How to paint a sunset with watercolors

Sunsets are as pretty as a picture. So how do you make them pretty in your pictures?

Illustrations and photos via CakeSpy

Learning how to paint a sunset with watercolors is easy, fun and rewarding. You can create a dazzling, multi-hued watercolor wash that mimics the vibrant colors of a sunset with minimal supplies.

This easy-to-follow tutorial will show you how to paint a watercolor sunset simply and efficiently. You’ll be painting beautiful sunsets in no time!

Once you’ve mastered this easy tutorial, you can tailor the process and colors to your liking to create truly spectacular skies in your artwork, whether you’re creating a collage or a watercolor painting of a landscape.

How to paint a watercolor sunset

Supplies:

• Watercolor paint in red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet (can be from a tube/cake or mixed by hand)
• Water
• Round paintbrush in a size manageable to you
• A second brush for cleaning up or brushing over areas with water (optional)
• Paper
• Paper towels for drying brushes
• Scrap paper for testing colors (optional)

Step 1:

Get your supplies in place. You’ll want to have everything on hand so that you can proceed without any pauses to grab supplies. Grab the painting on which you’ll be painting a sunset.

Step 2:

Decide where you want to start: violet or red.

Author’s note: I find that it’s easiest to work in color order, but it doesn’t matter which end of the spectrum you start on. For the purposes of this tutorial, I will guide using red as the starting color.

Step 3:

Start by painting a line of red. You can paint it horizontally, or align the painting vertically if you find it easier to “draw” up and down with the paintbrush. If you have not used masking fluid, give the areas that you don’t want to cover a fairly wide berth. If desired, you can “test” the consistency of your paint on a nearby scrap of paper.

Step 4:

Clean your brush to wash off the red, and dry it with a paper towel. Then, paint a line of orange directly adjacent to the red, very slightly touching it. The paint will begin to bleed; that is OK. If it bleeds too much, you can clean your brush (or use a second brush) to delicately graze over the area with water to smooth out the bleeding.

If you prefer the colors more separate, give each color a few moments to lightly dry before adding the next color. On the opposite note, if it doesn’t bleed enough, you can clean your brush, add some water, and gently “smudge” (technical term, there) the painting so that the colors combine to your liking.

Note: As you work, the “bleed” might look messy or blotchy between colors. This can actually work as an asset in the finished piece, adding an irregular and natural-looking feel to the sunset.

Step 5:

Continue with the remaining colors until you’ve added all of the colors of the rainbow. You can paint evenly sized lines of each color, or you can paint thicker lines of the more famous sunset colors: red, orange, yellow. Or you can give it a nighttime look by augmenting the violet portion.

Get creative!

Once you’ve mastered a simple sunset in watercolor wash, you can get creative with your colors. You can adjust the ratio of the colors you use, add a splash of red in the violet portion or paint clouds on top. Sunsets are like snowflakes: no two are alike!

Here is the entire process of painting a sunset, step-by-step in images:

More tips for painting watercolor sunsets

Want to paint a sunrise?

You’re already educated on it once you master this tutorial! It’s just a different ratio of the colors. Accent the colors at the horizon to a greater degree to create a sunrise, and make the darker colors higher up in the sky and put less emphasis on them.

Masking elements

Are you painting a sunset on a watercolor piece with other elements that you don’t want to accidentally paint over? You can apply masking fluid to the portions of the painting you don’t want your sunset colors to tint. Check out these tips on how to use masking fluid . Or, you can paint around such elements like in the tutorial.

Collaging

Sunsets can be painted on a piece of watercolor paper or bristol board and then can be used as the backdrop for a collage piece:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lucy Akins

Painting a watercolor sunset is an easy beginner’s exercise as it doesn’t contain too many drawn-in details. You can create a beautiful, multi-hued wash that mimics the vibrant colors of a sunset with minimal colors. It can also be adapted into a more advanced exercise by adding more detail to the foreground.

Things You’ll Need

Cold press watercolor paper

Sturdy cardboard or clipboard

1-inch flat brush

No. 8 round brush

The paint colors used in this project are: Cobalt Blue, French Ultramarine, Crimson Red, Burnt Sienna, Winsor Yellow and Lamp Black.

Step 1

Tape down the edges of the watercolor paper onto a sturdy cardboard, wooden board or clipboard.

Securing the paper onto a non-fixed surface, such as cardboard or a clip board, allows you to manipulate the movement of the paint if needed. It also keeps the paper from buckling.

Step 2

Lightly draw a horizontal line across your paper to mark the horizon. Drawing the horizon slightly above or below the center of the page adds interest to the composition.

Step 3

With your flat brush, brush the paper with clean water above the horizon line.

Step 4

While the paper is still wet, dip your flat brush in Cobalt Blue and paint the very top of the paper. Use loose strokes to create movement.

Step 5

While the paint is still wet, dip the flat brush in Crimson Red and paint loose strokes right under the Cobalt Blue. Don’t be afraid of the colors mixing. It’s the various irregular colors of sunsets that make this color wash interesting.

Step 6

While the paint is still wet, dip your brush in Winsor Yellow and fill in the rest of the paper to the horizon line, again with loose strokes.

Step 7

Repeat Step 3 and brush clean water onto the lower part of the horizon line using your flat brush. Now repeat Steps 4 through 6 but in reverse order. In other words, you will mirror the colors from the top of the page by painting yellow first, followed by red, and lastly blue.

Step 8

Allow the paint to dry for five to ten minutes. In order to determine whether the paper is dry, tilt it slightly and look for any signs of luster. No shine on the paper indicates the paint is dry.

Step 9

You will now use a method in watercolor painting called “‘lifting,” to draw in the sun.
Dip your clean No. 8 round brush in water and draw a circle where you would like the sun to be.

The term “lifting” means taking paint away or lifting it off the painted surface by either using a wet brush or other absorbent materials such as a paper towel, cotton or even salt.

Step 10

Use a paper towel to absorb both the paint and water inside the circle. You can see the paint has been removed, leaving a light circle to represent the sun. You might need to repeat painting the sun with more water and lifting more paint, if you would like a more pronounced sun.

You are a beginner in drawing and are in search of guidance on how to draw a sunset? You just landed on the perfect article! Drawing a sunset with watercolors is not a big deal even for the beginner as there is not much details needed. Even more, you can create your masterpiece with minimal colors. Draw your own sunset by following these steps below:

Materials:

• Watercolor paints (the painting example here used these colors: Lamp Black, Cobalt Blue, Winsor Yellow, French Ultramarine, Burnt Sienna, and Crimson Red)
• Cold press watercolor paper
• Brushes: 1-inch flat and No. 8 round
• Palette
• Clipboard or sturdy cardboard
• Water basin
• Masking tape
• Paper towel

How to Make it:

• Tape the edges of your watercolor paper down on the clipboard or wooden board. Doing this will help you control the movement of the paint and prevent the paper from buckling.

• Make the horizon on your paper by drawing a horizontal line lightly across the paper. Draw it slightly below or above the page’s center to increase the interest of your composition

• Brush the side of the paper above the horizon line with clean flat brush and clean water.

• Before the paper dries, paint the top side of the paper with Cobalt Blue and flat brush using loose strokes.

• While the paint’s still wet, paint Crimson Red loose strokes under the previous ones with your flat brush. Don’t worry to have the colors mixed. It will create sunsets with interesting and beautiful irregular colors instead.

• While the paint’s still wet, paint the rest of the paper to the horizon line with Winsor Yellow loose strokes.

• Repeat step 3 plus the side of the paper below the horizon line. Next, in reverse order, repeat step 4-6. In other words, you’re mirroring the colors.

• Wait for 5-10 minutes to let the paint dry. Tilt it slightly to check whether the paints are dry already.

• Using the “lifting method”, draw a circle of your sun using your clean No. 8 brush.

• Absorb the water and the paint inside the circle with paper towel, leaving the paper with a light circle as the sun.

• Draw land along the horizon with the Burnt Sienna and the No. 8 Round brush.

• Again, with the “lifting method”, No. 8 round brush, and water, make an irregular vertical line before the sun. Then, soak the paint and water with paper towel.

• Using Burnt Sienna and Cobalt Blue, make a mixture of 1:2 on the palette. Then, using the No. 8 brush, paint some horizontal lines on top of the blue to create more movement and dimension.

• Let the paint dry before taking out the paper from the board.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lucy Akins

Painting a watercolor sunset is an easy beginner’s exercise as it doesn’t contain too many drawn-in details. You can create a beautiful, multi-hued wash that mimics the vibrant colors of a sunset with minimal colors. It can also be adapted into a more advanced exercise by adding more detail to the foreground.

Things You’ll Need

Cold press watercolor paper

Sturdy cardboard or clipboard

1-inch flat brush

No. 8 round brush

The paint colors used in this project are: Cobalt Blue, French Ultramarine, Crimson Red, Burnt Sienna, Winsor Yellow and Lamp Black.

Step 1

Tape down the edges of the watercolor paper onto a sturdy cardboard, wooden board or clipboard.

Securing the paper onto a non-fixed surface, such as cardboard or a clip board, allows you to manipulate the movement of the paint if needed. It also keeps the paper from buckling.

Step 2

Lightly draw a horizontal line across your paper to mark the horizon. Drawing the horizon slightly above or below the center of the page adds interest to the composition.

Step 3

With your flat brush, brush the paper with clean water above the horizon line.

Step 4

While the paper is still wet, dip your flat brush in Cobalt Blue and paint the very top of the paper. Use loose strokes to create movement.

Step 5

While the paint is still wet, dip the flat brush in Crimson Red and paint loose strokes right under the Cobalt Blue. Don’t be afraid of the colors mixing. It’s the various irregular colors of sunsets that make this color wash interesting.

Step 6

While the paint is still wet, dip your brush in Winsor Yellow and fill in the rest of the paper to the horizon line, again with loose strokes.

Step 7

Repeat Step 3 and brush clean water onto the lower part of the horizon line using your flat brush. Now repeat Steps 4 through 6 but in reverse order. In other words, you will mirror the colors from the top of the page by painting yellow first, followed by red, and lastly blue.

Step 8

Allow the paint to dry for five to ten minutes. In order to determine whether the paper is dry, tilt it slightly and look for any signs of luster. No shine on the paper indicates the paint is dry.

