Biggest mistake I see beginner watercolor artists make, and how to fix it

No video

Biggest mistake I see beginner watercolor artists make, and how to fix it

Рет қаралды 206,175

Күн бұрын

In this video I talk about the biggest mistake I see beginner watercolor artists make and I show the steps to take to fix it.
For more tips and tutorials, follow me on instagram
@hellolovelypeople_
Patreon
patreon.com/kristinvanleuven
My first book, Modern Watercolor
amzn.to/3zHaWHv
My second book, Your Year in Art: Watercolor
amzn.to/3zzJg7v
Flower color guide
amzn.to/3SY8OYV
Flower color theory
amzn.to/48lcSH5
Supplies list and links:
Paint
Lately I've been using handmade paint by letter sparrow and I'm loving it!
www.letterspar...
winsor and newton tube paints
amzn.to/38WuRas
(can select paint color and tube size)
Ceramic palette amzn.to/3jV41Gb
Paint colors in my Winsor and Newton palette
Hookers green light
emerald
viridian
cad yellow hue
lemon yellow hue
cad red deep
turquoise
Opera rose
winsor and newton cotman travel pans (student grade)
amzn.to/3yRjBXv
Daler Rowny 48 watercolor pan set
amzn.to/4bJFuN6
Paper
arches cold press watercolor paper
amzn.to/3l4wubT
Baohong watercolor paper
amzn.to/3I1mAUv
Student grade paper
canson cold press amzn.to/3z6L9bP
“Just Journal It” watercolor notebook
Etsy: www.etsy.com/s...
Instagram: www.instagram....
Brushes
princeton round 2
amzn.to/3zYEzVM
Princeton round size 8
amzn.to/49h9GOd
Princeton flat brush
amzn.to/3SZvk3I
Princeton angular
amzn.to/42KFSqP
Polina Bright Brushes
link: www.polinabrigh...
code: Hellolovelypeople
for 10% off on her site
(My favorite is the round brush size 0)
Masking fluid w/ brush
amzn.to/3lThoq9
Masking fluid - fine detail
amzn.to/4bE1SaK
Masking tape
amzn.to/3T16ujX
Travel watercolor kit
amzn.to/3wlrDfO

Пікірлер: 287

@sunnyscott4876 Ай бұрын

LOL..I'm still at the point that I would be happy if I could paint the pot on the left!!!!

@clairecole1736 Ай бұрын

I was thinking exactly the same thing!

@letitiarosenthal2286 Ай бұрын

Yep same 😂

@user__214 28 күн бұрын

Same, but I like having something to reach for in the moments when it feels doable!

@sunnyscott4876 28 күн бұрын

@@user__214 I agree. I tried it and it actually worked. I was pleased!

@user__214 28 күн бұрын

@@sunnyscott4876 That's awesome

@dianeevans1803 Ай бұрын

I love the side by side comparison painting. Do more of these😊

@dianeloftus5476 Ай бұрын

My paintings continue to look like the one on the left... I just don't "see" the light and shadows while painting, nor can I envision them. As I watch and learn, I am at least getting more than one value, usually two (and sometimes three) values while painting . Your video was very helpful and I will continue trying the technique. Thank you! Your instructional videos always teach me a little something when I watch them!

@oussamabenmebarek4804 Ай бұрын

Hi,I think you should prep your painting, there are many artists that have use of grey scale picture or do a value study with pencil or shades of neutral tint , premixing colours is also helpful to speed up process and ease focus , if you paint a picture or screenshot use your phone to apply a filter grey scale and adjust contrast and luminosity to identify these values

@coolrunnings3 Ай бұрын

Great!

