I always begin my floral paintings with a wet-on-wet technique for the initial wash, embracing the unpredictability and softness it brings. This stage is about capturing the ephemeral qualities of petals- their delicacy and the gentle interplay of light and shadow. I wet the paper first, allowing the paint to flow freely, blending seamlessly into the damp surface. Sometimes, I paint each petal individually, while other times I apply a wash over the entire flower at once. It depends on the flower and the level of colour or value variation within each petal.

Watercolour Subjects, Watercolour How toLouise De Masi17 December 2024Techniques, Technical Guides, Beginner TipsComment

10 Common Watercolour Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Watercolour’s transparency is what makes it so beautiful, but it’s also where the challenge lies. If you don’t allow each layer to dry completely before adding the next, you can disturb the underlying colours, causing them to mix in ways you didn’t intend. This can lead to muddy colours in your painting, where the vibrancy of the colours is lost.

Watercolour How toLouise De Masi3 November 2024Beginner Tips, Technical GuidesComment

Exploring Daniel Smith Watercolour: Rose of Ultramarine: A Watercolour Gem

In the world of watercolour painting, the choice of pigments can significantly impact the final artwork. Daniel Smith paints, known for their Extra Fine Watercolours and Watercolour & Gouache products, offer a wide range of high-quality pigments. One of my old favourites is Daniel Smith’s Rose of Ultramarine, a unique blend that has brought my rose painting to life. In this post, I’ll share insights about this exquisite colour, its composition, and why it can be advantageous for artists to use premixed colours like this one.

Art Supplies, Watercolour How toLouise De Masi10 June 2024Techniques, Beginner TipsComment

Staining and Non-Staining Watercolours

Understanding why some pigments stain while others do not can feel a bit like unlocking a secret garden - once inside, everything seems vivid and clear. The behaviour of watercolour pigments, whether they are likely to stain or not, is deeply rooted in the characteristics of the pigments used in their creation. This variance can dramatically affect both the technique and final appearance of a watercolour piece.

Crafting Your Watercolour Workspace: Starting Small with Big Dreams

The way you organise your workspace can significantly impact your artistic flow, much like a well-prepared table sets the scene for a meal. Imagine your workspace as a canvas, where each element — from palettes to brushes, from water jars to the paper itself — is positioned not merely by necessity, but with an intuitive grace.

How to Start Watercolour Painting – First Steps for Beginners

Before you start painting, every artist’s journey begins with the first step: selecting your tools and getting familiar with all the materials you need. Watercolour paints come in pans and tubes, each with its unique charm. Watercolour brushes, in their myriad shapes and sizes, are your loyal companions, and watercolour paper—your canvas—awaits with its textures and weights. There is cold press paper, hot press paper, paper, that lies in between... Let's not forget the supporting cast: watercolour palette, masking fluid, and sponges.

16 Watercolour Tips and Tricks to make Your Life Easier

Imagine water as the dance partner in your watercolour tango. Like any good partner, water can lead you to create fluid, dynamic movements on the paper. However, if not in sync, it can step on your toes, causing washes to bleed uncontrollably or colours to become dull. Very little water will result in dry brush like strokes, whereas too much water will flood your paper and make the colour hard to handle.

Watercolour Transparency and Opacity

One thing most watercolour artists try to avoid is making mud when they mix colours.

Muddy colours appear lifeless or lacking in vibrancy. To avoid making dull colours it's best to use transparent colours when you mix paint.

Opaque pigments, because they are heavier and denser, tend to become dull and lifeless when you mix with them, particularly when you mix two or more opaque pigments together. If you need to mix with an opaque pigment - pair it with a transparent pigment to avoid a thick and heavy mixture.

Elevate your Art with Watercolour Backgrounds

Backgrounds in art fill the critical space between the subject and the frame, turning empty canvases into resonant scenes brimming with life. They define the positive (subject) and negative (space around the subject) spaces, adding layers of depth and context. A background can support the main subject with a contrasting or complementary backdrop or even steal the spotlight, as Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night” beautifully illustrates. They're not just settings; they're expressions, setting the mood, suggesting settings, and influencing the viewer's emotional response.

