Beginner Watercolor brush techniques. Free beginner watercolour painting course.

Important watercolor brush handling technques. The basics of watercolour painting. This video looks at all the different marks you can produce with a round watercolor painting brush, which is the most commonly used brush when painting with watercolors.
My PATREON MEMBERSHIP PAGE: www.patreon.com/user/membersh... - in addition to ad-free content you get exclusive content (new videos will be more in depth than those on my KZbin channel), hi-resolution reference photos, photos of my finished painting, and drawing outlines where available. Other benefits are also included.
My teaching manual: Mastering Watercolors - A Practical Guide: amzn.to/3ZF2FRW
This one tackles using round watercolor brushes and the various marks you can produce with them.
These marks make up part of the language of watercolor. If you do not know how to successfully use a round watercolor brush you will find it very difficult to create all the wonderful effects watercolor is famous for.
The next video will use these techniques to create a simple water watercolor painting.
I also have a couple of watercolor painting books which I published and distribute through Amazon.
The first one, which has sold over 10,000 copies is bascially my teaching manual and is titled:
Mastering Watercolors - A Practical Guide.
The second is full of step by step demonstrations and is titled: Watercolor Step By Step: amzn.to/3z4YXEu
Both books are available in kindle format and paperback.
You can also find a lot of useful information on my website: www.paintingwithwatercolors.com/

[@onecutkev]

Thank you for taking the time to put these videos on KZbin, I found them very informative and easy to follow, you explain them very well

[@JoeCartwright]

You're very welcome! Thank you for your feedback.

[@user-lg3oe8pf4s]

Hello Joe. I've watched various artists in You Tube but have to say "you are the best". I've been painting a few years but wanted to see if I could learn anything else. You have opened my eyes. Thank you Joe.🙋🎨🖌️

[@JoeCartwright]

Wow, thank you!

[@nemofishing]

I've seen so maby videos but im just haunted by the number of things I've ro remember. You made it look so so easy and not scary. Thankyou.

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad you found it useful.

[@user-fj4xg7zz4q]

Thank you . I now understand various painting and brush techniques and the effect of ratio of water to paint. All very clearly explained and illustrated.

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad it was helpful!

[@joehall483]

Just started watercolor again after failing miserably twice before. However having just found your videos & watched the first two I feel much more confident that I can crack it this time. This course is exactly what I have been looking for & your excellent explanations have given me the motivation to try again. Thanks mate 😃👍

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad to hear you are giving watercolor a go again. Let me know if you have any questions and thank you for the feedback. :-)

[@carolinewithers1647]

I've been painting for several months, watched countless videos, and yet you have taught me a great deal about basics I'd never learned.

[@JoeCartwright]

You are so welcome!

[@habituallearner7680]

Thank you for this video. You're showing us quite a few things I've never seen explained in such detail. I was able to follow along and watch how the brush stroke of paint behaves differently as the water dries on my own paper. This has helped my understanding so much!

[@JoeCartwright]

Very glad to hear it was helpful to you!

[@coconutplanet2186]

Love this video! So helpful. Great tips on how to hold the brush. Thank you !!

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad it was helpful!

[@elizabethholden2502]

I began watercolours one month ago and the basics are so important. Thank you so much Joe for these beginner tutorials and your kind generosity of spirit - so much appreciated

[@JoeCartwright]

You are very welcome Elizabeth. Glad you found my videos. I hope you enjoy your watercolour journey.

[@CatherinePhillips-fj9jh]

I just love your videos they are so understandable. Attached is my Weith like painting

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad you like them! Sadly, I don't think you can attached imaged to KZbin comments.

[@az10821]

Thank you very much for sharing. Your paintings are stunning and tutorials are helpful 👍 Glad to find your channel, Joe.❤

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad you like them!Welcome to my channel.

[@trishgardener9691]

Thank you Joe. Your explanations are so helpful and especially the one about testing the colour by pressing down and, the 'modified dry brush' effect.

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ethylschmidt2281]

Enjoy your painting techniques. Would love to paint as you.

[@JoeCartwright]

You can do it! It just takes practice and study. Thank you for the feedback.

[@Fonkemman]

Best watercolor teacher on the internet. 🙂 I hope you make another course after this beginner free course.

[@JoeCartwright]

Thank you Emmanuel. I am making many more videos, in fact I have a number of more advanced videos for people who complete the beginner course. If you subscribed and hit the notification bell you will be notified of each new video I produce. Enjoy your painting.