@Lacroix999 Ай бұрын

So a couple of exercises that you can do to learn to see your values better are: 1) squinting your eyes, and 2) doing a contour drawing, and, 3) spend all of your free time just looking at everything around you as it is. 1) is pretty self explanatory. 2) a contour drawings is a line usually, but not always done in one continuous line, and sometimes without even looking at your paper. By following the contours of the lights and darks in VERY subtle changes, you learn to see everything in a new way from shadows to color variations. The more you practice doing this, the better you get at it. 3) also a bit self explanatory, but it also helps when you really stop to look at the world around you. When you slow down, you realize that a tree isn’t just a trunk with leaves on it, but a made up of thousands of different various shapes, colors and shades. The same goes for your coffee cup in the morning. Many times when we’re too busy, we don’t stop to see these things and our brain fills in the rest and we think we make a tree that looks like a tree instead of making what we actually see! With practice of all of these things, it does get much easier, but the best part is, that once you have a trained eye like this, you won’t ever be able to see the world the same again! To add to that, if done the same way with colors and really stop to SEE the colors that can make up the colors we need or see, the easier that it will also be to mix your colors in your palette as well! These are exercises I learned in college as a studio art major. The very last one for mixing colors was my favorite! Even if I didn’t really understand color theory at the time which was just something my brain never really processed until years later and ironically only clicked while watching the 30th YT on it 😖, one lesson taught DID help me to learn to paint any color that I needed from the colors I had. The assignment was to go to the paint isle in the store and find 10 random color swatches. Then we were to cut them out into 1” squares and then use the colors we had on our palettes to make that color. We weren’t allowed to cheat or use ‘convenience colors’ to mix what we needed to match our swatches. This was a bit easier since we used acrylic or oil paints that were more opaque, but the same can be done in watercolor as well. Without having any sort of background in color theory, this can still be done with a trained eye be you can still see if a color needs more blue or a tinge more red for example. I can now match any colors I need or see with 99% accuracy with only the colors o have on a basic palette! The last 1% left, being for colors like fluorescents and neons for obvious reasons. I got so good at it, I used to do these exercises just for fun! I highly recommend these exercises as they help TREMENDOUSLY in your art and are of the most useful things I ever got out of my whole entire studio art major education, which is kinda of sad to say, because it was a very expensive lesson especially since I already knew so much about art going into college, but it definitely helped to actually learn to really see the world we live in! I know that was long, but I hope that helps! It definitely helped me along with a boat load of practicing which comes with the territory!!

@dianeloftus5476 Ай бұрын

@@Lacroix999 thank you ❤️ Yes, the whole color wheel thing is still hard to wrap my head around too! Mixing colors is still hard, but I find myself doing more as I paint more and learn my basic colors. Observation is key... I agree. I think my logical brain has a hard time being creative and artistic... but watercolor painting is sure helping!

@dianeloftus5476 Ай бұрын

@@oussamabenmebarek4804 thank you ❤️ I have actually watched a KZfaq artist demonstrate grey scale and found it interesting. Guess I need to give it a try! My logical brain needs to see the actual shades instead of trying to create shadows.

@scarleto3231 24 күн бұрын

I think if one is aiming for more realistic painting then yes, shadows,depth and form are important. I was taught still-life painting in school and I loved and excelled at the technique and I would absolutely paint my pot like the second one. However art is freedom. The first pot is beautiful in its simplicity. You paint your pot however you want to. There is not wrong or right way in art. As Bob Ross said ‘There are only happy mistakes.’.

@beverlyaldridge2635 29 күн бұрын

You explained the beauty of watercolors so clearly--light source, layering, patience!

@kristinvanleuven 28 күн бұрын

Thank you so much! I appreciate it!

@alexandralewis375 Ай бұрын

This was really helpful - the side by side comparison really highlighted the differences. Thank you.

@beatrizangeles-lopez5121 Ай бұрын

Please people do not buy anything from Domestika they are committing fraudulent charges for their annual subscription that people do not sign up for! They also save your method of payment information without your knowledge/consent and it is impossible to remove it.

@davidevans3175 22 күн бұрын

Hello. I'm the pot on the left. It's taken me 13 days to muster up enough self esteem to say something. I though we were friends. Damn.