Step 9

You will now use a method in watercolor painting called “‘lifting,” to draw in the sun.
Dip your clean No. 8 round brush in water and draw a circle where you would like the sun to be.

The term “lifting” means taking paint away or lifting it off the painted surface by either using a wet brush or other absorbent materials such as a paper towel, cotton or even salt.

Step 10

Use a paper towel to absorb both the paint and water inside the circle. You can see the paint has been removed, leaving a light circle to represent the sun. You might need to repeat painting the sun with more water and lifting more paint, if you would like a more pronounced sun.

Learn how to Paint Sunsets

One of the first rules my photography 101 instructor taught was that it’s very difficult to take a bad photograph at sunset. He was right, and for good reason: with warm natural light, great depth to your shadows, and beautiful colors, the effect is generally breathtaking, especially when the sky has enough clouds to add depth.

The same principle applies to painting sunsets, and for the same reasons. Clouds capture the light and shadows, and certainly aren’t white. The sun reflects in water, from the ocean to the smallest puddle, and the warmth of the light leaves everything and everyone in warm, pleasant color.

The best thing is that, for as easy as it is to take a good photograph of a sunset, it’s just as easy to learn how to paint sunsets, adding your own artistic flair to the mix. With the watercolor painting techniques in Patrick Howe’s Improve Your Sunsets in Watercolor, you’ll get three art lessons in one, covering a range of colors and landscape scenes. You’ll learn painting tips on reflecting the sun in water, creating cloud formations, developing atmosphere, working wet-into-wet, using a Chinese brush, and more.

At the end of this video, you will have the skills and confidence to create your own light-filled skies and landscape paintings.

Features:

• Three watercolor art lessons that demonstrate how to paint sunsets
• Painting techniques such as lifting, working wet-into-wet, using a Chinese brush, and more
• Great painting tips for clouds, silhouetted landscapes, the sun in water, and other types of sunset landscape art

Last Updated: August 8, 2019 References

This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow’s Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards.

There are 23 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.

This article has been viewed 1,613 times.

Watercolor is an excellent medium for painting a vibrant sky. The texture of watercolor paint is soft and blends easily, which makes it perfect for landscapes, clouds, and skies. To paint clouds, you’ll need round brushes and a good set of watercolor paints. You can use dry or wet techniques to create your clouds depending on whether you want to paint your sky first or last. There are also several nontraditional methods, such as using a spray bottle or set of paper towels. However you choose to make your clouds, have fun as you bleed your paints together on the page!

u00a9 2020 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is not licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.
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Tip: The masking tape will leave an empty border around your painting. This can create an elegant look for your edges, or you choose to cut them off later if you prefer.

Available on Amazon

Painting the blue sunset sky

Firstly I must say that whether or not this is a blue sunset sky or a sunrise one all the same points would apply.

Before I touch my paper with watercolor I first decide on the colors I am going to start with including their tones and how much of each color I will need.

I then mix these colors in my palette making sure I have enough mixed, it is much better to mix more than you need than not quite enough. I check these paints for color and tonal strength on a spare sheet of the same type of watercolor paper as I am using for my painting.

The colors I mixed are Cobalt Blue on its own, then some Cobalt Blue with a little bit of Permanent Alizarin Crimson and less water, and the third mix is French Ultramarine with some Permanent Alizarin Crimson and even less water. This will give you three different water color mixes and each one will be progressively stronger in tone and warmer in color. See figure 4.

Once I have all the colors and qualities right I can start painting.

The first painting step is to lay down some clean water over the lightest area of the blue sunset sky; this is where the setting sun is. See figure 5.

Next step is to pick up some of the Cobalt Blue mix and paint a wet on wet section to either side of the sun area. I want all this to be soft edges which I why I wet my sun area first. Make sure to leave lots of the sun area untouched. See figure 6.

I now pick up my second color mix of Cobalt Blue and Permanent Alizarin Crimson and paint this to either side of the section I have already painted. See figure 7.

Finish the sky with the French Ultramarine and Alizarin mix to the left and right. While the sky still has a shine on it drop in some cloud shapes in the sun area using the same mix but using very little liquid in your brush or the cloud shapes will just wash down and you will lose their streaky look. If need be lower the angle of your board so these cloud shapes do not wash down too quickly. See figure 8.

After the shine has just left your watercolor paper in the sky drop in the distant hill with a stronger pigment mix of French Ultramarine and Alizarin. Use only a little paint mixture in your brush or the paint will bleed upwards too much. The aim is to create a controlled soft edge for the top of the hills. I varied the mix of colors as I painted these distant hills to give them a feeling of form rather than just a flat single color shape. This require a bit of experience so don’t worry if you don’t get as much variety as I achieve – it will come with experience and is not a major part of this watercolor painting. See figure 9.

Let this stage dry completely. You can use a hair drier to speed things up.

With the blue sunset sky completely dry we can now proceed to paint the sand part of this sunset scene.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pam Gaulin

Add interest and variety to watercolor paintings by trying out different effects. Watercolor is a delicate painting medium that does not need much coaxing to produce an intended effect. Controlling the amount of water used while painting is the only way to create varied results. Painters working in watercolors learn to manipulate the soft colors and textures of the painting medium by combining dry brushing, wet into wet painting, or using an additive including salt or masking fluid. Before adding watercolor effects, learn how watercolors move across the paper. Spend time with the paint and use different amounts of water and apply it with different brushes to achieve a unique look.

Things You’ll Need

Step 1

Create a wash effect by working on a tilted piece of watercolor paper or watercolor canvas. A wash effect may be painting from the top to the bottom of the paper. Mix the desired wash color with some paint. If you are mixing colors, make enough for the entire paper. Run a flat and wide brush across the top of the paper. While the first row is still wet, start the next row so it slightly overlaps the first layer. Continue adding rows of slightly overlapped color until you reach the bottom of the page. The result will be a solid wash of color that can be used as a background image.

Step 2

Vary the above wash effect by making a gradient wash. Load the paintbrush with color and water, and make a bold line across the top of the paper. Add water only to the brush and make the next row. Continue the rows, adding water only. The paint color from the above layer will mix with the water. The result will be a gradient effect with darker color on the top fading to light or almost clear on the bottom. Use the dry gradient wash as a background image. Turn the paper upside down for a different effect.

Step 3

Sprinkle salt crystals on a wet watercolor painting for a crystallized effect. The salt crystals may be used to depict frost, snowflakes, or simply add interest to the painting. When the painting is completely dry, gently brush the salt crystals away with your hand.

Step 4

Retain white portions of the watercolor paper by using a masking fluid. Masking fluid can help the watercolor painter achieve detailed effects and hints of white, without compromising the watercolor ideal of avoiding the use of white paint. Paint over the masking fluid. When the painting is dry, lightly rub the masking fluid off to reveal the white of the paper.

Step 5

Flick paint onto the painting by rubbing a finger over a paint-covered brush. Aim the brush at the canvas in the direction you want the tiny paint splatters to follow. This is a useful effect for water scenes.

Step 6

Paint a portion of a watercolor painting with a thin layer just of water. Dab different colors of paint into the water. The paint will create its own designs and lines. Do not disturb the paper as it dries.

Use paper towels to dab off excess paint or water without disturbing the painting. Apply a dry brush with a speck of water to remove paint when a mistake is made.

Warning

Do not overwork the watercolor paper as it can be delicate and tear.

Creating a sunset skyline seems tough for you? Not anymore after you read this post! Because I will show you how to paint a sunset skyline with watercolors that will look glowy and more beautiful than you can imagine!

First of all you need a regular paper to plan your painting!

You can start by dividing your page into thirds. Upper part will be the sky, bottom part some buildings and the middle part our beautiful sunset!

Now for the buildings you need to consider what the perspective is. In my video I focused on one point perspective. If you don’t know how to do that I recommend watching the video below where I explain this.

You don’t need to make very detailed sketches from the buildings especially not those in the background because you won’t draw them that accurately anyway. You can also sketch out the sun in the center and some buildings along the horizon if you want to.

Next step is to transfer your sketch to your watercolor paper. If you don’t have transfer paper you can create a layer of pencil lead on the backside of the sketch to transfer it. (I also made a video on this one and other hacks 😉 you can find it right here)

With your sketch on your watercolor paper you can start painting!

For a step-by-step guide on how to paint a glowy sunset skyline watch my video below!

I hope you like my video! Feel free to click here to subscribe to my YouTube channel so that you’ll never miss out on any future videos where I’ll try to help you enjoy your painting journey!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lucy Akins

Painting a watercolor beach scene is an easy beginner’s exercise because you can add as many or few details as you wish. The wet-on-wet technique required achieves beautiful, soft results that mimic the soft lines of water and sand.

Things You’ll Need

Brushes No. 20 flat straight-edge brush
No. 6 round pointed brush * No. 3/0 fine brush

Other supplies Watercolor paper (cold press) Watercolor paint set Water basin Paper towel * Palette

Note: The paint colors used in this project are Cobalt Blue, French Ultramarine, Raw Sienna and Burnt Sienna.

Step 1

Using a No. 20 flat brush, paint the top half of the paper entirely with water.

Note: The clear water has been tinted in the photos for demonstration purposes only.

Step 2

Dip your No. 20 flat brush in Cobalt Blue and paint over the water while the paper is wet to allow the paint to spread easier.

Step 3

Still using your No. 20 flat brush, dip it in French Ultramarine and paint over the previous paint color.

Step 4

Absorb some of the wet paint by scrunching up a piece of paper towel and dabbing it onto the wet paint to form clouds.

Step 5

Place clouds across the sky in random order and shapes by continuing to dab the paper towel on the wet paint.

Step 6

Clean the No. 20 flat brush and then use it to paint the bottom half of the paper with water.

Step 7

Dip your No. 20 flat brush in French Ultramarine and brush it onto the wet paper. Leave a white edge between the skyline and the water.

Step 8

While the paint is still wet, dip your No. 20 flat brush in Cobalt Blue and paint over the French Ultramarine. Allow the two colors to bleed into each other.

Step 9

Using the same dabbing method as in Step 4, lift some of the paint with a paper towel to form waves. Manipulate the shape of the paper towel in such a way that you achieve irregular markings when dabbing. Some waves will stretch along the water and be longer than others. To highlight the waves a little more, you can go back and paint underneath the paper towel marks with a darker shade of your blue paint.

