seminars on how to correct the students in class without using such words.
Reference photos get WAY too much attention in the art world. I love photography. So much, that I went to a photography school. But I mainly use references for getting composition right, and for getting my tones right. It’s fun though, to take a really bad photo you’ve taken, and adding in light and shadows…and sometimes a bear! Lol! Your lessons are so great! I’m having to binge watch you again! - Messy Mendy 🖌🙏🏻👩🏻🎨
Started teaching myself how to WC paint, 4 years ago; mostly by watching tutorials such as this. I'm constantly learning new things and my paintings are improving. Thank you for this lesson, hope to see more of you!
Great tips. I always struggle with landscapes of mountains, the series of mountains from foreground to distant and all the tones and different greens! I would love a tutorial on that as it would be so useful for many paintings. Great video! I must stop copying photos so literally! Thanks 🙏
Wow that third tip really clarifies things and helped boost my confidence. I have a tendency to think I need to be too literal, when really I don't. Heck yeah artistic license!
I found it very interesting how your video described much of my solitary learning in watercolor. It felt like you were talking about me. Thank you for the precious video that I am watching this morning in the middle of the Amazon rainforest…in Brazil. Thank you very much.🤙🏻😎🤙🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
I’m returning to my watercolor practice after a short break with determination to take off the training wheels. Relying on tutorials exclusively limits my creativity. It’s time to learn to paint from my own references or even my imagination. I have used all 3 suggestions and it’s been a game changer. Thank you so much.
I love the idea of 'interpreting' a scene. You have helped me see the value of taking the essence of what speaks to us from a scene , then presenting it in such a way that maximizes this expression to our audience . At first I found it quite shocking to see how 'enhanced' some artist's works are from the original scene, yet they produce a beautiful vision to bring joy. Joyce Hicks is a master at this. Thank you Mathew . I love your teaching style that really drives home how to approach art, not just watercolour
I love your explanation of watercolor as painting backwards- I never thought of it that way but it is! You start with your lightest values and layer darker values on top as opposed to other mediums like oil or acrylic where you do the opposite. This is going to change the game for me!
Omg - just watched this Matthew - I did exactly all these things this morning with a watercolour painting - had to bin it !!!! Thanks so much - your advice is so valuable and you have a nice calming voice and your paintings are beautiful. Ros - UK
Just want to say that I fully agree with these really spot on tips, and also really well explained. I love these videos, keep them coming! I have my first exhibition now in a couple of weeks, and I really have found your videos useful in this journey, many thanks.
I'm about to paint my ducks in a pond, using 4-5 reference photos. I have some close ups that capture the birds flapping wings, preening, or digging bugs from the water. Other refs have bigger scene context or show water better. I want to put all this activity in while not skewing my angle of vision or making goofs in the lighting. One photo captures golden light just before sunset. I want to be consistent. A tutorial on this would be wonderful. Meanwhile I plan to write myself notes on this, how to blend or maintain lighting, which ref photo will be my light direction and time of day. Love your suggestions of writing it down ahead of time.
Your tutorial videos are the BEST .I have learned so much as a new person to watercolor . Thank you. I am in need of more help in mixing colors and wondered if you could make a video on mixing colors.
Thank you for the advice. I am new to watercolour and enjoying it so much. With every one of your video's I learn something new every time. I am encouraged to grow as a creator. So thank you again ☺️
Very instructive as always and great advices to follow (or die trying! LOL!). I'm still struggling with the first wash... if I'm too slow, it dries out (even if I'm now watering my paper both sides instead of taping it). On the other side, if I'm doing it once still watery my buildings are fading into the sky or whatever and it looks poorly without definite edges. Seems so easy when I watch you. I guess practive makes perfect!
Great advice Matthew, I so need to practice more and slow down. I’m trying to find my own style and not be a copy cat, but to be freer. This is very helpful thank you 🦋🌺
Just pausing to say, this is the second vid of yours that Ive seen and Im so stoked! Great info! Also paused to say, the way you say "NO" then slightly smiled when talking about not trying to copy the reference photos about did me in. 😄 It was like a stern but loving "No" from a good friend or family member.
This has been one of the most constructive videos about watercolor painting I’ve encountered. I’m a new subscriber, and I look forward to catching your other content. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us!
Hello there from South Africa Just discovered Your site on IG Thanks a zillion for Showing and Sharing these very important, useful Tips. They are worth their weight in Gold !!! "Tis much appreciated - immensely. Will check out each of Your other Pearls soonest Keep up the good work ATB TC aRM
I'm just starting watercolor and I can see the hard-won wisdom of your advise and how powerful it can be. I will try to avoid these pitfalls from the beginning. Maybe I'll be more encouraged by the results and keep going. Thank you.
