14. This is why I don't make tutorials. Capturing backlight in watercolor. Sketching flying birds.

For me one of the reasons to paint is the light. And light makes the difference. I am totally captured by the atmosphere of backlight with its long shadows, warm colours and crispy contours around walking people in town. These wonderfull moments are allways short, but in this video I try to keep one of them in a watercolour.
Later in this video I explain why I don't make video tutorials. I am curious if you (dis)agree.
My studio is in the centre of the Dutch city The Hague, and that's where the cityscapes are made, you see in this video.
Follow me on instagram: / titusmeeuws
Facebook: / 100034743952168
Website: www.titusmeeuws.com/
Voor Nederland: De podcast waarover ik vertel heet ZINTUIG. Via onderstaande link te luisteren in je favoriete podcast app:
spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/...

[@paul-oram]

I think its beneficial to study other artists to learn how they have abstracted reality to create their art, and online tutorials now and then can help with understanding particular techniques, but indeed, as an artist, you have to find your own way, and that comes from learning to see and continual observation. I love painting outside, mostly in the wilder places around the Hague, like the dunes, but watching your videos, gave me the confidence to try more urban scenes. Watching the way you work with your brushes helps me learn to trust my own approach. So although not 'tutorials' your videos are very educative in the broader more meaningful sense, so thank you very much for taking the time to produce them.

[@TitusMeeuws]

I love to read that @Paul Oram. Great to know you work en plein air around our town sometimes!

[@trevorpass715]

hello titus, i,m trevor from the uk, ive also painted for 30 years but in oil, but i,m going to try a water colour , i,m glad ive found you, your work is incredible, thanks for the inperation regards trevor

[@nibbleniks2320]

You have such beautiful views from your window. Many insights. "Making art is about surprise...You look, you watch, you make, you practice, and then you see it...ifyou don't see it, you should go on. Go on. Go on...work, see, work, look..." thank you, Mr Meeuws.

[@simpleartofhealing286]

I love watching you dab on the magical, colourful highlights! So beautiful.

[@JohnsArtLife]

I think the word 'observation' works well for what you are saying, as the difference between just the function of seeing something and the difference between that and to observe something, which for me is to take more in, and then what a writer / artist then takes on his or her journey. I love your videos, Titus. John from the south of England. I had long spells through I'll health just observing the world go by and what went on, in a deep and meaningful way, while I found mine.

[@davidwebbart]

Hi Titus. I'm English and I can understand you perfectly well. Very enjoyable video.

[@TitusMeeuws]

Thank you David!

[@mountainsno]

Beautiful light in a beautiful painting. I understand what you mean about tutorials. I have to agree.

[@threetenticlesforward]

As a Canadian I have no issues understanding your English. You speak very well. And I appreciate you taking about your thoughts instead of doing tutorials. I find it so helpful to look at things a different way. Sometimes you find parts you adapt to your own thinking or have an ah moment and if not it gives you the prompt to do more thinking on your own perspectives.

[@karolfrench5816]

Wow atlast. THANKYOU

[@geralda.miraldi3535]

I like to see how other artists solve or convert their views into painting or drawing. Watercolor tutorials are ok for some but not me. I enjoy your sharing your thoughts in the process of creating a painting. Thank you

[@christinegalysh7433]

Happy to have found this channel. Enjoy your painting process. The videos on this channel are very clear, easy to understand and very calming emotionally. Thank you and all the best.

[@Demonthya]

Can't wait for the english podcast !!

[@ginabadeaux9319]

im not sure why but you remind me of Rembrandt , im binge watching your videos it is so creative how you share your life and art making ,thank you so much

[@k.c.simonsen2]

Man, even the sketching of the seagulls were impressive. To make a distinctive shape with a few strokes is what really seems impressive and masterful. I love this style a lot.

[@danielnichols5632]

I completely agree about tutorials, in fact I would go as far to say dvd lessons etc are an ambiguous con, the sub text is “you can paint like this person” which is never going to happen, you’re gonna look like YOU at the end and there’s no getting around it. Sure you can learn a few tips here and there but ultimately we can’t get away from ourselves, even forgers can’t copy exactly lol, anyway I really like your video’s Titus, they’re very calming brother

[@mariejacobs9721]

Beautiful book 🌷

[@OrtoInScatola]

It applies to photography as well. Tutorials may help on learning a technique, but you have to take thousands of photographs to start seeing and once you begin to see your world changes. It changes so much that I often find myself taking pictures just with my eyes, without even carrying a camera. By watching you learn how to see things you would have never noticed before and everything becomes more interesting… the entire world becomes an opportunity for beauty

[@EJ-mm8wc]

i am deeply grateful for finding you and for your use of english in some of your videos. If I could I'd learn dutch. Your long term practice with drawing and paint has created a visual poetry, there is a calligraphy uniquely your own. Your visual voice is a lovely thing. You are teaching by example even as you suggest each find their own way.