@joxiejoxie6457 7 күн бұрын

This gotta be the betrayal of the year, damn

@kimesch9698 Ай бұрын

THE best watercolor tutorial! Why have I never seen this explained clearly like this? Please do more of the same with different subjects. Thank you.😀

@danatingey9903 Ай бұрын

Great tutorial! I totally get what you are saying, but have to admit that I still think both the pots are beautiful and usable in different types of art. I loved watching you paint the leaves and am going to try to not be so intentional in painting each individual leaf as a leaf shape. Yours look so much better. Thank you so much! ❤

@janetdegenhardt5999 Ай бұрын

Wow! This has finally made sense to me! I thought I was doing this, but now I see that I was making mine with not enough contrasts.

@user-ef2dl7wp9f 22 күн бұрын

That makes sense about the light coming in on the right and paint lighter colours to emphasise this on the pot and leaves. Definitely looks more natural and balanced too. Thank you Kristin for your time sharing 🌹

@Valeriazane 28 күн бұрын

thank you for sharing! i love watercolor but i still tend to be a bit heavy handed. this was very helpful.

@kellyd6619 Ай бұрын

Thanks for the tips. I somehow like both paintings equally. The right is more realistic and beautiful. But I actually like to look at the left more because it makes me feel happy inside. I don't know why..there's just something about it. (maybe because it's more childlike...?)

@jessrhoward Ай бұрын

This has been the most helpful video I've come across describing and showing how to achieve good contrast and light/dark balance! Thank you so much.

@cindylou3205 Ай бұрын

I just learned more in this vid than in a week of following beginner tutorials. Thanks!

@aprildegele1510 Ай бұрын

I haven't done watercolor in decades and this was a very helpful reminder. I usually work in acrylic, but also oil, and watercolor pencils, but brushing with pan or tube color, it's been a long time and it doesn't work like any other medium.

@LaurieSeefeldt-jw5uh 20 күн бұрын

Great explanation of basics to practice. Learning to paint is just that…learning! None of us are born knowing how to do this. If you consider yourself a newcomer…be patient and practice always!

@nancysteffen7902 Ай бұрын

Thank you, Kristin! Incredible tutorial. Interesting how you don’t see the bad one as “bad” until the good one is painted right next to it!!! Love your channel so much😍😍😍

@beatrizangeles-lopez5121 Ай бұрын

@DavZell Ай бұрын

That was an excellent short explanation and example. Too often, channels make these things are too long and wordy. Thanks!

@samgonzalez-harte2426 29 күн бұрын

Such a fantastic demo Kristin!🌟 love the side by side comparison, so helpful !thank you so much😀✨

@ILoveFountainPensCdn Ай бұрын

This was SOOO INCREDIBLY HELPFUL in more ways than I can describe!! Adding yellow to the paints to make that area warmer and blue to make it cooler will be a game changer for me! Also, when you mentioned the word ‘golden’, it all of a sudden clicked with how light coming through the trees _glow_ in watercolour paintings! Thank you sooo much!!

@99Marna 27 күн бұрын

This was just outstanding! You were very clear with this and although I have done WC a bit, never has the issue of light source and contrast and how to leave white areas explained so very well. And yur color mixing! Just oustanding and thank you! Agree with another's comment - do more like this please!

@judyhammond3181 Ай бұрын

I am an experienced water colourist. Your give very good instruction.

@ti9erlilly Ай бұрын

This video arrived right when I needed it. Over the last month I've been struggling to understand why my paintings were looking so flat, and getting frustrated. Now here you are giving me the answer I needed. Thank you! ✨🖌️🖼️

@christinecloutier4015 Ай бұрын

Great explanation. I love the visual of what we as beginners do compare to the more advanced artist does. Extremely useful. Thank you.

@user-nj9es3we3q 26 күн бұрын

Vielen Dank für das sehr ausführliche Video mit der Schritt-für-Schritt-Anleitung. Es ist mir eine sehr große Hilfe. Ich male noch nicht so lange mit Aquarellfarben. Es macht auch Spaß Dir beim malen zuzuschauen. Bei Dir sieht alles so leicht aus. Viele Grüße aus München in Deutschland, Angela

@elizabethkoeman1149 Ай бұрын

So very well explained ! Excellent tutorial ,clear and precise. Thank you soo much! You have a gift teaching and painting combined. ❤

@juliemaitland1176 Ай бұрын

Just found you and have subscribed. You have taught me a lot in just one, short video. You explain everything so well and in such a way that I will remember it which is quite an achievement as I have ME with “ brain fog”. I love watercolour but I never seem to get it right - it really looks like the first pot! I shall try this out and look forward to your next video. Thank you😊🎉

@Fuumuui0426 Ай бұрын

I think there are many beginners who still make this mistake. They don’t know where to learn this knowledge. Your channel should be seen by more people.