December 21, 2017 by Dan Scott

I absolutely love sunset (and sunrise) paintings. During these times of the day, the contrast between light and dark sharpens, the details start to fade and all these beautiful colors start to get involved.

As there is generally less clarity in sunset scenes, you need to rely more on color and light to create interest in your painting.

In this post, I will discuss some of the steps involved in creating a beautiful sunset painting and feature some master painting examples.

Step 1 – Observe The Light Source

The first step in creating a beautiful sunset painting is observation. In particular, you need to determine the lighting situation.

• Where is the light coming from (where is the sun positioned)?
• How much direct sunlight is there?
• How much reflective light is there (light bouncing around in your scene)?
• Are there any clouds (which might diffuse the light)?

Every sunset will be slightly different depending on the conditions, so you need to observe all the elements and try not to make assumptions. For example, generally, the color temperature in a sunset is warm, however, perhaps it is a stormy day and clouds are diffusing all the light, creating an overall cool temperature.

In the reference photo below, the light is coming directly at us and is very low on the horizon. This creates silhouettes of any objects (the boats and land). The clouds diffuse much of the light and spread it generally across the scene.

Step 2 – Create A Solid Foundation For Your Highlights

The next step in creating a visually stunning sunset painting is to build a solid foundation so that you can really show off the highlights (usually the vivid sunlight).

Why is this so important?

Because you are not able to actually paint light. This is sadly one of the limitations of paint. However, with the clever use of the elements available to us, we are able to create a fairly accurate illusion of light.

It is all about relativity.

Because we are not able to hit the vividness of sunlight, we may need to accentuate the dullness and darkness of the surrounding environment. By doing this, we can add power to the sunlight in our painting.

This is why it is so important to build a solid foundation for the highlights in sunset paintings. Without a solid foundation, you will never be able to faithfully represent the sunlight you are trying to paint. It will always look weak and lifeless.

I heard an artist once say.

“You must earn your highlights”.

I am not sure who said it but I will give credit if I find out.

Step 3 – Add The Vivid Highlights

In my opinion, one of the most fascinating parts of painting sunsets is the challenge of capturing the elusive light with the same level of vividness and brilliance. In a way, this is something which I could never fully achieve. But we can come pretty close if we lay down a solid base of darks and mid-tones.

A few tips for the highlights:

• Brighter is often more powerful than lighter. Be careful with how much white you are adding to your highlights. The more white you add, the less saturated your colors will be.
• Try using a palette knife to apply the highlights in an impasto fashion. This can contrast nicely against a soft foundation of darks and mid-tones.
• Sometimes less is more with the highlights. The most appropriate highlights could be nothing more than a thin streak of orange to indicate light peaking through clouds.

A Note On Architecture

The tips in this post are mostly for landscapes and seascapes. If you are wanting to paint a cityscape at sunset, then your painting is going to be much more complicated.

At sunset, there is a sharp contrast between lights and darks and long shadows cast on any objects. When architectural elements are involved, the light source may create a complex arrangement of light and shadow which could be challenging to render.

Try not to get caught up in the details and do your best to generalize all the shapes. The painting below is a perfect example of painting a cityscape at sunset.

For Watercolorists

One of the advantages of oil painting (and acrylic painting to an extent) is being able to achieve rich and deep darks and mid-tones. This allows you to create such stunning sunset paintings. But with watercolors, your darks and mid-tones may not appear nearly as strong.

That is not to say you are not able to paint stunning sunsets with watercolors, but you just may need to take a different approach to what is suggested in this post.

Here are some watercolor paintings by Winslow Homer of sunsets:

Suzanne Kurilla, Watercolor & Acrylic Artist

2. Layering color, sky and clouds

3. Layering color,sky and clouds pt2

4. Layering color, water and horizion pt3

5. Shadows and Contrast pt4

About This Class

Welcome to my NEW class!

In this class, you will learn how to improve your watercolor painting skills, color balance, and composition. I will show you how to work with vibrant and bold colors, instead of classic traditional colors. This watercolor painting project would be great for artists who love a more expressionistic approach and style with their work with lots of movement and vibrant colors.

Next, I will show you step by step all of the materials you will need to get started with your new watercolor project. Second, I will discuss how to start the layout for your sunset landscape. Next, I will explain how to mix your colors and list the exact colors that I used throughout this project.

This class is great for artists of any level and will teach you many tips, tricks, and new techniques! Throughout this project, I will explain the wet on wet watercolor technique and how to create fun textures! I have listed down below the travel supplies that I used throughout this painting. I really enjoy using these art supplies because it is very easy to create artwork on the go or mini projects just for fun!

Supplies (What I used)

• Watercolor Paints – Winsor & Newton (Travel set)
• Brushes – Winsor & Newton, mixed
• Watercolor Pad, (Travel) Notebook – W&N 140lb. cold press
• 2 cups of Water
• Rag/Paper Towel

Starry night or cloudy dusk, we can’t decide which watercolor sky we love more. The key to painting both of these gorgeous scenes is to work quickly without letting the paint dry. Once you’re done, you’ll be a master of the wet-on-wet watercolor technique!

Watercolor Night Skies

What You Need

• Watercolor paper
• Masking tape
• Pencil
• Round dish, bowl or another circular object to trace
• Watercolor paints
• Medium and small round watercolor brushes
• Paper towel
• Rubbing alcohol
• Cotton swab
• Epsom salts or rock salt

Instructions for the Clear Night Sky

1. Sketch and Tape

Using a round object such as a bowl, trace a circle in the center of your watercolor paper. In the lower third of the circle, sketch a horizon line. This can be anything you want — flat planes, a forest or a mountain range. Whatever speaks to you!

After you finish your sketch, tape your paper down to a table or drawing board. This prevents your work from warping when you add water.

2. Create an Underpainting

Making sure to keep within the circle, lay down a wash of varying colors in the sky. This underpainting gives a colorful base for your final night sky. We used pinks, purples and blues, but you can experiment with any colors you like. Just remember to keep your paint wet and juicy! If your edges come out a bit messy, you can easily fix this watercolor mistake by lifting the color. You can also add a watercolor glaze to your sky before dipping your brush in color, if you prefer that method.

3. Darken the Sky

Using wet-on-wet application, drop in darker colors on top of your underpainting. This is the moment to bring the nighttime effect by adding black and deeper colors.

Pro Tip

Making watercolors appear more saturated is all about the paint-to-water ratio . Experiment with adding more pigment to your brush and less water when you want a bold effect.

As you drop in more paint, make the top of the sky darker and leave the area near the horizon line lighter.

4. Create Texture

Now for the fun part: adding texture! Using a cotton swab, dab some dots of rubbing alcohol across your wet paint. Rubbing alcohol repels the paint, creating little light spots in your wash.

Then sprinkle salt onto the paint. Now (finally) let your painting dry completely. Once everything is dry, rub the salt off with your fingers. The salt absorbs the water and some of the pigment, leaving crystal-like textures. Don’t they look like little stars?

5. Paint the Horizon

Fill the land underneath the horizon line with black paint. With a fine-tipped brush, create detailed silhouettes along the horizon line. We painted trees, but you can add whatever elements you want.

Let your painting dry completely and carefully pull off the tape. Your starry night sky is done!

Instructions for the Cloudy Night Sky

1. Sketch and Tape

Just like in the first tutorial, trace a circle, draw a horizon line and tape your watercolor paper down.

2. Create an Underpainting

Apply watery and light washes of color to the sky inside the circle. We used the colors of a sunset: yellow, orange, pink and purple. While your paint is still wet, use a clean paper towel to gently dab a few places and lift the paint off of the paper. This will leave soft white cloud shapes.

3. Darken the Clouds

Mix a small amount of black with pink and purple paint, then drop the color in around the edges of the circle. Add some of these shadows around the white cloud shapes, and add a few black clouds as well. Continue adding darker areas and lifting paint until you have a white-cloud-to-black-cloud ratio you’re satisfied with. Make sure to soften the edges as you work so the painting looks natural (there are no hard edges in a cloud!)

4. Paint the Horizon

Load your brush with deep black paint and fill in everything below the horizon line. Then paint in your landscape details, like trees. Let your painting dry completely and peel off the tape.

And voila! You can choose the night sky you love the most, or paint them both and make a moody, atmospheric pair!

Find Your Next Project

The sky’s not the limit — it’s just the beginning! Brush up on more basic watercolor techniques with a few more beginner-friendly projects.

Another step-by-step guide to painting trees

The beauty of watercolors is truly in the impressionistic effect that they create. The paint goes on quickly – which is how to get the best out of watercolor – and so the hand and eye can work in happy unison.

For this painting I used:

640gsm cotton rag paper: This is a fairly heavy paper that doesn’t crinkle when wet. That’s my preference. Anything above 300gsm should be good.

3 brushes of varying size (see photo below)

Watercolor paints: chromium green, yellow ochre, ultramarine blue, burnt umber brown.

One of the most important aspects of watercolour is in deciding where the areas of light and dark will fall within the painting. A simple rule-of-thumb is to paint the lightest areas first, gradually moving to the darker zones as your color palette deepens. Painting over watercolor is only really possible with shades that are darker than those already on the paper, so it makes sense to begin light and go darker.

With this tree, I lightly sketched the outline of the subject in pencil before painting in the outermost areas of the tree foliage, blending several colors as I went to create a more varied surface.

Creating realistic watercolor effects is a challenge but also very rewarding when you succeed. It will often seem daunting until you take some time and plan how to accomplish the result you hope to achieve. It can then be surprisingly easy and enjoyable to see your idea become a reality.

How to create a glowing effect:

To paint a glowing jack o’ lantern (or anything else you would like to make glow) is an effect you can produce in a simple way or more elaborately, but this basic method will work however you wish to apply it with watercolors. I would even say that you can adapt this method to any other medium.

Make a plan

1. Taking this simple sketch, I want my jack o’ lantern to be the center of attention and my focus will be to have him illuminate the whole scene. I want him to glow in deep night shadows.

This sketch has my first round of ink applied, (I usually start with a basic outline in ink and add more as I work) but not too much in the area where his light will be brightest, over top of him. This will help remind me not to put too much paint behind where I want the glowing effect to reach.

2. Before I apply any color to the prepared sketch, I again take mental note of where I want my illumination to flow, and will remember to not saturate too much color or detail in that area. Below is a Photoshopped illustration of my vision.

