Watercolour Tips, Tricks & Techniques

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Watercolour Tips, Tricks & Techniques

Each week another free tip, trick or technique will be added to build up into a library of useful 'stuff'. These are the sorts of things I really wish someone had told me when I started watercolours.

They will also be posted weekly on Liz's YouTube channel, so if you have not already subscribed, please do and you will be emailed when a new one is available.

Remember

You are invited to join a friendly Facebook Group to share your work or ask questions: https://www.facebook.com/groups/694706731930461

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Watercolour techniques

In this section you will find all sorts of watercolour techniques, from the fundamentals to the more experimental.

Every week I create a short film about a tip, trick or watercolour technique to share here and on my YouTube channel. These are the things I wish someone had told me when I was starting out.

If you would like to share your own tips and paintings, why not join my Facebook Group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/watercolourstudiowithlizchaderton/

And if there is a topic you would like to see covered, please message me.

1. Colour sanding - using watercolour pencils for beautiful effect

5 mins
519 MB

2. How to use masking fluid - 8 Dos and 8 Don'ts

14 mins
1.45 GB

3. Colour mixing secrets

14 mins
1.46 GB

4. Mixing blacks and vibrant darks

16 mins
1.6 GB

5. Watercolour splatter technique

14 mins
1.43 GB

6. Lots of ways to use a spray bottle with watercolours

12 mins
1.21 GB

7. Adding the appearance of texture with plastic wrap

12 mins
1.24 GB

8. What could you use instead of plastic wrap in watercolour?

16 mins
1.68 GB

9. How to use salt in watercolour

10 mins
1.06 GB

10. How to avoid muddy watercolours

13 mins
1.32 GB

11. Top tips for encouraging granulation

19 mins
1.98 GB

12. How to use masking tape like a pro!

14 mins
1.47 GB

13. 27 ideas for creating textures and mini concertina sketchbook

25 mins
2.57 GB

14. How to paint watercolour on tissue paper

14 mins
1.4 GB

15. The importance of edges in watercolour

12 mins
1.98 GB

16. Painting shadows and tone in watercolour

20 mins
2.08 GB

17. How to paint believeable waterdrops

19 mins
3.27 GB

18. Bad habits - three things (well four) you really shouldn't do!

6 mins
936 MB

19. Why you must dry watercolour properly

7 mins
730 MB

20. How to preserve whites in watercolour

17 mins
1.78 GB

21. How to paint white subjects in watercolour

13 mins
1.28 GB

21. White duck reference

843 KB

22. Colour value switching

16 mins
1.62 GB

23. Can you use a hairdryer on watercolours?

10 mins
1000 MB

24. How to fix a buckled painting

8 mins
870 MB

25. Two ways to paint eggs and five speckle ideas

15 mins
1.52 GB

26. Painting flowers on black watercolour paper

8 mins
793 MB

27. Magnetic watercolours???

14 mins
1.4 GB

28. Paint Stunning Watercolour Eggs

26 mins
2.68 GB

29. Metallic watercolours for beginners - palm tree and sunset

12 mins
849 MB

30. How to use a Ruling Pen

19 mins
2 GB

31. How to add text to your paintings using letter punches

10 mins
702 MB

32. How to improve your watercolour paintings by using thumbnails

19 mins
3.33 GB

Watercolour supplies

In this section you will find lots of tips about the supplies you need to paint in watercolour, along with how to care for them and how to get the most out of them.

1. Deep cleaning brushes

4 mins
232 MB

2. Magic Eraser - top tips for using it with watercolour

9 mins
945 MB

3. Smallest paintbox ever!

4 mins
413 MB

4. Separating paint - what is that puddle of gunge?

5 mins
518 MB

5. How to save dried up paint tubes

13 mins
1.3 GB

6. How to stop your paint beading up on a plastic palette

11 mins
1.14 GB

7. How to make your own travel palette/set

23 mins
2.41 GB

8. Good and bad watercolour paper and why it really, really matters

13 mins
1.32 GB

9. What's going on in that tube of paint?? Learn all about your pigments

22 mins
2.28 GB

10. Review of black watercolour paper

20 mins
2.04 GB

11. Testing cheap metallic watercolours

24 mins
1.73 GB

12. Testing out acrylic inks - can you use them like watercolours?

22 mins
2.28 GB

13. Using Mixing balls to stop your ink separating

4 mins
394 MB

14. Is any gold paint as good as gold leaf?

11 mins
1.08 GB

15. Transfer spray

9 mins
664 MB

Watercolour on non traditional surfaces such as canvas and wood

Watercolours are traditionally painted on paper, but what if you could paint them on canvas and no long be restricted by size or the need to protect them with a mount and glass?