شكراً كثيراً لك….انت ملهم بحق…اود سؤالك اذا كان هناك عائد مادي من الرسم بالالوان المائيه….أعني هل يمكن بيعها مثل لوحات الاكريلك والزيت ام هي فقط للمتعه؟
I am just starting out with water colour. I’ve always used acrylic before. I’ve subscribed because your voice is calming and your advice makes sense. You may now hear from me about any progress but I’ve bought most of my supplies and will forge ahead with small painting first and go from there. I’d like to leave something behind of me for my children, grand children and my three great grandchildren. My ggrandsons are 15 and 13 and my ggrand daughter is 19 days old. I usually paint my wood working like miniature rocking horses and Christmas ornaments that I draw and cut out and paint in acrylic with lots of blending and miniature decorations on them. The kind that require only a few hairs on the brush but my eye sight isn’t the greatest any more so I’m trying the watercolour on WC paper. God bless, here goes nothing! 🇨🇦🙏🏼😜👍🏻
Some great advice, as always 👍 I particularly agree with interpreting a scene. Indeed, I always try to tell a story in some fashion, to lift an artwork from being merely a representational image.
Can these tips be applied to tighter paintings? I do let paints mix on the paper, but only when I'm doing a wash, and for distant objects. I like painting in a more detailed way than most watercolorists I've known.
Thank you; such good advice. I'll try to do my best to follow it. I live in Australia & would like to know how to paint clumps of grasses that you get on the plains.
I would love to see some examples painted in real time. All the arts folks do speeded up time lapses, which are necessary and useful, but I'd also like some 'real time' examples.
How about a short video on beginners and what brushes to have….the numbers on the brushes and quality. Then discuss the lay down and how often you stop and let the beginnings dry. And continue with drying segments. How much penciling of the scene! Maybe do a segmented painting…..during a several days.
As a whole I think painting is a game of strategies playing together and being chosen or ruled out. Even in oils, where you can make a jolly mud out of painting. I think drawing is a basic tool that really helps you out of a mess.
As a complete beginner to watercolors (just did my first painting attempt yesterday), do you have some hints or guide on how to simplify things? This is the one aspect that I seem to be really struggling with: how can I reduce detail? It feels to me that if I skip some element, it will be cheating and not the real painting of what I tried to paint - but even if I get myself to do the decision, I'm then left confused what to fill the space with where the thing was... sometimes it can be just the sky, but not always - if it is a bunch of trees or buildings, they can have quite complex features/lines... and again, e.g. for buildings I'm frustrated with how to reduce their complexity while keeping their character, or how to call it... for sky/trees, it seems to be simpler with watercolor, as the paint naturally forms "organic" patterns of texture, but buildings tend to have lots of sharp features - how to simplify them?...
Another outstanding video that highlights critical but often overlooked steps in watercolor. Thank you for sharing. Sadly, I have tried your link a few times but I never receive the email access to your video lesson. I will keep trying.
Julio, I’m sorry you didn’t receive the link! Did you look in your junk folder? If it’s not there please email me at mattwhiteis@gmail.com and I’ll make sure you get it.
Thank you for you great tips. I am struggling with painting the Sonoran desert, the cacti, the mountains etc. If you could do a demonstration of that it would be great. Thank you again.
Matthew. Finding time with enough day light is difficult for me, at least for the time being. What would you recommend if I want to paint using artificial light? Thank you.
Your videos are so great. Love that painting with the people in it. I am constantly chasing my tail either going too fast or the opposite! Thanks for the excellent advice.
▶︎Free Video Lesson: 7 Secrets of Fresh, Powerful Painting www.learntopaintwatercolor.com/7secrets
So, painting watercolor it's an strategy game. A hunting for the right colors and shapes. I'm guilty for wanting to see the final product too quickly. Thank you Matt, these are priceless tips!
Not really the "right colors and shapes". A watercolor painting can look good even with just a single color. It's all about the values. 80 percent of heavy lifting in paintings are done with values.
Watercolor can b what ever u find exploring the medium.
I have watched numerous tutorials of yours and you are the best teacher I have seen. You cover everything, explain options, and even show here how things can be achieved and do all of that with a calm voice. I am very grateful having come across your videos and can't thank you enough for sharing your knowledge. Sincerely, Fran
Two brushes! ready with different colours..and slow down!...and decide what is the essential essence of the scene. Thank you...needed these particular three today!
You are so welcome!