Laying down the foundation colors

Now my base colors are applied to the artwork with some nice bright lemon yellow in the planned glow area.

Later, while I am detailing the painting, I may fill in a little more color and ink here and there. The glowing yellow wash underneath will help keep that area nice and bright, even with a little more detail behind it. For now, I want as little detail there as possible.

You will also note the penciled instructions/reminders I often put on the side of my work. This is a helpful way to remember ideas you may have to achieve the results you want with your paintings. Color ideas, steps for effects, even for remembering to add the whiskers to little creatures after the painting is done.

Building up contrast

As you can see, I am adding more color and building up layers and shadows all the while focusing on the brightness I want to preserve and enhance.

It is a good idea to stop working from time to time, stand back and take a look at your progress. In this case, it will help me to decide where I want to deepen my shadows and add more contrast.

The grand finale

Even with hundreds of paintings behind me and lots of experience creating glowing effects, I still hold my breath and hope my painting works out the way I hoped. The planning is still key for me.

I have erased any pencil lines behind the pumpkin’s glow and added a little bit of ink in broken lines to make the glow look uneven. The cat’s tail is catching some of the illumination but still has a some definition on that side.

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Learn techniques every watercolorist should know! Discover tips to luminous, expressive watercolor paintings that impress in Mario Robinson ‘s Bluprint class Painting Realistic Watercolors .

Watercolor painting is difficult enough all on its own, but there are some objects that people find particularly difficult to paint. This post will hope to remedy that by teaching you how to paint clouds and skies with watercolor. I found the videos below while searching this topic on YouTube and believe these to be the very best videos there on this topic I do hope you find these landscape watercolor tips and techniques helpful. Enjoy!

How To Paint A Blue Sky With Clouds in Watercolor

Big thanks to Patrick for making this watercolor painting lesson available! You can view more of Patrick’s videos over at his YouTube page by clicking here.

Watercolor Sky For Beginners – How To Paint a Variegated Wash

A big thanks to Bob Davies for making this watercolor painting tutorial available! You can view more of Bob’s excellent video tutorials over at his YouTube page by clicking here. He has a ton of great lessons there including more watercolor as well as acrylic painting and drawing.

How to Paint a Watercolor Sky with Wilson Bickford

A big thanks to Wilson Bickford for making this watercolor painting lesson on skies available! Wilson is a professional Artist and Art Instructor with 20 years experience in teaching. Wilson has more great instructional videos over at his YouTube Page that cover more problem areas that artists often encounter. Head on over to his page by clicking here.

Simple Skies in Watercolour

A big thanks to Grahame Booth for making this video lesson on painting the sky in watercolor available! Grahame has a couple more videos over at his YouTube page, so be sure to head on over by clicking here.

Terry Madden’s Watercolor Workshop Painting Easy Clouds

A big thanks to Terry Madden for making this watercolor workshop on painting clouds available. You can learn more about Terry and view more of his videos by following this link.

Comments

Portrait Artist Kate says

Very useful tutorial. Videos are so much more instructive than written content

John says

I am looking at an amazing desert sunset in Las Vegas after rain and snow…Yes it snowed in Las Vegas, I’m not crazy, but I wish I could paint a great watercolor of this sunset to have forever!

Cynthia D. Ward says

Re: Bob Davies…lesson, watercolour painting, sky,
wonderful lesson ! Just terrific. I just wish to know what kind of sable brushes he was using, he said #12 but who makes them? I saw it was one I have seen before, being used: on You Tube, by an Australian lady/artist, as well. My “GOOGLE” search didn’t reveal the brush’s manufacturer. I do hope that the artist will not mind to tell me! I’m just getting back into watercolors, months of a very firm artist’s block, ordered 1 brush today to help me get through the ‘iron gate’ …but wasn’t with a red tip, it was WN Sable Series 7. Vy expensive but I made the leap. Look forward to hearing, the name of the brush & will keep looking for ‘his’ Videos. Many thanks, CDW, Sonoma CA

Learning how to use watercolor paint and some basic techniques to apply it is a great way to jumpstart your watercolor painting journey. Experimenting is the best way to discover all these, and this quick watercolor painting guide for beginners is very easy and fun to follow.

Materials Used In This Watercolor Lesson:

• Daler Rowney Aquarelle cold press watercolor paper (140lb, size 12″ x 9″)
• Painter’s, artist’s, or masking tape (2″ width)
• Pencil for sketching
• Two containers of water
• Spray bottle filled with clean water
• A piece of scrap watercolor paper or paper towel
• Kneaded eraser

Winsor & Newton’s Cotman Watercolor

• Indigo
• Payne’s Gray
• Permanent Rose

Brushes

• Loew Cornell Series 7430 Flora: Round brush (no. 14)
• Winsor & Newton Cotman Series 111: Round brush (no. 4)
• Winsor & Newton University Series 235: Round brush (no. 2)
• Daler Rowney Aquafine Sable: Round brush (no. 5)

Step 1: Prepare Your Materials

While it may seem obvious, the materials you use have a great impact on the watercolor painting you’ll be creating. For the purposes of this lesson, you may use a sketchbook, but we recommend using 140lb watercolor paper. It’s heavier and thicker, and can help you control your paint better. This also helps in creating the various washes and blends of color when learning how to use watercolor.

Of course, you will also need watercolor paint. They come in many forms, and it’s up to you to decide what works best for you. There are tubes, disc cakes, and pans, with pans being what the artist uses in this tutorial. If you’re using pans as well, remember to wet or spray them with water before using to activate the pigments.

Watercolor brushes are important too, as different brushes create different textures and effects. We’ll stick with round brushes for now though.

You will also need to prepare 2 containers of water. One will be for the clean water you can use to wet a clean brush, activate your paint, or to wash a brush more thoroughly. The other will be used to wash your dirty brushes in, or whenever you need to change colors. It’s a good habit to take early on because you don’t want the previous paint color to muddy or alter the current color you’re trying to get.

On the side, prepare a piece of scrap paper or paper towel, where you can wipe off any excess paint or test paint mixes before applying to your actual watercolor paper. Finally, don’t forget to tape down the edges of your paper to a board, as this will help it stay flat while you paint. You can also block off a strip along the top for experimenting with the techniques you’ll learn in the next few steps.

Step 2: Try the Wet-in-Wet Watercolor Painting Technique

The two most common watercolor techniques are the “wet-in-wet” and “wet-on-dry” techniques. Understanding how to apply both is an important base knowledge for watercolor painting.

“Wet-in-wet” simply means you are applying wet paint onto wet paper. You can start by using a round brush (no. 14) to apply a layer of water onto your paper. While your paper is still wet, drop in your paint. You’ll see that the effect is a soft wash of color, as the paint bleeds into the areas where you’ve applied water.

You can also do some blending, or spread out the paint while it’s still wet. In this tutorial, the artist drops in dots of Indigo and Permanent Rose, letting them blend together naturally in places where they meet on paper. You can try the same with any 2 colors of your choice!

This technique allows for more movement and creates a softer effect. You can also experiment and try different levels of wetness for your paper. You can even try a more subtle wet-in-wet technique by letting the paper absorb some of the water first before applying any paint.

Step 3: Experiment with the Wet-on-Dry Watercolor Painting Technique

The “wet-on-dry” technique, on the other hand, is applying wet paint to dry paper. The result is a wash that you have more control over, and with harder edges. Unlike the wet-in-wet technique, your paint will not bleed or make a “blooming” effect. You can definitely use this technique when creating lines or painting small and specific details.

Step 4: How to Use Watercolor by Combining the 2 Techniques

As you get more comfortable using both techniques, you’ll be able to combine them together in your watercolor painting. This way, you’ll also learn how to use watercolor techniques and bring out their strengths to make your work more interesting.

For the next experiment, start with a wet-in-wet wash first, followed by a wet-on-dry technique for applying details. You can also apply more water on the details while the paint is still wet to give it a more variegated wash effect.

Step 5: Create a Quick Portrait Using these Watercolor Techniques

Now it’s time to apply your newfound knowledge of the 2 basic watercolor techniques and create an easy watercolor portrait painting! Small note: when you’re working with various washes and different layers of paint, always remember to paint from light to dark.

To begin, make a quick pencil sketch of a profile portrait, and clean up any stray lines with a kneaded eraser. Then, with a no. 4 round brush and some Indigo paint, use both the wet-in-wet and wet-on-dry techniques for the hair – the former for a soft base layer, and the latter for adding individual strands of hair once the base layer is dry.

Step 6: Add More Details to the Portrait

For the face, take advantage of the wet-in-wet technique to create a soft blush on the cheek. Use a very diluted Permanent Rose for this! For the lips, switch back to the wet-on-dry technique as it counts as detail work.

When painting the clothes, you can use a combination of both techniques, giving that section of the painting both a soft wash of color and detailed lines that help form the subject.

The key really is to experiment and take advantage of the spontaneous characteristic of this medium. Don’t be afraid to test and try out different amounts of water and paint, different colors, and different strokes of the brush. This is the best way to learn and get comfortable using this delicate medium.

To watch the video version of how to use watercolor, you can click the “play” button below. Happy experimenting!

Chiara Mazzetti, Watercolor Artist

1. Welcome to the class!

3. Basic Techniques

4. Daytime Seascape: the Sky

5. Daytime Seascape: the Sea

6. Daytime Seascape: Final Details

7. Sunset Seascape: the Sky

8. Sunset Seascape: the Sea

9. Sunset Seascape: Final Details

10. Class Project

About This Class

In this class you will learn to paint two watercolor seascapes. I will teach you how to paint the sky and the sea at different times of the day: daytime and sunset.

During the first few lessons I will go over the supplies needed and then I will show you the basic techniques you’re going to use later with helpful examples you can try out yourself to train.
After that you will apply the techniques you just learned to paint the seascapes along with me, step by step as I show you how to use the basics to create a wonderful painting.
Every seascape I paint is divided in 3 main lessons: the sky, the sea and the final details. This way I hope you will find easy and comfortable to follow the guidelines and finish the paintings.

To complete the class project (paint your own seascape) you can choose the seascape you prefer or even try them both. You won’t need any starting skill or previous experience with watercolors: the class is suited for everyone!

