Your Watercolour Questions Answered: Part 2 (Patreon)

Hi everyone,

I've been working on answers to some of your questions. Because there were so many, I've broken them up into several parts to keep each post manageable.

This is Part 2

Part 1 is here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/109209964

Part 3 is here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/your-watercolour-109615078

In this part, we will cover:

Transitioning from tutorials to painting on your own.

Overcoming creative block.

The use of black and white in watercolor.

Drawing from photographs.

Unsightly edges

Read on for detailed advice and tips!

Transitioning from tutorials to painting on your own.

There were a few people who asked about this:

Dallas wrote:

"I wonder if you could provide any advice on how to figure out the workflow when starting from a photo or reference artwork. I've been looking at some Australian water colourists and trying to figure out where they started their paintings . For example... Frank Hinder's Cyclists, Canberra 1945. I wouldn't have the faintest in knowing how he may have started and creates all the layers. I go ok following tutorials but get lost working from my own photos or other artists."

Amy asked:

"I think my main struggle is that I’m completely lost when trying to paint an image of my own. Where to start, what to paint first, choosing colours. Is there a series of steps you follow when starting a painting for example, from under painting to final layers? I’d like to get into painting portraits and I genuinely don’t know where to begin with a reference photo of my own."

Elly asked:

"I can follow a tutorial but am lost when painting an original painting from my own reference photo. I don't know where to start. Could you do a tutorial explaining a process. Thank you."

Mariam asked:

"Louise, thank you for allowing us to take up some of your time. I, too, struggle with knowing where to begin when attempting a subject on my own. I know that practice is the key, but would love to feel a small amount of confidence before laying paint to paper. I also have a problem with adding too much pigment - or too little. Finding the balance just seems to escape me. It's wonderful when it works, but then I seem to take two steps back."

Carmen wrote:

"I’m the same as Elly. I’m at a loss when I’m painting on my own. I don’t know where to start and what colours to use."

Because this is a big topic that can't be answered simply I've just posted a blog post today on my website that I hope will answer some of these questions.

Here it is here: https://www.louisedemasi.com/tips/2024/7/16/watercolour-painting-steps

Please read it and leave me some comments if you are not sure about anything.

Cyndi asked:

"How do I work my way out of a creative block? I realize that my question isn’t about watercolor technique. But this is something I’ve been struggling with for quite some time. Thank you for sharing your beautiful work and knowledge."

I have a blog post about getting and staying motivated here: https://www.louisedemasi.com/tips/2023/5/24/how-to-get-motivated-and-stay-motivated-as-an-artist

Here’s another blog post about different ways of overcoming art block:

https://www.louisedemasi.com/tips/2024/4/16/11-ways-to-overcome-art-block

There is also a video attached to the bottom of the blog post.

Marianne asked:

"A friend and I have this “argument” about using pure black and white in a water colour. I learned that indigo or paynes grey is the darkest to take and white only for an eye accent or so. In my opinion, but who am I, water colour has no place for black and white. Is there a more or less “official” rule for a good water colour painting. If you would send in one for a contest, what would be the requirements for it?"

Traditionally, watercolour artists avoid using pure black and white. Instead of black, they might use deep, dark hues like Indigo, Payne's Grey, or a mix of complementary colours to create rich, deep shadows. This approach can result in more vibrant and visually interesting paintings. I have used pre-mixed black on some of my paintings in the past although I try to avoid using it these days. Pre-mixed black tends to look a bit flat looking and can ‘deaden’ a painting.

I’ve written about mixing black here: https://www.louisedemasi.com/tips/2023/11/14/how-do-you-mix-black-watercolour-paint

For whites, rather than using white paint, we usually leave areas of the paper unpainted to serve as highlights, which maintains the transparency and luminosity characteristic of watercolour. Personally, sometimes I have used some white gouache or white ink to add highlights or paint in whiskers and fine hair on animals.

There are no hard and fast rule that forbids the use of black and white.

If you’re considering submitting a painting to a contest always check the guidelines. Some may have specific requirements about the use of black and white.