Point 2and 3 are me all over, especially including everything from the reference. Thanks Matthew. What I’d love to see is a photo reference of yours and how you decide what to include, leave out or modify. Perhaps you’ve already done a similar video. Another one with another photo would be so useful.
Lol “Buy two of them”. Spot on. Thank you.
Your best paintings are ahead of you. I’m making a sign with this quote to put above my art table. Thank you!
Such wonderful advice for the newbie in watercolor. One of the hardest struggles for me is to “let the fear go”, so that I can actually begin the painting. For the longest time I would watch UA-cam video, after video, and never pick up the brush. I am slowly learning to enjoy the process and not be so hung-up on the fear of not appreciating the final artwork. I am seeing little improvements with each attempt. 😁
It is SO true that it's hard to slow down, wanting the painting to look like something faster. But it definitely pays off pausing and allowing each step to happen naturally. All the difference in the world!
Great advice! I know I am guilty of thinking I have to go fast (I am 77 yo, and if I don't move fast, the paint and paper dry out). So I will follow your advice: plan, plan, pan, wet paper on both sides, have paint on palette, use two brushes (who knew?)
Great advice. I struggle to avoid copying reference photos, but now, thanks to you, I will focus on the essence, slow down and take a step back. The free video was spot on👍
Matt, your tips are priceless. You are bringing up things many videos, books, and instructors ignore. Thank you!
I would wholly agree. The one class I took in person felt very rushed, often I was one of the last to finish each day. Others did two practice paintings in the time I had only done one half of one. But in the end, I came home and have finished them at my pace, to my liking.
As a public school science teacher I love the way you said "Wrong!" and "No!". I've been tortured with dozens of pedagogy seminars on how to correct the students in class without using such words.
Reference photos get WAY too much attention in the art world. I love photography. So much, that I went to a photography school. But I mainly use references for getting composition right, and for getting my tones right. It’s fun though, to take a really bad photo you’ve taken, and adding in light and shadows…and sometimes a bear! Lol! Your lessons are so great! I’m having to binge watch you again! - Messy Mendy 🖌🙏🏻👩🏻🎨
Started teaching myself how to WC paint, 4 years ago; mostly by watching tutorials such as this. I'm constantly learning new things and my paintings are improving. Thank you for this lesson, hope to see more of you!
i just love your street scenes- so ordinary yet so extraordinary!
Great tips. I always struggle with landscapes of mountains, the series of mountains from foreground to distant and all the tones and different greens! I would love a tutorial on that as it would be so useful for many paintings. Great video! I must stop copying photos so literally! Thanks 🙏
Wow that third tip really clarifies things and helped boost my confidence. I have a tendency to think I need to be too literal, when really I don't. Heck yeah artistic license!
Your teaching style is as warm and generous as it is game-changing. Once again, thank you so much for teaching.
I found it very interesting how your video described much of my solitary learning in watercolor. It felt like you were talking about me. Thank you for the precious video that I am watching this morning in the middle of the Amazon rainforest…in Brazil. Thank you very much.🤙🏻😎🤙🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Guilty of number 2…..I always want the finished piece, slow down thank you so much🥰
I’m returning to my watercolor practice after a short break with determination to take off the training wheels. Relying on tutorials exclusively limits my creativity. It’s time to learn to paint from my own references or even my imagination. I have used all 3 suggestions and it’s been a game changer. Thank you so much.
I love the idea of 'interpreting' a scene. You have helped me see the value of taking the essence of what speaks to us from a scene , then presenting it in such a way that maximizes this expression to our audience . At first I found it quite shocking to see how 'enhanced' some artist's works are from the original scene, yet they produce a beautiful vision to bring joy. Joyce Hicks is a master at this. Thank you Mathew . I love your teaching style that really drives home how to approach art, not just watercolour
I love your explanation of watercolor as painting backwards- I never thought of it that way but it is! You start with your lightest values and layer darker values on top as opposed to other mediums like oil or acrylic where you do the opposite. This is going to change the game for me!
This is super helpful. And somehow listening to you calms my nerves and quiet my anxieties and leads me to think strategically. Thank you.
So glad to hear that!
großartig Matthew. Vielen herzlichen Dank für das tolle Video. Grüße aus München/Germany. Giselle ❤
Please do a video on painting skies
That was great! I do all of those things!
Omg - just watched this Matthew - I did exactly all these things this morning with a watercolour painting - had to bin it !!!! Thanks so much - your advice is so valuable and you have a nice calming voice and your paintings are beautiful. Ros - UK
Just want to say that I fully agree with these really spot on tips, and also really well explained. I love these videos, keep them coming! I have my first exhibition now in a couple of weeks, and I really have found your videos useful in this journey, many thanks.