Watercolor is a fast and effective medium for rendering skies. It allows the artist to play with gradients of color and value and hard and soft edges. Watercolor can create very pleasing cloud effects. This is helpful but it is also a trap. If you are satisfied with a cloud-like look you can create with a wet in wet technique, you may stop there and not spend time observing what clouds really do. Do not be satisfied with a technique that gives the look of generic clouds, train yourself to really observe what is happening in the sky and then use the techniques to render what you see.

Muted Sky Colors

Beware of most out of the tube blues. They are more intense than most of the colors you will see in the sky. You can mute an intense blue with the faintest touch of orange. A little goes a very long way so use restraint. In the example on the left, you scan see swatches painted with the pure pigment and then modified with a little orange for a muted hue.

Graded Wash

The sky is richly blue overhead. As the sky approaches the horizon, it becomes lighter and warmer. This can be rendered with a graded wash. Start by mixing a puddle of paint that will be large enough to cover the area you are working with. Estimating this takes practice but at the start error on the side of having too much paint. You do not want to stop and re-mix half way through the wash. Most of my skies are small “landscapeitos” so I really do not need all that much. The mixture should be liquid, not thick like a paste.

Hold your paper or drawing board at about a 30˚ angle. This will make the water pool in a bead at the bottom of each stroke.

With a full brush stroke the top of the sky with a horizontal stroke. Use enough paint that the mixture flows down to the bottom of the stroke to form a bead along the bottom. Immediately reload the brush and stroke again, letting the mixture flow from one stroke to another. Do not pause or the paint will start to dry leaving a line. If you use the same unadulterated mixture all the way down you have a flat wash. If you start to add more clear water to the mixture you create a gradation from dark to light.

For most of my field work I use a waterbrush and only work a small area, as my whole landscape is small to begin with. With a waterbrush you get automatic graded wash effects as the pigment is replaced by the water in the brush that is drawn down by capillary action. I do not squeeze the brush as I paint a graded wash. This causes too much water to come out at once.

To paint a sky, I create a blue graded wash lightening toward the horizon. While the paper is still wet, I stroke the sky along the horizon with a pale wash of yellow ochre or a similar shade. The distant sky is not only lighter, it becomes distinctly warmer. This change in color temperature is the opposite of what you see on the ground. As the ground plane recedes toward the horizon it becomes lighter and cooler.

Graded Wash with Crayon Clouds

A wax crayon or an uncolored birthday candle is a terrific addition to your watercolor kit. If you scrub in a layer of wax before painting the sky, the wax will create a barrier between the pigment and the paper. The result is brilliant clouds with a sharp irregular edge. This approach is fast and fun when combined with the graded wash technique already described.

Wet the paper and paint the shadow areas of your clouds with light purple gray (here I used Daniel Smith Shadow Violet). Add a few warm blushes of color at the horizon (I used DS Quinacridone Gold).

Once the paper is bone dry, scrub a crayon or candle stub along the edge of the area you want to be your cloud (top and bottom). Use a dense scrubbing motion. You do not need to add crayon over the whole surface of the cloud. It may be difficult to tell where you have put down the wax. If you turn your paper at an angle you will be able to see the sheen of wax reflecting in the sun.

Now add a graded wash over the painting, stopping when you encounter the resistance of the wax. Let the wash lighten toward the bottom. It is fun to watch the cloud shapes appear before your eyes.

Here are a few more examples of crayon clouds. Remember, the crayon goes on before the paint. Have fun and explore how to paint skies with watercolor.

Have some spare time and looking to pick up a new skill? Learn how to paint with watercolors in this tutorial. Watercolor painting is a great medium for all skill levels.

You Will Need:
• Watercolor paints
• Paper
• Tape
• Pencils
• A water cup
• A number 10 or 12 brush
• A palette
• A plastic cup of water
• A clean cotton rag
• Some tissue paper
• A hair dryer (optional)

Step 1: Pick out paints
Pick out non-staining watercolor paints, which do not fade in short durations. Check the “Lightfast” indicator on the tube.

Step 2: Soak and dry paper
Soak a rough 140-pound or thicker stock paper with “tooth” – dips and grooves – which will be less likely to wrinkle when wet. Dry it and tape it to a board inclined about 15 degrees, and smooth it out.

Step 3: Sketch an image
Sketch a simple box image on the paper in pencil, rinse a number 10 or 12 brush in the water cup and blot it dry. Load it with color from the palette and touch it to the paper.

Step 4: Paint first line
Paint a uniform line and lift your brush. If a narrow bead didn’t form, you pressed too hard, so try again, releasing the bead as you lift.

Step 5: Continue filling
Continue filling the area, tilting the brush handle up to maintain a light touch, and letting the watercolor bead paint the wash for you. (Tip: Use a hair dryer to work faster, but be careful: you can accidentally make colors bleed or run.)

Step 6: Absorb excess paint
Absorb excess paint with a tissue to blot the brush, instead of rinsing. Touch the dried brush into the paint to draw the excess off the painting’s surface.

Step 7: Continue experimenting
Continue experimenting with color and textures on different paper surfaces, using an array of brushes and color mixes. Read and study to develop your technique over time.

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• How to paint with watercolors
• How to draw fog
• Rules and techniques of watercolor painting
• How to paint water with watercolors

Primarily, purchase quality materials and tools. Good watercolor paints are expensive, but not necessarily to buy from large sets. To start, you need two squirrel brush — 3-5 mm for small parts and 1 cm for the background. The brush should be soft, wet to form a sharp tip. You can take another flat hard brush, which is convenient to remove excess paint. Paper for watercolor should be dense, with a pronounced texture. Paint-mixing fit a plastic palette, which the cells in front of the work necessary to process an emery paper to paint them, not pushed.

Before you start painting, pin the paper on a flat surface. Prepare surround the jar with clean water and a soft cloth, you can wet the brush.

Mark the outline of the drawing thin pencil lines. As in watercolor, no white paint, just determine what places need to be left clean. Some artists suggest before you apply the paint, rinse the leaf under running water to remove remains of graphite, dust and greasy stains.

To paint with watercolors you need from top to bottom. First draw the background, and when it dries, you can proceed to the details. To work on the background, dial in a big brush paint, well diluted with water, and horizontal movements to walk on the paper. Diluting the paint, remember that watercolor is lightened after drying. Do not apply more than three coats of paint, otherwise lost the transparency, and appreciate watercolor.

For drawing details dip the tip of a thin brush into the paint and draw, holding the brush vertically.

Practice to wash the top layer of paint with a stiff brush moistened with water. This will help the image look pale or translucent objects. Clouds are good at it, if you blur the background of a great clean wet brush. If you made a mistake somewhere, under running water to easily wash off the paint at a particular site. Dried watercolor it does not suffer greatly.

Experiment with colors and different ways of drawing, and very soon you will develop your own special style.

Geethu Chandramohan, ARTIST & ILLUSTRATOR

1. Welcome to the Class

2. Art Supplies You Will Need

3. Watercolor Techniques Part I

4. Watercolor Techniques Part II

5. Class Exercise 1 – Sunset Beach

6. Class Exercise 2 – Summer Beach

7. Class Exercise 3 – Beach Top View

8. Class Exercise 4 – Ocean with Masking Fluid

9. Class Exercise 5 – Ocean Without Masking Fluid

10. Class Project 1 – The Sunset Beach

11. Class Project 2 – The Magic Beach Part I

12. Class Project 2 – The Magic Beach Part II

13. Class Project 3 – The Green Ocean

14. Thank You For Watching

About This Class

Oceans and beaches are two of the magical places on the planet. One could spend the whole day watching the waves at the beach or the foamy water moving in the ocean. But there is one thing more satisfying than that – painting them, and seeing how your hands can create these magical places into a painting.

Painting with watercolor medium can be overwhelming, and this is where this class would help you! This class is designed for all of you out there, who love the cool ocean breeze, love the sound of the beach waves, and want to paint oceans and beaches but don’t know where to start.

The class has 5 different exercises focussing on different ways to paint both beaches and the ocean, different times of the day such as sunset and noon, as well as using different materials.

The class projects include putting into practice all the techniques and methods learned from the exercises and the techniques lesson to paint 3 magnificent paintings that you would cherish forever.

Join me in this class, and paint your oceanscape!

Available as part of the Monthly and Annual Subscription!

Learn to Paint Noses in Watercolor!

Are you yearning to learn how to paint noses in watercolor? Are you creating an animal portrait and can’t quite tell what to do with the nose? Join us as we paint all kinds of noses in watercolor!

This tutorial is available with the monthly and annual membership, or can be purchased as an individual course (click the ‘Enroll in Course’ button at the top of the page.)

This course contains bite-sized lessons in creating noses.

• Presently, this course contains lessons on how to paint Dog’s Noses.
• In time, tutorials will be expanded to focus on cats and other animals until we’ve got a library of tools and step by step video tutorials for you to use as a guide in creating your own animal noses.
• You are invited to share your work in our Facebook group and the Community in the school, so we can encourage and learn from each other!
• These courses are based on your requests! Email your Nose questions – the challenges you are experiencing – to Rebecca Rhodes at [email protected]

These lessons are available for monthly and annual subscribers, or for purchase as an individual course.

Where to Post Your Paintings:

• Join our new Facebook group “Realistic Animals in Watercolor” and share your paintings there.
• If you aren’t on Facebook, no problem! Share your images in the school Community.

I hope you enjoy the courses! Always feel free to contact me, Rebecca Rhodes, with your questions and challenges ([email protected])

Learn to paint wildflowers loosely and detailed with watercolors. Then learn how to add a realistic butterfly in the BONUS painting!

Do you want to paint loose watery layers with watercolors? Layers that capture that natural flow of watercolors without overworking them.

Would you like to learn how to “read the wetness” of your paper? And know exactly when you should add or take away color from your painting.

Do you also want to create a vibrant, and realistic focal point in your painting? In this course you’ll learn how to paint TWO different focal points, flowers and a butterfly!

Do you want to design your own original composition? Instead of copying me exactly, you will learn how to design a composition based off of reference photos, thumbnail sketches, and your own imagination!

There’s a strategy to painting layers with watercolors, and once you understand that strategy you can create both loose and detailed paintings!

What You’ll Learn

How to Design an Original Composition:

You will learn how to create thumbnail sketches to plan out a strong composition. This will help you successfully determine where your lines and shapes will go, and avoiding unfixable mistakes when you paint.

