Don’t Ask “How Can I Paint ___ in Watercolor?” Instead, Flip the Question
Instead, explore different watercolor effects and “textures” and ask “What does this watercolor effect remind me of? What could I use it to suggest?”
Similar Posts
The Most Important Watercolor How-To
Having trouble finding the time and energy to paint? Try designing some Anti-Rules!
Is My Painting Done?
This article is the first of a series on creating more powerful, personal and expressive paintings. When I teach watercolor classes or workshops, there is often a moment where a student comes up to me, thrusts a painting into my face and demands: Tell me what’s wrong with it. What do I need to fix?…
What’s That Pen You Use for Drawing?
A lot of people have been asking about what pen I use for drawing in my journals. In this post, I describe the bottled waterproof ink and pen(s) I use in my Studio Journal, and a couple of alternative options if you prefer cartridges over bottled ink.
How to Use Reference Photos More Creatively
Here are some ideas for breaking free from “the tyranny of the photo” so you can use your photo references more creatively
Creativity Booster— Try Improv Painting!
Here’s an exercise to help you stimulate your creativity, loosen up or find your own style.
Paint Shapes, Not “Things”
Want your paintings to look unified? It helps to combine “things” into larger shapes, and then use smaller shapes to (partially) separate them. Here’s an exercise to help you practice. First, set up a still life with a couple of simple objects. Avoid anything that has a lot of pattern, texture, reflections or complicated edges—you…