@beatrizangeles-lopez5121 Ай бұрын

@pradeepaeri7243 Ай бұрын

Thanx for very useful application tips, most of us know the contest provides the best definition of any subject in a graphic manner. The key as you explained is in how wet or dry the surface verses how wet or dry the brush. Thanks once again.

@utterlynice1 Ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and insight, and techniques. i just painted a house and fence with a tree and i realized it wasn’t quite right and now i know why. Thank you!!

@karenescalera3597 28 күн бұрын

Well I'm biting the bullet and bought my first watercolor beginning set!! Thank you for the lessons in this cute but amazing rendering of the two drawings.

@valeriapaz232 Ай бұрын

Thank you for explaining this so clearly! You have a rare talent for both painting AND explaining the steps.

@TheShutterbuk 29 күн бұрын

This makes me want to break out my watercolors right now and try it. Thanks for the great video and explanation

@kristinvanleuven 28 күн бұрын

Go for it! 💕💕💕

@arlingtonguy54 Ай бұрын

Thanks that really helps. I like to do architectural urban sketches and my trees always look awful. So yellow green at light source blending to blue green in shadow.

@17.11Acts Ай бұрын

New to your channel! Love love love love love! Ty!! ❤ I am making paper and playing with all of this. The paper has a great texture but acts a but different. Anyway, I have added marigold seeds to the paper and has the words, "plant love". I then watercolor a marigold ...this helps SO much!

@corireeves32 29 күн бұрын

It is true, I approach it like crayons and then try to lighten it up. Starting with it lighter is amazing! Thank you!!

@kristinvanleuven 28 күн бұрын

You are so welcome! I see the desire to paint it like crayons all the time, so you’re among friends haha

@leewhite8355 Ай бұрын

Beautiful, love watching you using your gift xx I can’t draw or paint to save my life!😂.🙏

@marie8642 Ай бұрын

Love your style! You are an excellent teacher - very clear explanations for someone like me, a beginner with a bit of painting exp. wanting to go to next level. Can’t wait to practice creating more effective highlights & shadows. I will definitely be checking out the rest of your channel/resources. Thank you!

@jjroseknows777 Ай бұрын

So glad I found you tonight...just what I needed to see, to learn. Thank you.

@joycevanmeteren6188 28 күн бұрын

Thank you so much for these instructions. I now understand the light and darkness how to put them in. Thanks.

@kristinvanleuven 28 күн бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@holliexenahitchcock 16 күн бұрын

One of the BEST watercolor tutorials I’ve EVER watched! So glad I found you!

@gaillarson9878 26 күн бұрын

Excellent explanation. Thank you so much. I have been painting for quite a while, but I always enjoy hearing and seeing such a clear demonstration. Well done!

@larrycampbell7442 23 күн бұрын

I took my first collegiate art class after I retired from the military. It was an introduction to watercolor at midwestern state university in Wichita Falls Texas and Liz Ash was not only a jewel at watercolor but printing and composition as well. Being retired military I never finished the degree but what I gained from the time is immeasurable

@jamies.8045 28 күн бұрын

What a fabulous tutorial! Thank you for packing so much in to every minute. Excellent teaching style, easy to understand and follow.

@kristinvanleuven 28 күн бұрын

Thank you so much! I appreciate the feedback

@PeacefulSeraph Ай бұрын

This made a lot of sense... although I used to use gouache so I could cheat and get away with whiting out areas that I wanted to emphasize... watercolor definitely has a different vibe where you need to think it out before you go straight in. I like tge look, but I find it difficult to work with tbh 😢

@WanderWild-vw4je 28 күн бұрын

Incredibly helpful video. Very clear tutorial full of important tips and guidelines. I can't wait to practice!