The advent of watercolour grounds lets the adventurous watercolourist do just that.

If you want to find out more please take a look at my best selling book 'Painting Watercolours on Canvas' published by The Crowood Press. And you will also find my full course for painting watercolours on canvas on this site. Finally, I run a friendly Facebook Group dedicated to the technique here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/watercolouroncanvas/

1. Make your own watercolour ground

4 mins
270 MB

2. Can you really wash off watercolour canvas?

3 mins
323 MB

3. How to make and use clear watercolour gorund

11 mins
1.13 GB

4. Layering watercolours on canvas

17 mins
1.81 GB

5. Using metal leaf in your art

26 mins
2.74 GB

6. How to get a dent out of your canvas

2 mins
128 MB

7. Can you use varnish to layer watercolour washes on canvas?

15 mins
1.53 GB

8. Painting watercolour on wood - part 1

13 mins
928 MB

Line and wash techniques

Line and wash is such a wonderful and versatile technique. It is where painting and drawing meet. You might also like my book 'Line and Wash Painting' published by The Crowood Press. The films in the Urban and Travel Sketching section are mostly line and wash too.

1. Which is the best pen for sketching?

11 mins
1.11 GB

2. Which comes first pen or wash?

15 mins
1.51 GB

4. What should artists look for in their pens and inks

15 mins
1.57 GB

3. Watercolour and ink doodling

10 mins
987 MB

5. Preparing a new nib for your dip pen

8 mins
779 MB

6. Using a dip pen and ink for line and wash painting

28 mins
2.92 GB

7. How good are glass dip pens?

12 mins
1.18 GB

8. Flip through of Painting in LIne and Wash book

6 mins
559 MB

Drawing tips and techniques

In this section you will find drawing tips and techniques. Drawing is about really seeing the world as it is, rather than what our bossy brain thinks we should see it!

1. Understanding one, two or three point perspective

19 mins
1.98 GB

2. How to use gridding to transfer an image

16 mins
1.7 GB

3. Sketching techniques for when your subject is about to drive away - vintage MGA

7 mins
1.12 GB

4. Drawing upside down to trick your brain into really seeing - especially for portraits

12 mins
869 MB

4a. Upside down reference

668 KB

5. Drawing portraits upside down - trick your eye into really seeing

18 mins
1.32 GB

5a. Reference

2.17 MB

Urban and travel sketching

Urban sketching is incredibly popular. It's all about connecting with the place you are in. But how do you get started? You might also find films in the Line and Wash section helpful.

Urban Sketching is reportage - it's drawing or painting on location in the cities, towns, or villages that you live in and travel to. You are capturing a moment in time in a unique way. I saw this lovely quote from Roisin Cure "The essence of an urban sketch is that its primary function is not to be beautiful, but to capture what it feels like to be human. This could be in a man-made building, the hand of man on the landscape, or human beings in action, wherever they are or whatever they are doing."

If you want to have a go, these films will help get you started.

1. Urban sketching for beginners - step by step on location

19 mins
3.24 GB

1a. Reference photo of house

1.49 MB

2. Speedy urban sketching in Amsterdam

33 mins
3.46 GB

2a. Amsterdam reference photo

1.63 MB

3. Detailed urban sketching in Amsterdam - playing with perspective

36 mins
2.63 GB

3a. Amersterdam reference photo

3.17 MB

3b. Amsterdam sketch

2.19 MB

4. House sketching tutorial for beginners

30 mins
2.2 GB

4a. House reference picture

2.43 MB

4b. House sketch

1.96 MB

5. Fast and simple urban sketching - Sydney Opera House in 15 minutes

21 mins
1.55 GB

5a. Reference of Sydney

1.51 MB

6. Speed sketching with a fountain pen - fast and simple urban sketch of Cirencester

28 mins
2.05 GB

6a. Cirencester reference

3.72 MB

7. Oxford - Urban sketching with a fountain pen

28 mins
2.92 GB

7a. Oxford reference

859 KB

8. Black fountain pen ink comparison - what to look for

12 mins
911 MB

9. Speed sketching with a fountain pen and document ink

17 mins
1.77 GB

9a. Reference

5.06 MB

10. How to get a sense of depth in your urban sketches - using line weight, detail, warmth and contrast

12 mins
883 MB

10a. Weight reference

7.83 MB

11. Travel sketchbook flip through - Come sketch with me in Hawaii, Australia and Thailand

16 mins
2.78 GB

12. Tips for hiking sketching - sketching The Ridgeway

17 mins
1.8 GB

13. Urban sketching with a fountain pen

27 mins
4.63 GB

Framing and presenting your watercolours

Watercolours need to be protected, so usually they are framed under a mount and behind glass. Though this traditional presentation can really enhance a painting, it can also be costly and with a large scale painting the weight can be prohibitive. Then, of course, glass breaks and corners of frames get chipped.

