Fun and Quick Colorful Watercolor Beetles

Learn to paint some quick and easy watercolor beetles. There are lots of watercolor tips in this video. I used graphite for the shadows cast by the beetles and I used some Daniel Smith Duochrome Turquoise to add a sheen.
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Chapters
0:00 Introduction
1:31 Polina Bright Brushes
2:15 Paper and paint I used
3:08 Painting demonstration blue beetle
7:09 Using Graphite for the cast shadows
8:46 Using a white watercolor pencil
9:34 Painting demonstration green beetle
13:37 Daniel Smith DuoChrome Turquoise painted on blue beetle
14:52 Painting demonstration ants
16:06 Outro
16:26 Bloopers
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[@juleeahlman]

I love how you added the graphite for the shadows. Thats a really creative way to add them! Stunning painting! I must say... the ant (mistake) was genius!

[@fionakear7636]

Thanks Louise, heaps of great tips here. Painting is lovely!

[@susanbaker3078]

So beautiful, it makes me want to try a beetle or two! My skill level is much less developed, but I love adding one or more insects in with plants or at the front of landscapes to kind of "people" them. They're an often overlooked yet necessary part of our living world and incorporating them in my work adds a layer of life that makes me happy! Thank you for this lovely demonstration, Louise. It's fabulous to see you in the new studio that you and your dear husband built!!!🤗💐🎨💜🦋🐾🌈

[@beccogiallo]

I don't use watercolors much, and found this fascinating. The painting is beautiful, and your tip for the cast shadows is very interesting.

[@_Adrian_Llarena_]

The ants unified the painting. Such a brilliant idea.

[@JoshOBryan]

i like the blender stump trick, I'm going to try that out, it looks great.

[@kristinaperinot7544]

AMAZING ❤❤❤ SO happy i found your channel 😊

[@mobe7950]

What a wonderful drawing 😍

[@ashleyevans3330]

I loved this! And you are so entertaining 🤣

[@michaelnaylor-hodgkinson991]

Can we have a live KZbin picture one day? I loved the last one.

[@maryalgar8779]

Oh my - the dreaded paintbrush drop! Great recovery - it looks like you planned those ants from the start. Love your use of colour and it was interesting to see that Daniel Smith luminescent turquoise - excellent use of it.

[@LouiseDeMasi]

Thanks so much Mary.

[@fuzzydragons]

great shiny looking beetles and nice save with the blob ants😀

[@LouiseDeMasi]

Glad you like them. Thank you.

[@alisonhendry2928]

I am always so amazed at the subject matter you come up with time and time again. Your creative mind must just burst with ideas ! I love this bug painting. The graphite shadows were simply mind boggling at how this simple thing made your beetles pop off the page! I really must open my mind more often to using more than just paints! Thank you again. Also tickles me when I see you pull out your rubber cement pickup. Warms my heart to know you still use it. I don’t know what I would do without them.

[@elmebreytenbach8782]

Brilliant and beautifully painted❤

[@a.cornelia]

I love the addition of the ants!

[@juliekraut7218]

Thanks again for all of your tips and tricks. I especially like the cast shadow tip. These look fun to paint. I love DS paints. I may be biased as I’m from Seattle, where they are made, I took a tour of the plant yrs ago. Impressive.

[@astridklein7327]

This videos was awesome and thx for the tipp with the graphite🤩

[@johnharkness6304]

Excellent, I've been a beetles fan for years. 🖌🎸

[@sylphofthewildwoods5518]

😆🤣

[@69BlackCatsInFridge]

So pretty! 😍🤩❤

[@johnkanzler6646]

Shadowing with the graphite on the stump is a great idea! I’m so glad I watched this video thank you!

[@kileensmith5134]

Amazing! I used the luminescent paint over the tail on the roster painting. It would also enhance seashells I would think. Beautiful work Louise Thank you.!

[@nkguenther1]

My nephew gave me a set of Van Gogh Metallics and Interference Colors as well as some DS Duochrome paints. I admit I've not used them very much and have done searches for how to use them. I've used the silver interference on a painting of the moon at night as well as some of the silver. I used some on the throat of a frog, that transparent part below the mouth and onto the belly. I've used some on florals on black paper, too. Looking for more ideas and will look forward to this tutorial on Patreon. Thank you, Louise! Your beetles are beautiful! You've taught us all so much.

[@juliehopkins5784]

I enjoy watching the bloopers 😃

[@nancyewing20]

Just fascinating watching you paint!

[@DarkMoonSanctuary]

Fabulous... TY❤

[@nancypeplau9747]

I love your paintings! I use Daniel Smith Luminescent paint on Sea Shells and I did a floral painting with only Quinacridone Magenta and the Copper... it really captures the light!

[@mohsinartinpaintings5900]

Excellent water colour work Miss

[@catherinevangass4927]

Stunning

I love this!!!!!!