The Strategy for Painting Loose, Watery Layers with Watercolors:

It’s easy to overwork a watercolor, if you don’t know what the paint will do when you add it to the surface of wet paper. In this course I will show you how to control the paint with water, and teach you how to “read the wetness” of the paper so you know when to create water blooms (and when NOT to create them) to achieve the desired affect you want in your painting.

How to Paint Realistic Clovers in the Foreground:

In this course I will teach you the strategy for building layers of paint from background to foreground, and light to dark. This will allow you to achieve the soft watery look of a field of wildflowers in the background, and the vibrant detailed realistic layers of red clovers in the foreground.

Who This Course Is For

• Beginner artists who want to develop their skills for painting booth loose and detailed watercolors.
• Advanced artists who want to practice restrain when painting with watercolors.
• Artists who enjoy painting bright colorful flowers and butterflies with watercolors.
• Artists who want to develop their ability to design their own original compositions.

Want to hear more on what you can expect from this course?

Watch the 1st module below and find out!

How to Paint Landscapes With Acrylic Paint

Things You’ll Need

• Watercolor paper
• Watercolor paints
• Flat brush
• Filbert brush

Watercolor is a paint medium that uses paint pigments in a water-soluble base, allowing for a variety of blending techniques using only paint and water. For this reason, watercolor gives a highly transparent appearance that makes it ideal for creating subject matter that includes water. With a few simple tools and some patience, even a beginner can take advantage of the medium to create a waterfall painting worthy of display.

Sketch the elements and composition of your waterfall first. Use paper specifically for watercolor, which you can find at a hobby shop or purchase online. Draw the outline of the water running from top to bottom on your page, then sketch a few roughly rounded boulders running along each side of the water path. Sketch in random tree branches along the path of the boulders to add to the atmosphere. Keep the sketching light so you will be able to cover it with your paint.

Load a flat brush with light blue and work the color over the area that will be your waterfall. Let the paint dry (it will dry quickly) and then go over it again with the same color, building a texture for the water. Apply the paint in graded washes, beginning with a heavier, darker application at the top and lighter applications as you go. This will add a variation in color to your waterfall.

Paint the boulders with a mix of gray and Chinese white. Apply the white first, as a base to help take away some of the transparency of the color for the boulders. This will give a nice contrast to the water portion of your painting. Apply the white and gray with a flat brush.

Fill in the branches that extend over the waterfall with your watercolors. Use a filbert brush, which is a flat brush with a more pointed tip. This allows you to sharpen the lines of your branches to give a dimensional contrast to the water and boulders.

Paint the crash of the water at the base of your waterfall with a flat brush for texture. Apply some blue paint as a base. Build it with two or three layers, then use the same flat brush to add some white to create a foamy appearance. Apply the white in strokes that come toward you, then curl up. Don’t overpaint. Allow some of the blue to show through.

How to Identify Vintage Beer Steins

If you’re lucky enough to stumble upon very old dishes at a garage sale, or possibly in your grandmother’s cupboard, it can be worth taking the time to determine if they are antiques. True antique dishes are valuable collectibles, however, mass-produced replicas are not. The key to the difference is in the markings on the bottom of the plate; distinct identifiable signatures and logos can let you know if your dishes are actual antiques or not.

Inspect the bottom of your porcelain, ceramic and china dishes for an artist’s signature, initials or logo. The marking should be from the actual artist and not a manufacturer or distributor.

Hold china in your hands and feel the weight of the dishes. Antique china is usually very lightweight, fragile and may even contain hairline cracks. Mass produced china replicas are generally heavier in weight to add durability.

Look for the name of the manufacturer, which is commonly marked by a stamp on the bottom of the dish. Knowing the manufacturer can help you to determine when the dishes were made and in exactly what country.

Examine the paint that creates the pattern; unless the dishes were well preserved and stored the paint may likely be fading. The paint on replicated dishes are made to withstand repeated washings and therefore may be more vibrant and visible.

Notice the pattern itself; antique dishes usually contain very intricate pictures and patterns painted on them, which may be of flowers, landscapes or fruit, among other images.

Research the actual picture that has been painted on the dish. Some antique dishes are famous for the specific picture, such as the Royal Crown Derby collection.

Seek the assistance of an antique specialist or dealer to help you identify the markings on your dishes, which they can likely discern from the artist, country of origin and the pattern.

This Course is Included in the Monthly and Annual Subscription!

Learn How to Paint this Fox in Watercolor

Approximate Length: 9 Hours (you can dig your teeth into this one!

In this course, Rebecca Rhodes demonstrates how to create this realistic fox in watercolor, using techniques that you can apply to your own paintings!

This tutorial is available with the monthly and annual membership, or can be purchased as an individual course (click the ‘Enroll in Course’ button at the top of the page.)

Included in this Course:

Materials, reference photo, and line drawing

Successive process of entire painting in real time focusing on:

• A step-by-step formula that you can apply to your own paintings
• Mixing colors
• Creating fur and textures
• Working with value – darks, lights, mid-tones
• Adjusting errors, lifting out color
• How to create whiskers
• How to use gouache to refine pale hairs

Narration by Rebecca Rhodes, along with captions that you can read

If you are not happy with the course, contact Rebecca Rhodes ([email protected]) within the first 30 days of purchase, and you will receive a full refund.

Courses are hosted on the School website and are not available for download. Videos are for streaming. A high-speed internet connection is recommended

Want to learn more about this style of painting? Here’s a FREE TUTORIAL!

Wondering more about how these courses work? Visit THIS LINK.

This Course is Included in the Monthly and Annual Subscription!

Learn How to Create this Brown Labrador in Watercolor

You can do this!

In this course, Rebecca Rhodes demonstrates how to create this brown Labrador in watercolor, using techniques that you can apply to your own paintings!

This tutorial is available with the monthly and annual membership, or can be purchased as an individual course (click the ‘Enroll in Course’ button at the top of the page.)

Included in this Course:

Materials, reference photo, and line drawing

Successive process of painting in real time focusing on:

• A step-by-step formula that you can apply to your own paintings
• Outline of steps for easy reference
• How to mix colors
• Creating fur and textures
• Working with value – darks, lights, mid-tones
• Adjusting errors
• Lifting out color

Narration by Rebecca Rhodes

If you are not happy with the course, contact Rebecca Rhodes ([email protected]) within the first 30 days of purchase, and you will receive a full refund.

Courses are hosted on the School website and are not available for download. Videos are for streaming. A high-speed internet connection is recommended

Want to learn more about this style of painting? Here’s a FREE TUTORIAL!

Wondering more about how these courses work? Visit THIS LINK.

When I began nature journaling, one of the first things I studied and attempted to sketch and paint was the sky. While I don’t claim to be a master, skies and clouds are still one of my favorite things to paint and provide an ever-changing scene of inspiration.

I’ve already written several posts on this subject, but I thought it was time for a more in-depth tutorial on how to paint skies and clouds with watercolor. Below, I share tips for painting skies and clouds, recommended sky colors, and a video tutorial where I demo two different skyscapes with watercolor.

5 Top Tips for Painting Skies & Clouds

The best way to learn how to paint skies and clouds is to look up. Before beginning, spend as much time as you can observing the sky. Take reference photos, make notes, and sketch cloud formations. When you’re finally ready to put brush to paper, follow these tips for success.

1) Paint the sky first. It’s one of the easiest things to paint but also the most volatile so if you mess it up, you don’t have a lot invested in a painting. Plus, the skyline always flows behind any landscape elements so painting the sky first allows successful layering.

2) Paint confidently and quickly, and then back away. The longer you try to paint a sky, the greater the chance you have of mucking it up. Let watercolor flow and move where it will; just be there to guide it with a gentle hand. And like a real sky, a painted sky will always look its best when situated over land and viewed from a distance. Evaluate your work at arm’s length, at least.

3) Break it up, but not too much. Unless you’re going for a really dramatic effect, a solid layer of blue across the sky will probably look a bit like a kindergarten painting. But don’t break up the blue too much. Clouds rarely look like individual cotton balls floating in the sky. A layered, multi-colored approach will usually appear most natural.

4) Let the sky lead the composition. To create drama and interest in a painting, it often helps to use the flow of the sky, clouds, and or sunlight to move the eye towards the focal point. A large or interesting skyscape will become a key element in the composition, so plan your attack accordingly.

5) Let go of perfection. It’s hard (if not impossible) to match the exact color and cloud of every single sky that you see. Instead, simply try to capture the essence or mood of a sky and its conditions and use those conditions to make the skyscape work to the painting’s advantage.

Recommended Colors for Skies & Clouds

When painting skies and clouds, I wouldn’t be too particular about which colors you use because nearly any colors in a palette will work. I’ve previously posted more information about painting the sky and choosing sky blues (see below) but I’ll happily share some of my personal favorites.

Sky Blues

My everyday favorite sky blues are Cerulean (PB35/36) and Cobalt (PB28), but a lot of what works depends on location and atmospheric conditions. Ultramarine (PB29) is great for cloud shadows or humid conditions. Indanthrene (PB60; pictured above) is excellent for ominous or dusky skies and for deep shadows.

Since the sky gains warmth as it meets the horizon line, a warm blue like Manganese (PB33) or Phthalo (PB15) can also work well. Plus, warmer blues are perfect for tropical and coastal locations. I love blues so much (I have four in my palette) that it’s really hard to choose a favorite, but see the articles below for more on various blues.

Sky Yellows

Only one yellow is really needed. I prefer a warm or neutral yellow like Arylide/Hansa (PY74 or PY97) or Benzi (PY154). However, an earth yellow like Raw Sienna (PBr7), Yellow Ochre (PY42), or Yellow Iron Oxide (PY43) is fantastic for adding warmth to clouds and skies.

Sky Pinks & Violets

I prefer a cool red like Quin Rose (PV19) or Alizarin Crimson (pigment varies; I use Da Vinci) because this color naturally mixes with blues in a sky to produce an explosion of violets and grays. These colors can create beautiful layers in clouds and look wonderful when allowed to feather out and meld.

Sky Reds & Oranges

Adding a touch of yellow to either of the cool reds above will create a hot fiery orange that’s perfect for blazing sunrises and sunsets, but feel free to take a shortcut. Transparent Red Oxide (PR101), Raw or Burnt Sienna (PBr7), Cadmium Red Light (PR108), Quin Burnt Orange (PO48) and other similar colors can really pop in a sky.