I'm about to paint my ducks in a pond, using 4-5 reference photos. I have some close ups that capture the birds flapping wings, preening, or digging bugs from the water. Other refs have bigger scene context or show water better. I want to put all this activity in while not skewing my angle of vision or making goofs in the lighting. One photo captures golden light just before sunset. I want to be consistent. A tutorial on this would be wonderful. Meanwhile I plan to write myself notes on this, how to blend or maintain lighting, which ref photo will be my light direction and time of day. Love your suggestions of writing it down ahead of time.
Wow, I am guilty of these aspects mentioned and pointed out by you ... 🤔 Thank you so much! Many greetings from Berlin Germany 👍🤗🇩🇪
Your tutorial videos are the BEST .I have learned so much as a new person to watercolor . Thank you.
I am in need of more help in mixing colors and wondered if you could make a video on mixing colors.
Another great video! Looking forward to practice them
Thank you for the advice. I am new to watercolour and enjoying it so much. With every one of your video's I learn something new every time. I am encouraged to grow as a creator. So thank you again ☺️
How blessing to encounter with your videos! Thank you 🙏
Glad you like them!
Thanks very much Matthew for another great and inspiring video. Take care. David.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Your so helpful and so additive to watch and so relaxing , you make me want to paint more 😃 thank you ❤️
Thank you! So glad to hear that. Happy painting!
Very instructive as always and great advices to follow (or die trying! LOL!). I'm still struggling with the first wash... if I'm too slow, it dries out (even if I'm now watering my paper both sides instead of taping it). On the other side, if I'm doing it once still watery my buildings are fading into the sky or whatever and it looks poorly without definite edges. Seems so easy when I watch you. I guess practive makes perfect!
Great advice Matthew, I so need to practice more and slow down. I’m trying to find my own style and not be a copy cat, but to be freer. This is very helpful thank you 🦋🌺
Just pausing to say, this is the second vid of yours that Ive seen and Im so stoked! Great info! Also paused to say, the way you say "NO" then slightly smiled when talking about not trying to copy the reference photos about did me in. 😄 It was like a stern but loving "No" from a good friend or family member.
Matthew - great video - I am especially guilty of number 2 LOL
Excellent reminders! Thanks so much, Matthew.
Thank you for the encouragement. Helps a lot
You are so welcome!
That makes so much sense! Thank you !
Thanks the beautiful presentation of such great fruitful painting tips. Greetings from Egypt
You are so welcome!
This has been one of the most constructive videos about watercolor painting I’ve encountered. I’m a new subscriber, and I look forward to catching your other content. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us!
Just signed up; I really appreciate the help and encouragement.
So glad to hear that!
Hello there from South Africa
Just discovered Your site on IG
Thanks a zillion for Showing and Sharing these very important, useful Tips. They are worth their weight in Gold !!!
"Tis much appreciated - immensely. Will check out each of Your other Pearls soonest
Keep up the good work
ATB
TC
aRM
Welcome! So glad you are enjoying the content!
Thank you so much. I just found your channel. Great advice about how to work through a painting.
Brilliant advice, great video. Thank you very much.
Thank you for your videos. You are of much help and how you teach can be understood and followed easily.
I'm just starting watercolor and I can see the hard-won wisdom of your advise and how powerful it can be. I will try to avoid these pitfalls from the beginning. Maybe I'll be more encouraged by the results and keep going. Thank you.
This is truly a great help!! Thank you, Matthew 💜
شكراً كثيراً لك….انت ملهم بحق…اود سؤالك اذا كان هناك عائد مادي من الرسم بالالوان المائيه….أعني هل يمكن بيعها مثل لوحات الاكريلك والزيت ام هي فقط للمتعه؟
I am just starting out with water colour. I’ve always used acrylic before. I’ve subscribed because your voice is calming and your advice makes sense. You may now hear from me about any progress but I’ve bought most of my supplies and will forge ahead with small painting first and go from there. I’d like to leave something behind of me for my children, grand children and my three great grandchildren. My ggrandsons are 15 and 13 and my ggrand daughter is 19 days old. I usually paint my wood working like miniature rocking horses and Christmas ornaments that I draw and cut out and paint in acrylic with lots of blending and miniature decorations on them. The kind that require only a few hairs on the brush but my eye sight isn’t the greatest any more so I’m trying the watercolour on WC paper. God bless, here goes nothing! 🇨🇦🙏🏼😜👍🏻
Thank you for this terrific advice. Of all the wc YTs I watch this one really helps so much!