[@cynthiaborden8333]

This is an older video so i hope you see my msg…Just found you and am mesmerized by your lessons. I create in many mediums and seek out and love actual lessons vs just entertaining content. Thank you sooo much for sharing your knowledge and not just your talent. Both are wonderful.

[@JoeCartwright]

You are so welcome! Didn't see your other comment so you probably already deleted it. I am learning all the time and hopefully my videos will show it by making my contect easier for people to assimilate.

[@sevdac9265]

I think you’re fantastic Joe. Have been wanting to watercolour for a while and watched numerous videos, but learnt more from watching just one of your videos for the first time than all other previous ones. You are so generous and no fuss. Hope I can see analyse understand and paint an image like you one day. Thank you.

[@JoeCartwright]

You are very welcome. Glad my video was useful!

[@suel4269]

I started Watercolor 6 years ago and I’m learning a lot from your videos. Thankyou!

[@JoeCartwright]

You are so welcome!

[@bevgle]

Thank you Joe. Really helpful. I've shared with my mum is in England.

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad it was of help Beverley.

[@jackieconnell7183]

brilliant, i am new to watercolour and this is what i was looking for to start.cheers Joe.

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad it was helpful! Enjoy your watercolour journey.

[@Yenhao1103]

A million thanks for your sharing~

[@JoeCartwright]

My pleasure!

[@gayenoel2609]

It seems that I have been very lucky and have chosen to begin my journey into watercolour painting with your videos. I have thoroughly enjoyed the 1st few. Your tone is fantastic and the pace suits my style. Hopefully, I will soon be painting my own pictures with at least enough confidence to give it a good go. THanks Joe

[@JoeCartwright]

You are so welcome! Welcome on board. I hope you get a great deal of pleasure from your watercolour journey.

[@davidhirt821]

Thank you, Joe. As a beginner I appreciate your patience and thoughtful approach to demonstrating the various ways of applying watercolor with a brush.

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad it was helpful David. Enjoy your watercolor journey.

[@roxannenaydan5362]

Joe, you're a great communicator. I LOVE the way you explain and demonstrate the techniques/concepts and the way in which the techniques can be used. EXCELLENT!

[@JoeCartwright]

Roxanne, thank you very much for the feedback. I work hard to explain things as simply as possible, without assuming people already know what the terms I am using mean - especially for this beginner series. I hope you enjoy the rest of the videos!

[@marliesplays]

Very good explanations, thank you!

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Wendy8888]

Thank you!

[@JoeCartwright]

You're welcome!

[@angelalyons9669]

Hi Joe! I'm new to watercolor and can't thank you enough for your free series!!

[@JoeCartwright]

You are very welcome! Glad you are enjoying it.

[@martafrancino]

My dad and I (in Catalonia) just started watercolors a couple weeks back, and we came across your videos, Joe. What a great finding! Your way of teaching and showing how to do it make us want to keep watching and trying out what you explain. Thanks for making these videos!

[@JoeCartwright]

Very glad to hear that you and your dad are enjoying my videos. Have fun!

[@cc-qu7gz]

Great lesson. You really explain things that other watercolor teachers have not in this detail... very helpful.. Thank you.

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad it was helpful! You are very welcome!

[@Kathy-bc5yq]

Thank you so much for the very helpful video. I learned a lot. I also realized that I have been mixing my paint wrong. I just started a couple of weeks ago, and it has been incredibly frustrating. Your book is also great! It’s the most helpful book I’ve bought on watercolor!

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad you find my videos helpful Kathy. And thank you very much for purchasing my book. Let me know if you have any questions.

[@OfftoShambala]

Good to know! I’ll have to get that!

[@dhrubajyotiprusty7907]

Sir u are great ,your teaching method is sufficient for fundamental clear .I greatfuull to u .

[@JoeCartwright]

Thanks and welcome

[@mreinstein48]

Thank you Sir! Needed that!

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad to help!

[@artmaven]

Thanks, Joe. That wet into wet bit at 5:12 is a great watercolor mark-making lesson and one I've never seen. Subscribed.

[@JoeCartwright]

Thanks for the sub! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@esling77]

TY Joe . Its a real pleasure to see and learn from you .

[@JoeCartwright]

You're very welcome. Glad the videos are of help to you.