Sky Grays

My go-to sky gray and cloud shadow color is Raw Umber (PBr7) mixed with Ultramarine. (The only two colors used in the stormy sky above.) I can obtain a massive range of deep blues, grays, and blacks using only these two colors, but you could also use Raw Sienna mixed with Cobalt or Indanthrene, or try Transparent Red Oxide mixed with any of the blues.

Additional Useful Tools

Besides paper, paint, and a brush, there are only a few other tools that I use to paint clouds.

• A smooth cloth, towel or tissue is useful for lifting out clouds from the paint, and I’ll demonstrate how to do this in the video.

• A spray bottle helps keep the paper damp while working and can be used to produce various atmospheric effects.

• A toothbrush can be used to splatter a fine mist like when depicting rain, and I also use it to add in additional color when a brush might mar the surface.

• Some artists like to mask in the shape of the clouds. Instead, I prefer to only place water where I want the pigment to flow and then work quickly. This reduces hard edges and produces a softer effect, but masking fluid can be an advantageous tool so feel free to use it if it helps you.

Video Tutorial: How to Paint Skies & Clouds

I’ve posted a video tutorial with more information along with two demos on how to paint skies and clouds with watercolor. I’ve also shared other resources that you may find helpful and I’ve listed these at the end of this post. You may also visit my channel here.

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Additional Resources

In addition to all of the information above, I’ve shared several other posts and tutorials that you may find helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to leave me a comment at the end of this post. And don’t forget to look up!

Paint the Sky Giveaway! [CLOSED]

Let’s paint the skies together! I’ve got a great giveaway that’s filled with wonderful watercolor supplies, and I hope you’ll use this tutorial (and maybe even these art supplies!) to create your own beautiful skyscape.

The giveaway includes a landscape Kilimanjaro Watercolor Paintbook, a 24-color sample set of American Journey watercolors (full review here), a large American Journey Nomad palette with 10 full pans to fill with your favorite colors, my limited edition pouch, an SJ sticker, and more!

Learn the Secret to Painting Realistic Layers with Watercolors

Do you wonder how artists control watercolors to create fine details in their paintings? And want to do it too!

Do you love the look of multiple colors in a watercolor? Especially when they are layered together, and shine bright through one another to create rich, luminous colors.

Do you want to strengthen your skills for creating realistic and original watercolors? You can! It’s a learned skill that starts with this course!

Painting Realistically with Watercolors is a Learned Skill that Anyone CAN Do!

You Do NOT Need Talent.

All You Need is a Willingness to Try and the Right Guidance.

What You’ll Learn

I take you step by step through this course, and show you how to make this adorable and life like Chickadee:

By the end of this course you will not only have a painting that will make you smile and proud to show others, but will also learn the following:

The Foundation

Setting up the foundation to a watercolor is critical for successfully creating a realistic painting. You will learn what that is, and guidelines to follow for setting up your own foundation for painting your Chickadee.

A Watercolor Strategy

When it comes to painting realistically with lots of layer having a pre-plan paint strategy is the way to go! You will learn the 5 steps to setting up your own strategy for painting a watercolor.

Painting Techniques

You will learn and be able to layer two of the most important techniques there are to know when create a watercolor.

How to Critique

Critiquing your work is and important habit to form when creating art. You will learn why that is and how to do it!

Who This Course Is For

• New artists who want to learn how to paint realistically with watercolors.
• Experienced artists who want to strengthen their skills with watercolors.
• Anyone interested in testing out my teaching methods before joining my Online Art Academy.

Want to hear more on what you can expect from this course?

Watch the 1st module below and find out!

Course Curriculum

How This Course Works

• 🤗 After you sign up you will be redirected to the course curriculum.

• ✍️ The modules are divided into sections, and dripped out to you over the next three days. You also have forever access, and can go through each lesson, and watch each video as many times as you want!

• 🤔 When you get stuck, have a question, or would like to share your work you can do so at anytime! I’ll be there to help you out and give feedback when you need it.

What Students Say About This Course:

“Dear Tracy, There are no words to thank you for your generosity in this chickadee painting class! You opened a different perspective and taught us everything needed, from reference photo to completion. I am so grateful for the information I learned.

I have a new toolbox with knowledge and skills that I can use! I learned amazing drawing techniques that will be invaluable in furthering my confidence in the creation of my own original art. I learned color choices, layerings, blending and pairing reasoning. I now understand how to choose between supplies.

Your class taught me by actually going through the whole process and every single thing I needed to know and do. And why’s!

I can’t say enough good things about my experience. I recommend this or any class you offer. I love the final result I got! A sweet little flying friend that I painted. Thanks so much Tracy! I’m a better artist because of this class.”

– Jennifer Wills Rode

Chickadee by Jennifer Wills Rode

“I just finished the day 1 videos — and I am very excited to tackle this! I have absolutely no skills as an artist and all of the classes I have taken before seemed to have skipped so many steps. This is definitely clicking so far! I have some things to buy and am looking forward to tackling the next few days. And. I’m amazed at how much work you have put into this free class. I can only imagine how wonderful your other classes are, and I hope to take some of them in the very near future!”

-Sandra Mitchell

Chickadee by Sandra Mitchell

“Tracy, this was a very helpful lesson. The details from the beginning to the end helped me to succeed. I must admit, I really wanted to trace the reference photo, but your method of using the pencil tip and your thumbnail convinced me to try. It really helped.

Thank you so much. I love my chickadee, even if his tail is a little off the page! ”

So you’re ready to make a dent in the world of watercolors.

I remember the first watercolor paints I used at school when I was a kid. ​It was a huge pan set. The colored bricks were as big as my hand with rounded edges for safety ! To be honest, the results were not very good – but at least none of the kids could swallow the paint!

You’ve probably been salivating at the huge selection of beautiful watercolor paint available to you – but what is watercolor paint exactly ?

Watercolor paint is a translucent art medium. Watercolor is basically a colored pigment in a water-soluble binder. The paint dissolves when you add water allowing the pigment to spread with a brush.

If you’re serious about pursuing a hobby as a watercolor artist you need to know what watercolor is. Knowing something about your paint will help you recognize good paint from bad, and help you choose the best watercolors to suit your preferences.

What is watercolor paint made of ?

​Watercolor paint is made of a few simple ingredients, but the two main components are the pigment (this provides the color) and the binder (usually gum-arabic). Watercolor paints also contain some other additives which alter the paint’s appearance, the way the paint performs, and to extend the shelf life of the product.

Firs t and foremost you have the very finely ground colored pigments. There are over 100 pigments used in artists watercolor paint. These can be natural or synthetic. Some of the natural pigments are hard to acquire, which makes certain colors more expensive. The quantity of pigment in the paint can also vary depending on it’s grade or quality. Most manufacturers offer two qualities of watercolor paints – professional grade or student grade. With student grade paint the cost is lower because some of the expensive pigments are replaced with moderately priced alternatives. The proportion of pigment in paint varies between 10% and 20%.

The binder in watercolo rs is traditionally gum-arabic, but some brands use a synthetic binder. The job of the binder is to help the c olored pigment attach and “bind” to the watercolor paper. The binder also helps produce a brighter color by holding the pigment particles together on the surface of the paper. Binder is a transparent substance and in general makes up about 50% of the paint.

Gum arabic and synthetic binders tend to dry relatively quickly. Watercolors made only with pigment and gum-arabic will dry to a hard block. For this reason watercolor paint includes a moisturizer and a plasticizer to help extend the life of your paint but also to make it softer and easier to dissolve. These additives also prevent the paint from drying too quickly so that watercolor washes can be applied more easily. The type of moisturizer used is often glucose (for example corn syrup) or sometimes even honey! The plasticizer used is usually glycerin, and makes up about 20% or less of the paint.

A small amount of brightener is sometimes added to watercolor paint. This is usually transparent or white crystals which enhance the color of the pigment, or adjust the lightness of the paint when dried.

Other fillers enhance the handling or color appearance of the paint. These colorless fillers are necessary to improve texture, and provide a smooth and easy to handle consistency. They also modify the way pigment sticks to the paper to prevent it from ‘lifting off’ the surface when you apply new layers of paint. Sometimes fillers are added just to reduce the proportion of costly pigment in the paint.

Water – yes, depending on the type of watercolor paint supplies you buy, they contain a certain amount of water. Watercolors are available in the form of cakes, tubes or in liquid form. Cakes are hard and have a low water content. Tubes contain soft paint with more water content.

Advantages of watercolor painting

Watercolor is very different to acrylic, oil and gouache. Each of these different paint mediums require different techniques.

With watercolors, the colored pigments remain suspended in the water, until the water evaporates and dries. Water dries quickly, which often means the artist needs to make quick decisions! As a result some people find watercolors challenging.

But watercolor is not necessarily any more difficult than other mediums like oil or acrylic. The oil painter didn’t get it right the first time he started painting, and underneath the final painting are several corrected mistakes. The only difference with watercolors is you’ll probably have to reach for another sheet of paper!

In my opinion, the fluid and transparent qualities, and sometimes unexpected results, are what make watercolors a joy to use. Here are some of the advantages to consider:

Hello friends. I hope you’ve had a good week so far. Thankfully the temperatures have normalized and we’re no longer colder than Mars..HA.
It’s also supposed to warm up to 6C (42F) though I’m secretly hoping the snow doesn’t melt and cause a mess outside because to be honest, muddy paw prints are the worse.

Before anything else, I should let you know that I do not have any ‘professional’ training nor schooling. I’m self taught and my methods might be different to the ‘professionals’ but I truly believe that anyone can create art and watercolor is the perfect medium to play with because in my opinion, the imperfections are what makes the work so beautiful.

I wanted to answer a few questions I got from last week’s video. If you’re not sure what I’m referring you can watch a 30 second time lapse HERE and read about my plans HERE.

Q&A’s from last week:
What type of watercolors are you using?
Lately I’ve been using Jane Davenport’s watercolor palettes available HERE and HERE
I love the pigmentation and how easy they are to travel with.
I also love to use Winsor & Newton .
I’ve written an entire post about watercolor supplies HERE.