Watercolour Techniques, MotivationalLouise De Masi20 February 2024Benefits, Technical Guides, Tutorial, Beginner TipsComment

11 Easy Watercolour Painting Ideas for Beginners

Diving into the world of watercolor painting can be both exhilarating and a bit daunting for beginners. With its beautiful washes and vibrant hues, watercolor art offers a unique medium to express creativity. However, the thought of mastering this fluid form of painting might seem overwhelming at first.

Substituting Paint Colours: Navigating Different Brands with Ease

Before diving into specific colour substitutions, it's crucial to understand colour properties: hue, value, and saturation. These are universal, regardless of the brand. Hue refers to the colour itself, value to its lightness or darkness, and saturation to its intensity. When looking for a substitute, aim for a match in these three properties, and you'll be close to the original colour.

Painting Watercolour for Beginners: 5 Frequently Asked Questions

It's important to store your watercolour brushes well to maintain their shape, preserve the bristles, and extend their lifespan.

I used to store my brushes upright in containers but when we built my studio I included some narrow drawers to be built into the cabinetry.

I now store my brushes in the drawers. I bought some PVC multi purpose cupboard protector rolls and I cut them to fit inside the drawers. The liner stops the brushes from rolling around when I open and shut the drawers.

Watercolour for Beginners: Basic Brush Strokes to Practise

Before you start practicing there are several factors that can affect the outcome and quality of your brush strokes in watercolour painting.

Be aware of how much water you have mixed into your paint mixture. Thicker paint may result in more textured strokes, while thinner paint creates smoother, more translucent effects. When you are practicing brush strokes like those demonstrated in this blog post, you want the paint brush to glide over the paper so your paint mixture needs to be fluid and not too thick.

Watercolour TechniquesLouise De Masi15 January 2024Techniques, Technical Guides, Tutorial, Beginner Tips, Daily PracticeComment

Mastering Water Control in Watercolour Painting: A Comprehensive Guide

Understanding the amount of water on your brush and its interplay with the paper is vital. Watercolour techniques like dry-on-dry, wet-on-dry, wet-on-wet, and dry-on-wet are not just techniques; they are the essence of watercolour painting. Each watercolour method allows for a different expression of water and pigment, and mastering these can elevate your art.

Many beginners may not use enough water on their paper. The brush should glide effortlessly over the paper for most techniques, except for dry brushing. Adjusting the water level in the paint mixture or in your brush, can help achieve the right flow.

Top Tips for Using Masking Fluid

When it comes to applying masking fluid, your imagination is the limit. You can use synthetic brushes, ruling pens, silicone brushes, toothbrushes for splattering effects, sponges, bamboo quills and even fountain pens. Each tool brings its own unique magic to the paper.

Watercolour Techniques, Art SuppliesLouise De Masi22 December 2023Supplies, Beginner Tips Comments

A Simplified Painting from a Detailed Subject

When I paint, I don't want to replicate the photo, I want to create an original piece of art.

There's a lot of information in my reference photo. The background is really busy and the Cockatoo has a lot of feather detail so I recognised the need to simplify to achieve a successful painting.

The photograph created the initial spark for the painting but it is merely a starting point to help convey the essence of the scene.

How to Paint Lost and Found Edges in Watercolour

I refer to a lost edge as an edge that is absent. A lost edge is painted by allowing the adjacent colours or values to blend or bleed into one another. In the Leucadendron painting below I have obscured the edges of some of the bracts and leaves by making the background colour the same colour as the subject.

Watercolour Techniques, Watercolour ProjectsLouise De Masi23 November 2023Techniques, Tutorial, Beginner TipsComment

How Do You Mix Black Watercolour Paint?

The pre-mixed blacks appear a bit dull and uninspiring compared to the black I mixed myself. There's just something about the personally mixed hue that adds a touch of life to it. It's subtle, but it makes a difference.

When you mix blacks you can also adjust the temperature of the colour which will add some life to your paintings. Because you are mixing colours together, you are in control of the ratios. If you want a cool black, mix more of the cool colour you are using. If you want a warm black use a bit more of the warm colour you are mixing with.

Watercolour Tips

Watercolour tips and techniques to help you improve your painting skills.