Ultimately, the choice to use black and white is up to you as an artist. It's important to experiment and find what works best for your style and vision.

Ilse wrote:

"My biggest struggle is the drawing. How do I make the transition from a photograph to a pencil drawing? I love to paint my own photos."

I have written a blog post about how to simplify a reference photo to make a line drawing here:

https://www.louisedemasi.com/tips/2023/9/25/how-to-simplify-a-reference-photo

There is a video at the bottom of the blog post as well.

Dominique wrote:

"Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions, much appreciated. So, I get great results when I'm following your tutorials, but when you don't guide me in my every strokes, I seem to get lost. I make many mistakes, I do everything wrong like adding or removing water and paint when I know its not time, I fuss, I overwork, have to lift, erase and redo , and I get lost in details. I can spend 5 hours on a painting that should take one or two hours. My paintings, incredibly enough, are good, but to my eye, I see all the mistakes and cant find the magic of watercolors in the final result. I don't expect professional results after 3 years of painting, but I would like to be able to stop all this fussing about, how do you do it?"

It's completely natural to feel a bit lost when you're working on your own, and I can assure you that many artists, including myself, go through similar challenges. Here are a few tips that might help:

Firstly, three years of painting is a wonderful start, but remember that watercolour is a journey, and mastery takes time. Be patient with yourself and celebrate your progress. Every mistake is a learning opportunity.

Strategies to Improve

Planning and Simplification: Before you start painting, take a moment to plan your approach. Sketch lightly and decide on your main light and dark areas. Simplifying your composition can also help you avoid getting lost in the details.

Controlled Practice: Set aside time for focused practice on specific techniques, like wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry, or controlled washes. This will help you build confidence in each technique individually.

Use big brushes: I have a tendency to fuss as well. I have found it helps if I force myself to use large brushes.

Blur your eyes when looking at the reference photo: This really helps me to simplify things.

Mindfulness: Pay attention to your water and pigment ratios. Practice controlling the amount of water on your brush and in your mixes. This can help reduce the need for lifting and erasing.

Step Back: Periodically step back and view your painting from a distance. This can give you a fresh perspective and help you see the overall composition rather than getting caught up in small details.

Embrace your mistakes - even the most seasoned artists make mistakes. The beauty of watercolour often lies in its unpredictability and the unique qualities that come from those "happy accidents." Try to embrace these moments as part of the artistic process. The magic of watercolour is in its fluidity and spontaneity. Keep experimenting, learning, and most importantly, having fun with your painting.

Judith wrote:

"Sometimes when I paint it seems like I'm doing well but when it dries most of the paint ends up on the outer edges. I don't know what I'm doing wrong and I don't know how to fix the dried paint. Got any suggestions?"

This happens when you use a lot of water. The water pushes the pigment towards the water’s edge and then when it dries, it leaves a dark pigment edge. This has happened to me many times, and here are a few things I do to prevent it:

Monitor Water Levels: Be aware of the amount of water on your paper, in your paint mixture, and in your brush. Sometimes, all I need to do is tap the side of the brush on a paper towel after loading it with paint to release some excess water.

Check for Puddles: After wetting the paper, check for puddles above the surface. If there are any, I sop up some of the water with my brush to avoid pooling.

Adjust Paint Consistency: If I'm using a lot of water on the paper, I adjust the paint mixture to ensure it has a good consistency and isn’t too watery.

Leave a Dry Margin: When wetting the paper, sometimes I don't take the water all the way to the edge of the area I'm painting. I leave a small brush-width gap of dry paper to prevent the pigment from accumulating at the edges.

Additionally, if you find that paint has already dried with a dark edge, you can try to soften the edge by lightly re-wetting the area with a clean, damp brush and gently blending it. Be careful not to lift the paint too much.

I use Eradicator brushes for this. You can read about them here: https://www.louisedemasi.com/tips/2023/5/5/the-eradicator-brush

Thank you!

I'll post part 3 next week.