@kristinvanleuven 28 күн бұрын

Thank you so much! I’m so glad you liked it

@Ncstefanie 25 күн бұрын

This is one of the most helpful videos I’ve seen! Love the side by side comparison! It makes a huge difference to see it this way. ❤ PS- congrats on over 100k views!!

@ourmobilejourney814 29 күн бұрын

This was very helpful! Thank you. This is what I need to work on is shading and layering.

@JelilaJelila-ov2jy 27 күн бұрын

I'm great with oils and acrylic but terrible with watercolour! Now I know why!

@michelleharris4014 Ай бұрын

The best tutorial I’ve seen in awhile. I’ve now subscribed and look forward to learning more and taking my work up a notch!

@tinkerbell2675 Ай бұрын

what i have learned in the difference between acrylic and watercolor is, the application of it is in reverse. I am having a problem with watercolor because i cant get where the light parts go before the dark. This is what one of my problems.

@JelilaJelila-ov2jy 27 күн бұрын

Maybe you could paint all the leaves (entirely) in the lightest tone (so you know where they are) then paint medium and darker tones on top. The medium and dark tones will be on the opposite side of the light source (here, they're on the left side). So the leaves go 'light, medium, dark' from right to left.

@NotMyName888 26 күн бұрын

@@JelilaJelila-ov2jy That's essentially what she does in the video, right? And she does it mostly while it's still wet so that she can just "tap" in the mid and dark tones and let the paint work its magic on its own. Can't wait to try this out tomorrow.

@evestree 17 күн бұрын

I love this teaching on contrast and shadow. I use a different medium and it absolutely applies. Thank you!!!

@blackhairverse6361 29 күн бұрын

A minute and 33 seconds in and you’re already calling me out!😭😂 instant like!!

@kristinvanleuven 28 күн бұрын

Haha sorry! Hope it helps 💕

@christineHoxsey Ай бұрын

Such a wonderful teacher, thank you!

@dmat7148 14 күн бұрын

This is exactly what I needed to see, painted a blue bird card today for a friend and I can see it looks too “flat” now. Thanks for the great tips!

@theartkettle 2 күн бұрын

These pots look so cute and adorable...And the techniques are so elaborated! Really helpful! 😀

@robertapalmer3599 18 күн бұрын

Excellent tutorial Step by Step visuals. You explain tips verbally and visually so all is easy to comprehend!

@GayleBranden-pg7hr 22 күн бұрын

Enjoyed your pots. Mine would look like on the left but I'm keeping your example cause it applies to many things with light and dark. Thank you,,from a semi beginner.

@sallym3994 15 күн бұрын

Thank you for such great tips! I've been trying to figure out how to paint like the flower pot on the right side with the sun highlights. I appreciate your help in taking time to share this with us. Very much appreciated. I'm looking forward to more helpful tips on watercoloring painting.

@magicmitch1537 21 күн бұрын

This is great. I haven’t been doing watercolor for long but I’ve always thought that mine looked “paint by numbers” esque. This is very helpful, thanks!

@trident431 2 күн бұрын

This was incredibly helpful. Many very useful tips for a beginner. Thank you!

@mermaid01 Ай бұрын

Ahhh, just the instruction and explanation that I was needing, thank you so much 🎉❤

@willow2816 11 күн бұрын

As a gouache artist returning to watercolor after not using it for a while I keep forgetting that I start light to dark not dark to light 😅

@greenthumbtarasova9863 25 күн бұрын

Thank you so much for these helpful tips! I’ve only just begun to learn watercolor now that my sons are older and need me less. My youngest son is turning four and absolutely adores all sorts of color playing. At least some of my interest is to stay ahead of him in art and figure out how to teach these things to him later.

@allysonlane8969 Ай бұрын

Thank you, great tutorial lesson today!

@sharonlane5647 Ай бұрын

So glad I found you! You explained in a way that I understood! Thank you!

@1lorett1 18 күн бұрын

Man this was so beautiful!! Thank you for the help and guidance.

@dblvictory Күн бұрын

Thank you, Kristin, this was excellent!