[@TitusMeeuws]

And I am deeply grateful for your lovely comment. Thank you E J!

[@orlywachtel]

Thank you for your lovely videos, I love your style and how you let us get a glimpse of your life as an artist. When I dont paint I do enjoy watching other artist paint and listen to their thoghts. Thank you also for not speaking the all time and letting us watch calmly how you paint. It's very inspiring. You're talking about the diffrance between looking and seeing... if I may offer an explanation it would be that looking is more tecnical, we see what's infront of us... I see a building, I see a bus etc. When we start seeing we're more involved in what we see. We don't just look at a bus, we start seeing the shdows under the bus , we see colors and temperture in the shadows, we see reflections from the sky, how the color change to discribe an object, we see the big shapes and so on. We see the light and that is what inspire us to paint it ! So thank you again, im subscribed to your channel, looking forward to your English podcast. Orly Wachtel, Israel.

[@TitusMeeuws]

Hi Orly, what a lovely comment, thank you so much. Good to know you enjoy the videos. Greetings from Holland

[@chrismichell4070]

Understanding other artists is a way forward even tones soak through and certainly some concepts shine into the imagination I was getting stuck now I realise the target thank alot

[@mikesamovarov4054]

You don't need any tutorials to create innovative and amazing art. Majority of museum worthy paintings were made hundreds of years ago, when there were no books or videos at all. You can learn on your own, just through observation, experimentation and commitment to practice.

[@TamboArtwork]

When an artist of your ability shares your worry about breaking a painting or painting a seagull it gives the rest of us hope. Thank you Titus.

[@gregorysolomon1727]

I like this work of yours best so far . B/cause it is my favorite way present the magic of light without actually seeing the source…😊

[@mbvvbnn]

Hello, I just found Your channel, this video is very calming. I relate to this stream of thoughts about tutorials, it was very honest. Nothing to argue. I keep watching.

[@TitusMeeuws]

Hi @PearlCorax your comment makes me happy, thank you

[@paintingsofwaves_mikewoning]

Super cool! Ik ga luisteren. And awesome painting and vid once again.

[@user-gp6xt3fn1i]

Love that painting!

[@themercilessmetalhead]

I keep coming back to this channel for insight and interesting thoughts on what it means to be an artist- your unique in your approach and you are filled with wisdom that i find inspiring.. thank you for what you do, and even more for what you don't!

[@PeopleMakePictures]

Keep going... you have a style...keep painting x

[@kimberlyjeffers1623]

Thank you for what you’ve said about tutorials and working, just found your channel and everything is resonating with me. I had these feelings and have not been able to articulate it.

[@TitusMeeuws]

Thank you Kimberly Jeffers! I am glad you know what I'm talking about.

[@marildetesilva1410]

I' love your Job painting🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 yes!

[@uuekene]

I like tutorials, maybe because my vision is bad, it has always been that way, but i love watercolors. Copys are never exactly same as sb shows in video.

[@mikesamovarov4054]

Yes, you definitely have bad vision, bad observation and don't believe in yourself. Want to truly create, stop being a copycat.

[@crisalidathomassie1811]

Tutorials may help to get the idea, but each individual person must follow their instincts and paint what they want and how they want considering the rules of composition, color, value, temperature. You have to experience and practice to see what works best for you. It is a way to develop your own style. Your work is awesome! Watching you paint is so relaxing. Thanks so much for all you do. Best wishes. Congratulations! ❤

[@pault2461]

I get what you are saying about tutorials however by seeing how artists work and approach issues surrounding light, shadows and tones has helped me to hone my own painting style. just a thought, your 'romantic' view of the world is a tutorial lesson in itself, thank you for sharing this.

[@TitusMeeuws]

Thank you Paul. I think you found the right tutorials for your progress. That's a good thing!

[@mikesamovarov4054]

You're missing the point. Any tutorial usage is copying. You likely have stolen style(s) of other artists, but not YOUR own. Education has that effect, it usually kills personal creativity and turns us into craftsman (not fine artists). Be careful.

[@RottenSkull]

As an aspiring artist struggling with all the things going on in the art industry right now, I'm really glad I found your channel. Your opinions and views on art and the world speak to me on a level that makes me wish I had found your channel sooner, if that makes sense.

[@TitusMeeuws]

That’s great, welcome to this channel!