[@glenysingvarson9968]

I am so happy I have happened across your videos. I have been painting approx 4 yrs. Started in a class which cost a bomb and only given a picture to paint. No instruction at all how watercolour worked and in a class of people who had painted for 10 yrs even though I was told it was good for beginners. Since then have followed utube and done reasonably well but a huge hole in understanding, your instructions are clear and concise. I feel I have now started from the beginning again and am really understanding it for the first time. Thankyou.

[@JoeCartwright]

Hello Glenys, I am very happy you are enjoying my videos. Let me know if you have any questions.

[@yayacuculis7929]

This was very informative and helpful for me. Thank you so very much for sharing this information. You are a great teacher and explain things very well.

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad it was helpful!

[@user-ej6oh2nu6t]

Amazing video! Thank you!

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad you liked it!

[@hellechristinelindsman1442]

So happy that I found your videos - this is the real thing !🤩

[@JoeCartwright]

Welcome on board. Glad you are getting benefit from my videos.

[@annkovarik3121]

Love the explanations holding the brush in different angles for different techniques!

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad it was helpful!

[@frankclarkjr6369]

Thank you Mr. Cartwright... I love it !!

[@JoeCartwright]

You are very welcome, glad you enjoyed my video!

[@Tandibee123]

This is so helpful...I have been struggling with watercolor ❤️

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad it was helpful!

[@terrylavis4792]

Very helpful reminders, thanks Joe! 👏

[@JoeCartwright]

Thanks Terry, glad you liked it.

[@jacynthevermette8235]

So helpfil. Thank you !

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad it was helpful!

[@irmareitz701]

As usual a great tutorial!

[@JoeCartwright]

Thanks Irma. Glad you liked it.

[@adadad3000]

You are a very good teacher..

[@JoeCartwright]

Wow, thank you, glad you enjoyed the video.

[@leonieleong8263]

Fascinating. Very interesting to hear about the different ways a round brush can be used, good clear explanations. Thanks, Joe.

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kathiwidmann9516]

I learned important brush stroke techniques from this video. Amazing instructor!

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad it was helpful!

[@foxgloved1]

I'm so glad i found you,i am a beginner and your channel is just what i have been searching for !

[@JoeCartwright]

Happy to help! All the best for your watercolour journey. Let me know if you have any questions.

[@grantellis2840]

Very informative, especialy the consistence of the paint, thanks Joe for a fantastic lesson

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad it was helpful!

[@NibblerRules]

Hi Joe. I just want to thank you for putting up these lessons. They are extremely helpful and informative. I'm sure once I reach the end of your series I'll be well on the way to having confidence with my brushes and developing my own style. Thank you so much :)

[@JoeCartwright]

You are very welcome. I am so glad you are getting benefit from my videos!

[@susanbrickey7394]

This was very useful. Thank you very much

[@JoeCartwright]

Thanks Susan, glad it was of use to you.

[@OmegaRainbow]

Brilliant! thanks for sharing so many details : )

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ritaparker478]

Thank you for your excellent videos. You explain everything conscisely and uncomplicated.

[@JoeCartwright]

You are welcome! Thank you for the feedback.

[@menililitzel5401]

Thank you very much for your beginners learning videos. 🤗🤗

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad you like them!

[@robynlittlejohn2106]

Thank you Joe.

[@JoeCartwright]

You're very welcome Robyn.

[@mikejustice1196]

Perfect

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad you liked it!

[@darhopkins5433]

Joe, I'm a big fan of yours here in the states and have your books that I immensely enjoy. Thank you for this excellent class session. You brought several things to light for me. Greetings from Cincinnati, Oho, USA.

[@JoeCartwright]

Hi Dar, thank you for purchasing my books and for the feedback. Glad you are enjoying the videos!

[@farzad7680]

I've just started learning water color and was looking for videos to help me improve my water color skills and this course is remarkable thank you for the high quality content

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad you are enjoying my videos. Enjoy your watercolor journy.

[@anasel-mahdi7908]

Great teaching lesson.thanks for your effort

[@JoeCartwright]

You are welcome!

[@hediewiebe2128]

Thank you for sharing your very useful explanations. I have learned much, however, I find the music too loud and distracting, overshadowing your teaching. I persevered to the end because I found the content useful for me. Thanks, again.