@onna-day7047 Ай бұрын

Such a great video! Thank you.❤

@kimberlycorliss9616 Ай бұрын

Thank you! ❤ This is so helpful. Your explanations and examples are easy to understand.

@valasafantastic1055 18 күн бұрын

There are also just two different and equally valid styles. I still like the one on the left. If being done intentionally it’s not a problem. But it’s good to have the skills to know the results and choose the style intentionally. The one on the left seems more overcast/low contrast and the one on the right has a bright lightsource like bright sunlight, etc.

@cheyenneroll 10 күн бұрын

I like to use a tissue for dabbing color, and papertowel for dabbing excess water on my brush

@annipetratos9401 Ай бұрын

This is a great tutorial. We all keep learning and I loved the result 🤍 I noticed in you playlists you have a leaf painting tutorial... but no-one makes tutorials about how to do those really loose bunches of leaves as in the left hand side of this video. So I was already impressed by the left hand side😊...but the right hand side was beautiful xx

@goingvenus5603 7 күн бұрын

This was VERY valuable for a beginner watercolour artist. Thank you!

@kristinvanleuven 7 күн бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@kimeikoraevision5446 13 күн бұрын

This was super helpful and easy to understand. Thanks a lot! ❤

@ElvieMe 23 күн бұрын

Thank you Kristin! Very instructive!

@27Pyth 28 күн бұрын

Nice painting. Nice instruction, and very nice fingernails! A comment on the flower pots... I'm not complaining about the instruction, everything you say about painting and technique is helpful and valuable, but about the flower pots themselves ultimately -- it's not that one is good and the other bad... there's a real proper use for both -- Absolutely as stand alone subjects the one on the right is better/more developed. But in a larger painting that pot on the left might be perfectly rendered for it's subordinate place in a compostion, not drawing too much attention to itself, whereas the very busy energy that the pot on the right has would be distracting 'overdeveloped' and out of place. Sometimes you want a building rendered down to the last nail... sometimes just the silhouette is right... and of course everything in between.

@dm-31024 24 күн бұрын

Thank you. So helpful. really liked how you described the whole time what you were doing and why❤ subscribing. Thank you.🎉

@JaveriaYousuf 9 күн бұрын

Very helpful explanation!!

@ivankanovak8904 24 күн бұрын

Heslo Kristin, I am Czech, watercolor real beginner, your video Is so useful for mě, thanks once more. I Will follow you.

@Aleatoire9 21 күн бұрын

So useful! I am just learning watercolours and am coming from acrylic and digital, where I do mid tones first and then add highlights on top. This is just a little backwards for me 😅

@tecunumantonatiu4484 Күн бұрын

THANK YOU ! Excellent tutorial (s)

@GalesTales Ай бұрын

I like the one on the left more. It looks more solid and real. While the right looks more.... figurative.

@jillbooker7970 Ай бұрын

Thank you for this video! You are a great teacher…your explanations as you paint are amazing ✌🏼👌🏼

@debrabeck6068 28 күн бұрын

The most helpful tutorial ive watched. Thank you

@kristinvanleuven 28 күн бұрын

I love to hear that! Thank you 💕

@narcolepticanarchy 22 күн бұрын

This is my issue. I see the values for a few, and always manage to go right past the lighter ones and darken beyond lifting. I've been trying to avoid this by kind of laying everything out in like, almost pure water if that makes sense..... Aaaand that's what you're doing! 😅

@charis_explores 22 күн бұрын

Loved this! New subscriber here ❤ I love your teaching technique. Excellent 🎉

@sarahguy-levar7955 5 күн бұрын

Such a nice reminder! Thanks!

@melindaavila498 20 күн бұрын

I wish I had seen a tutorial like this 3 years ago 😂 Thanks!

@jolaughlin3187 Ай бұрын

What a great tutorial!! Thanks so much for sharing your talent!

@robind.5370 Ай бұрын

Amazing tutorial! Can you list good colors to use for greens for Windsor newton. I am struggling with this. If I used sap green for light value and added the indigo would that give a good darker value and be realistic