[@Dr.Kananga]

that pencil is very good, it's a notch above even ore expensive ones.

[@thusspokezarathustra]

Titus, as an English South African, I feel you English is perfectly good enough. Having a basic grip of Afrikaanse as my second language, I can follow quit a bit of Dutch although not perfectly. But luckliy as a fellow artist, language is no barrier to enjoying your wonderful art.

[@fbraakman]

Recently came across your videos, and I really love them, I think partly because I was born in Holland, and my style is much like yours. I have lived in Canada most of my life, but I come back to Holland every so often and take photos of scenes in Holland in different locations that I want to paint. i had lost my inspiration to paint recently but I think watching your videos has helped me to get it back. Looking forward to seeing your next one, and I hope you do an english podcast.

[@TitusMeeuws]

That’s beautiful. So nice we can meet on KZbin and learn from each other. That podcast will come!

[@fbraakman]

@@TitusMeeuws It would be great if you had an english podcast! My Dutch is a little rusty.

[@tomhighsmith]

Arial by Kate Bush has been a good inspiration, I think your seagulls are very successful. It's a great song by the way.

[@TitusMeeuws]

It is an amazing song and I am a Kate Bush fan

[@rayerscarpensael2300]

Die meeuwen zijn prachtig. Bedankt voor die veegtruuk.

[@TitusMeeuws]

Dankjewel!

[@carinajohansson2832]

hi Titus im a hobbypainter from sweden i will thank you for your exellent videos i learn much of you and hole week im wainting for you next videos

[@TitusMeeuws]

Hi Carina, Thank you! You really make me happy with your lovely message. Gr Titus

[@mikesamovarov4054]

Feel free to call yourself an artists! 99.99% of art creators do it as a hobby. Only extremely rare artist are actually professional.

[@ninner196]

I didn’t understand the previous comment about being “professional”. My father was a professional saxophone player but worked another job to make the ends meet. Many if not most artists during the time they were alive survived because they had a patron or worked in many different jobs not because they lacked for techniques in painting. But then there are those that pop up such as pop art and over night become popular because they learn also. So I absolutely do Not equate being professional with the ability to support oneself with their work of choice, it would be lovely but unfortunately the world doesn’t work this way, example look at all the beautiful artists in Africa and Sudan but they have no ability to change locations, no money yet they ARE professional and one can learn so much from a self taught student. We all can learn from each other and the place of education may or may not have anything to do with it. If one thirsts to learn art then they will learn if they work at it. Virtuosos come from every field of learning not just music. Anyone can learn who wants to. I never referred to myself as an artist and waited for others to refer to me as they saw fit as an artist. There are many in my family anyway so I just assumed that they were not talking about me. So I found it better to be patient and others will know what one is by their actions not by self promotion. 😊

[@paratrooper73]

Ook in het breken valt wat te ontdekken😅 Mooi weer, dank je wel voor het delen👍☀️

[@TitusMeeuws]

Ja, dat is zeker zo @paratrooper73

[@ninner196]

I can’t express how much it means to me to not do the typical tutorial. I find the excessive talking in the “learning to do “ tutorials, pardon the expression, overdone. That’s not to say that they aren’t needed because many have learned to paint that way. What I refer to is saying exactly what one is doing therefore making the talking redundant. I enjoy some videos such as Mind of Watercolor because it is mostly observation. And your’s is encouraging as well as it pulls out the best of what you wish your painting to do. I think that it is very good practice before picking up the pencil and especially the paint brush to evaluate what I wish to accomplish with this composition, what feelings I would like to evoke in this piece? I am getting to the point where I need to not just paint because I can paint but to cause the viewer to have a reaction. I could only hope to get the same responses that you do. Your work is lively and I would describe it as calming and mellow”not marshmallows”😅. Thank you again Titus!

[@hijayang4416]

Thank you! the beautiful colors and scenes. I love to hear your voice! Do you have a plan to make more podcast?

[@TitusMeeuws]

Thank you. Yes, I have a plan.

[@KheshgiKhan]

nice work, great job sir

[@TitusMeeuws]

My pleasure

[@iwantmy10dollars]

Well… when I first started to try and teach myself watercolor it seemed I was drowning in bad paintings. Over and over and I was afraid I was going to quit. So I started following tutorials. At first I was exhilarated. I didn’t feel like flinging it into the trash. I decided I didn’t like to draw either so I began tracing. Everything looked great and in proportion. But over time… I became bored then frustrated. What I came to realize is that if you skip all the steps to becoming an artist you lose everything. I began seeing all the ways I had lost by not having to patience to learn to draw. I began to see that all I was doing to copying someone else. It felt like what I’d done was a cheap fix. So ya, i agree.