[@JoeCartwright]

Sorry about that. I have stopped using music while I talk in my more recent videos.

[@meenuverma643]

Very helpful 👌 thank you

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad it was helpful!

[@davidpayne9576]

Hi Joe, great videos. Congratulations on your journey and hard work. Hope to catch up sometime! David Payne

[@JoeCartwright]

Thanks David, great to hear from you. Definitely would love to catch up before too long. Either when I visit down there or you visit up here! :-)

[@davidpayne9576]

@@JoeCartwright yep! let me know if you want to take a holiday with your wife in Melb. I have plenty of spare rooms and a big studio overlooking Port Phillip Bay. Plenty of Plein air locations too.

[@JoeCartwright]

@@davidpayne9576 Thank you for your kind offere David, will definitely let you know when we are coming down that way!

[@antoniolima1068]

thank you, great teacher, grateful for your effort.

[@JoeCartwright]

Thank you, glad you found it useful. Please let me know if you have any questions.

[@antoniolima1068]

@@JoeCartwright again, thank you sir, if you dont mind i will, watercolor is a wonderfull medium, especially for the subjects i use in my work, greatings from Azores.

[@shahzadqurashi7728]

Thank you so much

[@JoeCartwright]

You're most welcome

[@user-gc7ue1nl1g]

I'm just starting water colour painting and this is the best channel for learning the basics, but if I had one criticism, drop the dramatic background music. I don't think it's needed and is distracting.

[@JoeCartwright]

Thanks for the feedback, I stopped using background music when I am talking for my later videos.

[@user-gc7ue1nl1g]

@JoeCartwright Thanks, Joe. I'm only on the second one, but I'm enjoying them as I need the basics and so many other videos drop straight in with techniques. Thanks for posting them, and I'll work my way through. All the best.

[@nadialyon4534]

Joe, thank you so much for the videos you have made. i have watched many various other beginner videos and i fell in love with the way you teach , i wish i could be instructed by you. Thank you so much for giving me a love for water colors, i hope to someday get as close to the way you paint. i just started and have a long way to go. P.S Have you ever come to New Mexico?

[@JoeCartwright]

So glad you are enjoying my videos and that they are of assitance to you. Never made it to New Mexico - I live in Australia. 😊

[@wilfredalexandercoelho8003]

Hello Dear Joe, nice meeting you on this link. Appreciate your way of painting and would like to know more about mixing of paints. Also would like to see more of paintings involving lakes or ponds nearby a town or village. Thanks. God Bless.Also would like to know where do we get these Paint palettes and how much do they cost? Thank you. God Bless Wilfred Coelho

[@JoeCartwright]

Thanks for watching, I have a number of videos on this playlist that cover color mixing. My palette was designed by me and printed on my 3D printer. Their cost is $60 Australia dollars plus postage.

[@1noopur]

thank u

[@JoeCartwright]

You're welcome!

[@nancyhorricks6168]

Love your videos. I am basically a learner and I’m working my way through your lessons which are excellent! My husband just bought me Escoda paint brushes and I think the silver black velvet are good enough for learning, any advice?

[@JoeCartwright]

Glad you are enjoying and benefiting from my videos Nancy. Escoda are a good brank, though I personally have not used them. As long as you are using their watercolor brushes you should be fine. The main thing is to get lots of practice with them - it is what we call "brush mileage." Enjoy your watercolor painting journey.

[@marthahaskell1172]

I’m really enjoying your series. I’ve been painting for a while, but it helps to go back through the basics again and you are an excellent teacher. I have a question, though. Are you using paints straight from the tube or pan paints? Perhaps you said which and I missed it. I find it quite difficult to get a thicker consistency when I use pan paints. Is there a trick to that?

[@JoeCartwright]

I am glad you are enjoying the series Martha. I do not use pan paints, I too found it hard to easily get strong colors with them. What I do is squeeze tube paint into my palette and let it dry for a few days. I find the Winsor and Newton tube paints reliquify very easily and thus give me a very large tonal range of colors I can mix.

[@smokeyalmond6039]

Thank you for this video. I like the modified dry brush mark but was not very successful trying them. Is ist important to use a soft brush?

[@JoeCartwright]

It is more important to use a light touch on the paper, without too much paint in your brush at the start. A soft brush helps but not criticaL.