How do you make things look crisp? Mine look like puddles of color.
I actually love the idea of puddles of color and watercolor is the perfect medium for imperfections.
However, the trick to watercolor is giving the paper a few seconds to absorb the paint thus avoiding too much bleeding and pooling.

What kind of brushes are you using?
You can find the type of brushes I used archived on my highlights on Instagram and also HERE.

How do you do the white dots?
There are various ways to do a negative space in watercolor. You can use masking fluid , white wax crayons , rubber cement etc. For this particular painting I used Dec9Art Media fluid acrylic.

Do you ever use watercolor markers?
Not usually but I have used them and I love that they’re portable and they lend well to blending.

How do you do the shading?
Watercolor is all about layers. You always want to start light and layer . Using complementary colors also gives you the perfect shadow.

Are these for purchase / do you commission do custom work?
I have not thought of selling originals but if you’re interested please send me an email [email protected] and I’ll be happy to discuss further.
in the meantime, you can check out my shop HERE

For today’s tutorial, I wanted to share something that is easy to paint but looks like it takes a lot of know how. Go HERE to watch the time lapse and then come back for a detail step by step…:) I’ll be right here waiting……………………………

The first thing I did was to make a little frame around the paper. This is not necessary, but because you will be wetting most of the surface of the paper, I would recommend you tape the edges to avoid the paper from buckling.
If you’re going to frame the paper, make sure unlike mine, the tape is straight…ha.

Step 1. Paint a layer of water and while the paper still wet, take a very small amount of blue and dab it onto the paper. Because the paper is wet, it will ‘bleed’.
Now this is the part that will make a difference…allow the paper to dry. For the sake of speed, I used a blow dryer but just be cautious that if the air is too high it will move the paint around.

Take a little more paint (this could be any color you like, but I’m sticking with blues) and paint an irregular mountain shape. Allow paper to dry completely.

Dip your brush in more paint, this time it will be darker than the first two and apply another irregular mountain shape on top of the previous shape. Allow to dry.

Repeat the previous step with yet another darker shade of blue and allow to dry.

And another layer…
The last layer is the darkest layer and the one that will show a little more definition…
Using a very fine brush, add some texture to the mountains and paint some trees at the forefront if you wish.

And that’s it! I love how this little painting looks and the hardest part I think is the patience it takes to wait for the paint to dry in between layers.

Let me know what you think? and if you have any questions at all, I will answer them all next week.

Thanks again so much for stopping by today. I will have a video of this tutorial by the end of the week…:)

This Course is Included in the Monthly and Annual Subscription!

Learn How to Paint this Black Dog in Watercolor

You Can Do This!

Approximate Length: 7.5 hours

In this course, Rebecca Rhodes demonstrates how to create this black Labrador in watercolor, using techniques that you can apply to your own paintings!

This tutorial is available with the monthly and annual membership, or can be purchased as an individual course (click the ‘Enroll in Course’ button at the top of the page.)

Included in this Course:

Materials, reference photo, and line drawing

Successive process of entire painting in real time focusing on:

• A step-by-step formula that you can apply to your own paintings
• Mixing colors
• Creating fur and textures
• Working with value – darks, lights, mid-tones
• Adjusting errors
• Lifting out color

Narration by Rebecca Rhodes, along with captions that you can read

If you are not happy with the course, contact Rebecca Rhodes ([email protected]) within the first 30 days of purchase, and you will receive a full refund.

Courses are hosted on the School website and are not available for download. Videos are for streaming. A high-speed internet connection is recommended

Want to learn more about this style of painting? Here’s a FREE TUTORIAL!

Wondering more about how these courses work? Visit THIS LINK.

Create a Sunset Logo Free – Watercolors Landscape Logo Design

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For instance, sunset Emblem used for branding an eco-system and energy company. Landscaping logos used for gardening or nursery company, countryside tours, and travel agency. Ready-made templates decorated with the watercolors sunset, Sunrise, mountains, Landscape image. Sun logos great for branding Environmental companies, Parks and Nature reserves, mountains logo, Eco-friendly Products, etc.

Design a Landscape Logo with Free Logo Maker

Design Free Logo Online brings you the newest, most advanced online logo creator app. Make your own landscaping logo free without registration! in other words, you can generate as many nature logo samples as you need 100% free. Best of all, you can do it yourself without a graphic designer help. Furthermore, with multiple color choices and original fonts, you easily build your own professional brand in minutes.

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Follow these simple steps to instantly design a Watercolor Landscaping logo online for your business. Our graphic designers created high-resolution vector logo templates for you to choose from.

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• License: Non-exclusive template.
• Print & Web Formats: PDF, JPG, PNG Transparent.

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Our expert graphic artists are at your service for all your special branding needs. With 100% individual attention, everything will be designed within a few hours for your special needs. Custom Logo Design with matching Business Cards, Letterhead, 3D logo mockup, Social media advertisements and much more. Check out at our affordable, custom-made graphic design services.

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Once created your logo design, you can purchase the logo & use it for your business cards, letterhead, envelopes, PPT presentations, website, Social Media, Facebook, E-mail &more. We will deliver the final logo files via e-mail, ready for print and web. Files included: PDF + JPG+ Transparent PNG. Do not copy the design! – The design should not be used whole or in part without purchasing the logo. After you received the files, you are not eligible for a refund.

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What does it mean to stretch watercolor paper? Why and how would you do it?

The main reason people stretch their watercolor paper, is because when it gets wet, as you paint, it expands creating cockles or wrinkles. These can make painting difficult for some people. By stretching your paper, the cockles are greatly reduced or removed completely. Whether or not you stretch your paper depends a lot on your skill level. Also, the type of painting you are doing may determine whether to stretch or not.

I rarely stretch watercolor paper smaller than a full sheet, but it is worth knowing how to do it.

There are a number of different stretching techniques – I use a couple but not all.

Here are the main methods I know of:

Using gum tape to stretch watercolor paper

The most common, certainly in the past, was to thoroughly wet your paper for about 15 minutes. This allows the paper to expand fully. You then pick it up and allow most of the surface water to drip down off the paper.

The wet paper is then placed onto a waterproof backing board after which it is taped down around the edges. Two-inch wide gummed tape is used, which is dampened with water on the glue side. You then have to let this dry completely till the tape sticks to the board and paper, usually overnight.

This provides you with a very smooth surface to work on with minimal cockling. There are some problems with it however.

The main one is that you must wait quite a few hours for the paper and tape to dry. This means if you get the urge to paint, but don’t have some pre-stretched paper at hand, then you could lose your inspiration by the time the paper is ready.

Secondly, if you do not wet the tape enough it will not stick to your backing board. However, if you wet the tape too much, you risk the glue, from the tape, getting under your watercolor paper and sticking it to the board! This happened to me once, so I stopped using the technique not long after. I had to destroy my painting to get it off my backing board.

Thirdly, once your painting is finished you must cut your painting from the tape. You also have to remove the remaining tape from your backing board – not a quick thing to do, though I suppose if you used a waterproofed board you could just soak it in water till the tape loosens its hold. Half the tape will still be stuck to the edge of your painting, unless you cut it off, which is what I used to do.

There are many YouTube videos which show you this technique. Here is one:

Using staples

This is like using gum tape, but instead of taping the paper to your board, you staple it — every two inches or less. This has the advantage over the gum tape technique that it is very quick, and you can start painting straight away.

I make sure my drawing is done before I wet the paper as otherwise I would have had to wait for it to dry before I could draw on it.

I also place masking tape over the staples, this gives me as nice edge once the painting is finished and the tape is removed.

As I use Gator Board — which is made of two thin veneers of compressed wood on either side of a foam core — it is very easy to remove the staples when the painting is completed.

It is important that the staples are not too far apart or when the paper dries it will be pulled through the staples and most of the benefit of stretching will be lost.

Soaking paper then drying the painting surface

For this method, you soak your paper in a bath tub or bucket for about 10 to 15 minutes. You then lift it out and lay it onto a waterproof board after which the painting surface is dried with a clean cloth towel.

Once the surface is dry, but with the rest of the paper still very wet, you can begin painting. You can also tape the edges down with masking tape if you want to have a nice border around your finished work.

This technique is quite good as it allows you to start painting relatively quickly, and the wet paper stops any cockling (wrinkling). It also permits you to keep working on your wet-on-wet passages quite a bit longer. The wet paint does not soak into the paper as much as it is already quite wet. Also, as the top surface has been dried, you are still able to create sharp edges or use dry-brush techniques.

Just thoroughly wetting the back

I often use this method to stretch watercolor paper as it is simple and quick. It allows me to get painting as soon as possible. Basically, this technique involves using a brush to thoroughly wet the back of my paper, once I have completed my initial drawing.

After wetting the back, I lay the paper down onto a waterproof surface, and I begin panting straight away. This is an excellent technique for anyone who finds their paper drying too fast. It also allows you to gently lift the paper and give it a light spray underneath to keep it damp.

To understand why this method works, you have to realise that when you paint onto dry paper the water in your paint mixture dissipates in two ways. Firstly, it dries through evaporation, however, it is also absorbed by the dry paper underneath. Because of these two processes, the painting surface can dry quite quickly, which can be a problem for less experienced artists – or when painting is a very hot environment. However, with this system, as the paper is quite wet below the painting surface, you mainly have to contend with surface evaporation — hence giving you more time to work on your wet-on-wet passages.

Using canvas stretchers and staples

This is an interesting technique to stretch watercolor paper. I found it in a book by Ewa Karpinska, where the wet watercolor paper was fixed to wooden canvas stretchers. One big advantage of this technique is that as the paper dries you can easily spray the back to keep the moisture content under control. You must be careful you do not damage the paper surface as you work however, as it effectively has no backing board.

I am sure there are other systems to stretch watercolor paper, but these are the main ones I have come across. If you know of any others, please let me know.

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Author: Joe

Owner and adminstration of the Painting With Watercolors website and forum. I am a professional watercolor artist, though I also use other mediums including pen and ink. I also enjoy playing with computers and the internet so this website is a bit of a hobby of mine. View all posts by Joe

2 thoughts on “How to stretch watercolor paper”

Interesting article. I have recently decided to start painting and as I am new to watercolors and often wondered about stretching the paper I’m working on. I haven’t used very large pieces so I’ve had lots of curling on my work. I’m using140# 9×12 sheets. I like the idea of wetting the back. I will try it.

Oh wonderful. That is one of my big worries!

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