This section explores framing and presentation to show off your work.

1. Waxing watercolours - no more framing and glass

5 mins
806 MB

2. How to use a float frame

17 mins
1.71 GB

3. How to wax watercolour paintings

17 mins
1.75 GB

Full painting tutorials

Most of the tips and tricks here are short and concentrate on a particular technique, but occasionally I share a full painting.

If you are looking for more fully narrated step by step paintings please check out the paid for courses on this site.

1. Painting an otter in watercolour

24 mins
2.51 GB

1a. Reference photo of otter

5.36 MB

2. Painting a Pheasant in watercolour

28 mins
2.91 GB

2a. Pheasant reference

3.07 MB

3. Line and wash dog portrait - a rather handsome Great Dane

18 mins
1.89 GB

4. How to paint a beetle in watercolour

22 mins
3.69 GB

4a. Beetle outline

1.4 MB

5. How to paint a ladybird in watercolour

18 mins
1.34 GB

6. Painting a vintage car in line and wash

22 mins
3.79 GB

6a. Reference photo of MGA

3.01 MB

7. Watercolour portrait painting using a purple under painting - counter intuitive but it works!

17 mins
1.24 GB

7a. Portrait reference photo

298 KB

8. Portrait painting for beginners using a purple underpainting - part 2

24 mins
1.74 GB

8a. portrait reference photo originally from Sktchy

1.28 MB

9. Portrait painting using a purple underpainting - part 3

25 mins
1.82 GB

9a. Portrait reference

812 KB

10. Portrait painting part 4 - painting a child - Girl in a beret

20 mins
2.07 GB

10a. Girl in a beret reference

1.28 MB

11. Scribble drawing of a rhino using pen and ink

25 mins
1.85 GB

11a. Reference of rhino

7.93 MB

12. Simple watercolour portrait painting for beginners

19 mins
1.35 GB

12a. Reference picture

2.66 MB

13. Overcome your fear of portrait painting

15 mins
1.09 GB

13a. Portrait of a girl reference

540 KB

14. How to paint animals in line and wash - koala bear

18 mins
1.86 GB

14a. Koala reference

3.81 MB

15. Painting animals in line and wash - kangaroo

24 mins
2.49 GB

15a. Kangaroo reference

1.58 MB

16. Scribble drawing tips for beginners

23 mins
2.37 GB

16a. Crocodile reference

1.38 MB

17. Otter

23 mins
3.89 GB

17a. Otter reference

2.64 MB

Making your own sketch or watercolour books - all without sewing

Making your own sketchbook is easy and fun and I have selected styles which require no specialist equipment.

1. Concertina style one - more to come!

27 mins
2.78 GB

2. Concertina 2

26 mins
2.71 GB

3. Perfect bound

25 mins
2.59 GB

4. Ringbound

26 mins
2.69 GB

Product reviews

Every so often, I get sent art products to use and review. This makes me super excited as I love a freebie! I always make it clear that any opinion I express will be totally truthful. I will try and be constructive, giving pros and cons, but if it is rubbish I will say so! Here are a few reviews which might help you not waste your money or conversely tempt you into buying more!

1. Which is the best sketchbook? Taking a look at the Etchr watercolour sketchbook

23 mins
1.66 GB

2. TWSBI Eco fountain pen review - for artists and sketching

12 mins
918 MB

3. Paul Rubens fourth generation watercolour review

26 mins
1.9 GB

4. Muse Kits - are they any good?

17 mins
1.79 GB

5. Etchr brushes

13 mins
957 MB

6. Bastion Fountain pen - any good for sketching?

12 mins
1.99 GB

7. Viviva colorsheets

18 mins
2.98 GB

Miscellaneous

All the things which don't really fit anywhere else!!

1. Making a giant Easter egg!

8 mins
850 MB

2. Painting with coffee

13 mins
1.31 GB

3. Painting with coffee part 2 - plus tips for drawing birds

22 mins
2.3 GB

3a. Reference photo of sparrow

498 KB

4. Understand copyright and stay on the right side of the law

27 mins
4.65 GB

5. New Book - Painting Birds in Watercolour is out now!

4 mins
279 MB

6. Painting the cover of my sketchbook in watercolour - Etchr sketchbook

22 mins
1.62 GB

7. How to create your own enamel pins - with GS-JJ

17 mins
2.44 GB

8. How I make my greeting cards

26 mins
2.63 GB

9. Painting with glue and ink - ink resist technique

12 mins
876 MB