Welcome to Louise De Masi’s Watercolour Tips Blog, your ultimate resource for mastering the art of watercolour painting.
Dive into expert advice, step-by-step tutorials, and creative techniques to elevate your artistry. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist, Louise’s insightful posts cover everything from basic brushwork to advanced colour blending. Discover how to choose the best materials, perfect your painting skills, and find inspiration for your next masterpiece.
Join our community of passionate artists and unleash your creativity with Louise De Masi’s professional watercolour tips.
P.S. Click on the button below to see an index of all blog posts or search for a specific post in the search bar.
P.P.S. If you have an RSS feeder and would like to add this blog, click on the Watercolour Tips RSS feed below.
One of the great things about line and wash is its versatility, but choosing the right surface is key to letting both your ink lines and watercolour washes come to life. In my experience, a few surfaces work best, each bringing out different qualities in the technique. Opt for white paper to really let the transparency of your watercolour art supplies shine.
Read MoreWhen you're starting out, it's tempting to buy the cheapest supplies available – after all, you’re just experimenting, right? But here's the thing: quality materials can make all the difference in how your artwork turns out and, more importantly, in how you feel while painting.
Read MoreSealing a watercolour painting can be an excellent way to protect it from environmental factors, especially if you plan to display it without glass. When a painting isn’t framed behind glass, it is more vulnerable to moisture, smudging, and dirt.
Applying a protective sealer or workable fixative creates a barrier over the surface, adding extra durability to your artwork. For those who like to give their pieces a modern, glass-free look, sealing is essential.
Read MoreNow that we’ve covered the basics, let’s roll up our sleeves and dive into the fun part - actually mixing those greens!
This is where the magic happens, and I promise, it’s not as daunting as it might seem. Whether you're aiming for a fresh spring green or a deep forest shade, the right colour combinations can make all the difference.
So, grab your paint palette, and let’s experiment with some tried-and-true mixes that will give you just the right colour green for any painting.
Read MoreUnderstanding temperature bias is crucial when mixing greens. Colours can have either a warm or cool bias, which affects the overall temperature of the green you create. Generally, because green is considered a cool colour, mixing a cool blue with a cool yellow will produce a bright and vibrant green. In contrast, mixing a warm blue with a warm yellow will result in a more subdued and dull green.
If you're unsure about the temperature of your colours, check out my blog post that explains how to determine their temperature.
Read MoreThe wet-on-wet technique is all about letting go and embracing the unpredictability of watercolour. Start by thoroughly wetting your paper with clean water. Next, load your brush with pigment and apply it to the wet surface. Watch as the colours blend and flow into each other on the wet paper, creating soft, organic transitions.
This technique is perfect for painting dreamy skies, misty landscapes, and soft backgrounds where you want the colors to meld seamlessly. It's like watching magic unfold on your paper, as the water guides the paint in beautiful, unexpected ways.
Read MoreMany beginners fall into the trap of overthinking their paintings. Instead of letting go of the outcome and allowing themselves to be creative and have fun, they become tense and try to analyse every detail. This overuse of the left analytical brain can stifle creativity, overshadowing the intuitive and spontaneous process that is essential in watercolour painting. Finding a balance between analytical thinking and creative expression is key to enjoying the artistic journey and achieving satisfying results.
Read MoreIn 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.
Read MoreAquabord is a unique painting surface created by Ampersand Art Supply, designed specifically for watercolour and other water-based media. Aquabord is available in various options, including flat panels and cradle profiles. The texture of Aquabord is similar to cold-pressed watercolour paper, allowing colours to retain their purity and vibrancy. Unlike traditional watercolour paper, Aquabord is made from a rigid, absorbent clay surface that is applied to a hardboard panel.
Read MoreWhen your paint no longer offers the sheen of freshness, it's time to step back and let the canvas breathe. Embrace this moment of stillness, allowing the paint to dry completely before introducing more pigment. This necessitates a swifter approach to your strokes - often a leap for watercolour beginners, who tend to meticulously shape their washes, giving time for the edges to start setting.
Read MoreI love painting birds, and it's a lot of fun for me, but it wasn't working at the beginning. Even though I worked off reference photos, I needed a better understanding of what I wanted to achieve. The first painting did not turn out as planned, prompting me to start over, not once but multiple times. I had to develop new ideas and spend time practicing creating a beautiful artwork.
Read MoreThere are two effective methods to achieve soft edges in watercolour painting. The first is the wet-on-wet technique, where you are applying paint to wet paper. This method allows the paint to spread across the moist surface, naturally creating a soft edge as it disperses. You can apply this technique to paper that's visibly wet and shiny or to paper that's merely damp, after the initial sheen has faded.
Read MoreIn my studio, surrounded by brushes, pigments, painting materials and light that inspires my work, the choice of paper is paramount. The watercolour paper surface and the used sizing will greatly affect the outcome. I've found that artist-quality papers, like Arches, offer a balance that complements the lifting technique beautifully.
Read MoreOne 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.
Read MoreIt'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.
Read MoreBefore 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.
Read MoreUnderstanding 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.
Read MoreWhen 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.
Read More