[@lindyhawthorne2164]

More wonderful and easy to understand instruction from you Joe. Now I know why my drybrushing wasnt working.....I was using the brush too dry (previous 30 yrs of acrylic painting !!!). Is it ok to use any type of brush or is synthetic of natural hair better ?? thank you

[@JoeCartwright]

You are so welcome. I prefer the combined synthetic and natural hair brushes. The synthetic component gives the brushes some spring, while the natural hair holds water better.

[@lindyhawthorne2164]

@@JoeCartwright great.i have silver black velvets.! Thanks.

[@gr8fng]

I'm really new to watercolour and am finding this series so helpful thank you. Is you board tilted or flat on the table please? Cheers from soggy NSW 🌧☔️

[@JoeCartwright]

Hi Faith, glad you are finding my videos helpful. Yes, my board it tilted at 15 degrees. Enjoy your watercolour journey. I live in Penrith and it has been a bit soggy here too! :-)

[@wilfredalexandercoelho8003]

Would also like to know what is the type of White paper is used for this type of paintings? Also is the Board kept on a slope so as to allow the paint to flow downwards or just flat on the table?Thank you. Wilfred Coelho

[@JoeCartwright]

Thanks for watching the paper is Arches Cold Pressed and the board is at 15 degrees.

[@cristinatort8280]

Hi Joe . I am new in your classroom 🙂 and my question is: when you do the modified thing (number 4) do you charge very little water wrigt? Because I do have problems with it. Thanks for your classes!!!!

[@JoeCartwright]

While learning that step it is best not to have to much paint in your brush. Good luck, and welcome to my channel! 😊

[@pamelawhittingto]

What weight of paper do you use? Do you prefer cold press?

[@JoeCartwright]

Cold pressed 185 gsm by Arches is my preference.

[@user-lt5mn6xc6c]

Hi Joe, what kind of paper were you using for this exercise? Hot or cold press?

[@JoeCartwright]

Cold press. I never use hot press for my style of painting. 😊😊

[@JoeCartwright]

Hi, I use cold press. 😊

[@harsharts7104]

Great lesson.. but is there any particular watercolour exercise that beginners should practice?

[@JoeCartwright]

There is no one exercise that works for everyone. You need to be proficient at each type of mark making. Work on the ones that you are not comfortable with, until you can tick them all off.

[@harsharts7104]

@@JoeCartwright Thank You sir

[@wood2be]

Is your board at an angle or flat?

[@JoeCartwright]

My board is at an angle, about 15 degrees.

[@aamina6596]

Will water colour cakes work instead of tubes?

[@JoeCartwright]

It will depend on the quality of the watercolor cakes. Cheap ones do not work as it is too hard to get any color out of them.

[@aamina6596]

@@JoeCartwright thanks man! I appreciate it.

[@orchiddean451]

I truly truly enjoy your videos and they inspire me a lot, there is only one thing that distracts me and I would ask you to please consider that: the background music is a little bit too noisy. Could you please rather put something more soothing? Thanks so much

[@JoeCartwright]

Yes, you are right, my early experiments with background music was a failure! 😊 I rarely use music in my later videos, except a little in the intro and at the end, and even then not always. Thanks for the feedback and glad you are enjoying my videos.

[@cocplayer2506]

Sir i was not able to create the wet on wet effects 😭😭

[@JoeCartwright]

Practice and observation are very important. Your paper was either too dry, too wet.

[@cocplayer2506]

@@JoeCartwright thank you sir

[@elsaatti]

I wish background music can be turned off !!

[@JoeCartwright]

Thanks for the feedback.

[@elsaatti]

Why sir need music? I just want to listen what you are saying

[@JoeCartwright]

I underfstand. It was one of my earlier videos so I was still learning! :-)

[@pouyatavassoli]

Thanks but the instructional videos doesn't need any music

[@JoeCartwright]

I wish I had left it it too. :-)

[@ErlingJellum]

Hi Joe. Thanks for a great course. I just started learning watercolour and I was very lucky to find your videos. I was not really able to reproduce the marks that you made. I believe it might be either because I have the wrong brushes, the wrong pant or the wrong paper. I uploaded to photos here: drive.google.com/drive/folders/1R5b3qtL98zY2sHw7I92qZgsTMlswV5OM?usp=sharing Would love some feedback if anyone has any :)

[@JoeCartwright]

Hi, You are not using the right brushes to create the dry brush strokes easily. Remember that brush stroke is speed dependent. Good luck.