Thank you so much for these tips! You were able to point out some of my biggest issues right now and I can’t wait to work on them.
Some great advice, as always 👍 I particularly agree with interpreting a scene. Indeed, I always try to tell a story in some fashion, to lift an artwork from being merely a representational image.
Just started watching. Looking forward to this video
Can these tips be applied to tighter paintings? I do let paints mix on the paper, but only when I'm doing a wash, and for distant objects. I like painting in a more detailed way than most watercolorists I've known.
Watching your video a 3rd time to "Ravele's Bolero", it works! I just discovered your video's, very structured, and helpful, thanks.
Great advise! Thank you, Matt!
Thank you; such good advice. I'll try to do my best to follow it. I live in Australia & would like to know how to paint clumps of grasses that you get on the plains.
I would love to see some examples painted in real time. All the arts folks do speeded up time lapses, which are necessary and useful, but I'd also like some 'real time' examples.
How about a short video on beginners and what brushes to have….the numbers on the brushes and quality. Then discuss the lay down and how often you stop and let the beginnings dry. And continue with drying segments. How much penciling of the scene! Maybe do a segmented painting…..during a several days.
I would like more on how to know when to have or have no hard edges. Thank you.
Excellent advice. Should watch again and again as constant reminder :-) Thanks!
Trovo questo suo video meraviglioso,onesto ed altruista o,istruttivo e dettato dal cuore.complimenti,grazie..
Grazie M. White!!! Sei davvero molto bravo nelle spiegazioni!!!!!
Needed to hear this, thanks! :)
Glad it was helpful!
Inspiring! Thank you!
Great tips, thank you 😊
😅great advice. First time I heard of you, but very informative. Thank you, gracias
Very interesting and useful. Thank you for your time. Regards from Buenos Aires.
Thank you! So glad to have found your channel!
Love your tips. Mine paintings were in need of some more sophistication.I will try it on. Thanks Mathew.
As always thank you for your helpful videos Matthew. Great and simple explanations.
As a whole I think painting is a game of strategies playing together and being chosen or ruled out. Even in oils, where you can make a jolly mud out of painting. I think drawing is a basic tool that really helps you out of a mess.
Thank you - so hard to be patient - need to watch this video every week 🙏
Thank you Matthew! So helpful this. And encouraging
You're an angel! Thank you for sharing 🙏🏻
As a complete beginner to watercolors (just did my first painting attempt yesterday), do you have some hints or guide on how to simplify things? This is the one aspect that I seem to be really struggling with: how can I reduce detail? It feels to me that if I skip some element, it will be cheating and not the real painting of what I tried to paint - but even if I get myself to do the decision, I'm then left confused what to fill the space with where the thing was... sometimes it can be just the sky, but not always - if it is a bunch of trees or buildings, they can have quite complex features/lines... and again, e.g. for buildings I'm frustrated with how to reduce their complexity while keeping their character, or how to call it... for sky/trees, it seems to be simpler with watercolor, as the paint naturally forms "organic" patterns of texture, but buildings tend to have lots of sharp features - how to simplify them?...
👍very good tips
Thanks a lot
Awesome lessons master. You are so good.
Another outstanding video that highlights critical but often overlooked steps in watercolor. Thank you for sharing. Sadly, I have tried your link a few times but I never receive the email access to your video lesson. I will keep trying.
Julio, I’m sorry you didn’t receive the link! Did you look in your junk folder? If it’s not there please email me at mattwhiteis@gmail.com and I’ll make sure you get it.
@@learntopaintwatercolor thank you.
Such great advice! Thank you!
your artwork is lovely 💓, thank you for sharing
Put me down for being guilty on #3! I’m going to really work on giving myself some slack and not getting so detailed.👍👍
You got this!
thank you! great advice! I am going to share it with my art students!
Thank you for you great tips. I am struggling with painting the Sonoran desert, the cacti, the mountains etc. If you could do a demonstration of that it would be great. Thank you again.
I am learning watercolor and I will make career as independent artist.
I would love to hear how you became artist And learn from your story
Only just found you Matthew in the last few months and so pleased I have. What’s neutral tint please?
Matthew. Finding time with enough day light is difficult for me, at least for the time being. What would you recommend if I want to paint using artificial light? Thank you.
Thank you. This is some of the best watercolor advice 👏
Very good tutorial! Thank you for these spot on advice!
Really enjoyed that! Thanks!
Curious…if I get the darkest dark in first wouldn’t that help judge values?
I think it’ll help me. Thanks
Your videos are so great. Love that painting with the people in it. I am constantly chasing my tail either going too fast or the opposite! Thanks for the excellent advice.