So many people are intimidated by art or think they are not capable of making something beautiful with little to no experience. This is absolutely not true! I have helped many “un-artistic” people paint for the very first time and walk away with something they could hang on the wall. All you need to start, is a few simple tips and to understand what types of paintings are manageable without much experience. After much trial and error, myself, I find myself coming back to three foundational concepts. If you want a live demonstration of these, check out my upcoming virtual workshop!

Tip #1: Sketch it Out First!
For any type of painting, you always need to sketch out the basic outline of your picture before you paint. It is difficult to paint well if you are trying to create the right proportions and shapes on the fly. This is particularly true of watercolor because it dries so fast. If you are not confident of your sketching, start with a basic landscape or a sky painting for their simple layouts.

Tip #2: Understand Colors
Color mixing is especially important in watercolor because any colors you layer will mix slightly even if the base layer is dry. Thankfully, there are only a few things you need to know. Yellow, Blue, & Red are your primary colors. You can make ANY color from these three! If you mix all three of these colors together, you get a muddy looking brown. It can also be helpful to understand how complimentary colors interact, but that is a topic for another day!

Tip #3 Wet-Wet or Wet-Dry?
This is the most unique aspect of watercolor compared to any other medium. Water affects how the paint and the water interact and affect the texture of your painting. Painting on already wet paper will result in a smooth and gradient affect while painting on dry paper will give you distinct and hard lines.