[@mikesamovarov4054]

Exactly ❤

[@lshwadchuck5643]

Tough journey, but you've discovered the value of patience and humility. I started learning piano in my late sixties. Those were the qualities my teacher valued. And determination.

[@TitusMeeuws]

Fortunately you discoverd that! So the watercolor adventure has started!

[@deniseshaw3871]

Would so love your book x

[@TitusMeeuws]

If you haven't ordered it yet, please send me a message through the contactpage of my website: www.titusmeeuws.com/contact/

[@koolguy728]

Finding one's own way doesn't seem to me to be mutually exclusive with watching other experts create.

[@mikesamovarov4054]

Yes, those two paths are mutually exclusive. If you watch other people, you're moving away from your own style. Obviously. But if you don't believe in your ability to create from within you, perhaps you aren't an artist, but a copycat crafter. Most expensive art was created in eras before art books and videos 😂

[@koolguy728]

@@mikesamovarov4054 No artist becomes successful in a vacuum. Every artist learns from other artists at some point in their career and applies what they've learned to their own craft. Surely you don't believe watching another artist's creative process makes you a "copycat crafter"? Every great artist you've ever heard of has collaborated with other artists at some point.

[@evelyne7071]

Nice

[@mindyourguest3095]

Beste Titus, ik volg je al geruime tijd en bewonder jouw bevlogenheid en reflecties voor, tijdens en na het schilderen. Geruststellend om te zien en te horen dat een aquarel zelden echt af is. Er is altijd iets te verbeteren of aan te passen. Wat ik mij afvraag. Ik zie jou vaak schetsen met een vulpotlood. Heeft dat een bepaalde reden? Welke hardheid gebruik jij het liefst voor jouw schetsen? Of welke hardheid is aan te bevelen als basis voor een aquarel? Dank alvast. Hartelijke groet, Robert Bosma

[@deniseshaw3871]

I also love and have Kate Bush album..Ariel.. its magnificent !!!!

[@TitusMeeuws]

Really? That's good! Thanks Denise

[@The-50-Simmer]

fantastisch kanaal. laat ik de 1000ste sub maar zijn dan ;-) op naar 10K

[@TitusMeeuws]

Welkom Xtreme Macro Photograpy!

[@renatsharifli1334]

I would like to know what colors do you use because they are sometimes opaque and that’s interesting in watercolor? And when you are painting buildings you layer the second wash that is the shadow when you do that do you use any opaque colors?

[@richardmundy4288]

Are you using gouache for the stronger highlights ?

[@oahola237]

So when he applies bright colors like white and yellow on top, is that watercolor or something else?

[@sanju1802]

Hi Titus how can I get that book here in 🇨🇦 pls let me know thank you for all the videos

[@TitusMeeuws]

Jay I will send you that book. Please send me an email via the contact page on my website. Here you go: www.titusmeeuws.com/contact/

[@sanju1802]

Is there a way to change the language on the website to English pls let me know

[@TitusMeeuws]

@@sanju1802 Hi Jay. If you use the 3stripes-knob left above, then you will find a English-Dutch menu. And here here's a link to the contactpage: www.titusmeeuws.com/contact/

[@lshwadchuck5643]

You Tube tutorials with big promises in the titles and blasting off the thumbnails are mostly dishonest. I made a living as an illustrator for forty years and was lucky enough to have some periods when I could paint what I wanted, even sell some work. The ONLY skill that's really teachable is drawing, in other words training people to really look, really see. Trying to paint as loosely as you do without a solid foundation in drawing is a waste of materials and probably very frustrating and disappointing. But watching you take all those risks is thrilling!!

[@TitusMeeuws]

Thank you!

[@mikesamovarov4054]

Thanks for your input! ❤

[@soccerstar204]

Hello, I like your work. I have been painting for 30 years on water and oils although watercolor was first for me. I follow Joseph Zubuikic but you paint more like things you like. He doesn't use color much in backlighting. Often he just uses greys. Trying to do what he does is a waste of afford. I'm trying to stop copying other artist.

[@charlywashere]

20:35 Always the same yellow at the end. I dont like this final step

[@mikesamovarov4054]

Yes, universe keeps repeating itself. It's perfectly normal. Nobody forces you to create similar paintings, so let others create what they want. It's none of your business what he does.

[@charlywashere]

@@mikesamovarov4054 ok mickey

[@robertkeppels874]

Nothing wrong with your english.

[@budakart]

You dont make tutorials because you make videos.

[@mikesamovarov4054]

How are those two related? He makes videos, but not tutorials or lessons. Most of his videos have no explanation at all.