[@MsMoniqueWilson]

This was great. Love the graphite idea for the shadow. :). I recently purchased an Escoda Chronos (90% synthetic - 10% Koliski) and I love it!! I do have a question for you: Your pencil lines are always very dark in your videos yet when your paintings are done I no longer see them. How do you do that?

[@elkepaull-keller9039]

Thank you so much for your beautiful creatures. I've been wanting to add insects to some of my paintings to make them fun and interesting and now I'll definitely have a go, they look wonderful.

[@gillianbc]

Lovely, quite a change from your usual themes. Definitely one to try. I also like your new introduction and the music.

[@chordata1]

LOVE IT Louise, uve got such a lovely sense of humor and fantastic change of subject with the insects, will def try this one out, they are like jewels crawling round the page!

[@LouiseDeMasi]

Thank you very much Gabriel. 💕

[@lauraleehart1455]

I’ve used the DS duochrome paints on Christmas cards. Adds a lovely touch of sparkle and shine to ornaments, trees, anything relating to the season.

[@LouiseDeMasi]

Great idea. Thank you Lauralee.

[@jeanieshafer9714]

Louise! Thabk you! As an avid macro photographer I love insects, & butterflied spiders! This is winderful!

[@LouiseDeMasi]

Thanks Jeanie. I bet you've got some great photos.

[@saral.1933]

I have often used the interference paints by D. S. . Good for halos, bubbles,marbles, sunlight - and to add a bit of wonder!😊

[@LouiseDeMasi]

Great tip! Thanks Sara.

[@sylphofthewildwoods5518]

Lovely Beatles and Ants. I don't care for insects, much - but you've did a wonderful job on these! Thank you, for sharing.

[@johnharkness6304]

Beatles spelled that way is the English band from the sixties who had some success.😊

[@sylphofthewildwoods5518]

@@johnharkness6304 😂 Lol it wasn't intentional. Beetles, rather.

[@johnharkness6304]

@@sylphofthewildwoods5518 ok 👍🏻😉

[@LouiseDeMasi]

Thank you!

[@AbraCassandraCrafts]

Squeee! You have no idea how happy it makes me that you've gone and done buggos!!! Also I'm toooootally gonna try that paper now. I mostly enjoy doing insects as you can probably tell from my channel avatar lol

[@LouiseDeMasi]

Lol! Thank you. I love your avatar.

[@AbraCassandraCrafts]

​@@LouiseDeMasi Aww thanks :D It's a good thing it's zoomed so out you can't see all the imperfections of my lil Woodlouse Spider lol.

[@eze3572]

Awesome one of my favorites!!

[@sharontoombs753]

A fantastic demo Louise. Thank you for the brush suggestions - I'll will order, they paint so smoothly. I have to say your new format is very professional and entertaining. Thank you for sharing all your tips and knowledge. Your fabulous !!!!

[@LouiseDeMasi]

Thanks very much Sharon.

[@parul_jain684]

Really informative 😊❤️👍🏻

[@carlovelasquez6081]

love it amazing thankyou for the watercolor tutorials really motivates and helps us

[@SuzanneLegault]

Another amazing quality content video. Thank you so much to you and your team for all the hard work you put into bringing us these weekly videos and all your wonderful Patreon tutorials.

[@revinakeener7299]

love your bugs! I also love Daniel Smith paints. I just finished a painting with the moon and stars and I used DS pearl on them with s tiny bit of Moon Glow on the moon too. I get my paints from Cheap Joes and Artaroma here in the US.

[@LouiseDeMasi]

Thanks Revina.

[@aquilaarroyo6077]

This was another great video! I loved the creative way you adjusted for the brush drop, the mixed media, and the shadows too! 👍👍

[@LouiseDeMasi]

Thank you Aquila.

[@pantalaimon6809]

Oh so beautiful, thank you for sharing. Love your videos. 😍

[@LouiseDeMasi]

You are welcome. Thank you!

[@dandfawesome3611]

Lovely tutorial, thank you! Blooper reel lol!!

[@pinkruchi]

Thanks a lot for this

[@LouiseDeMasi]

My pleasure. Thanks Ruchi.

[@shahzadqurashi7728]

Great

[@juancalzada2294]

Wow geniales, hermosos, fascinantes, felicidades mi artista favorita 💐👏🏻🥳😉🎉

[@karritz1542]

I have a set of Daniel Smith iridescent colours and pans of Derwent metallics and now I'm wondering how and where to use them so thank you for the beetle idea but i sadly don't have any new ideas to add. I'm mostly doing birds in watercolour at the moment because over the past year I've accumulated thousands of photos of waterbirds i see when walking around our local lake. Only the Pacific Black Ducks have a patch of iridescent colour on them and pigeons have a bit too. Maybe I should try to have a go at them.

[@andreapaulis1481]

Thank you for the graphite shadow tech, priceless info to me. I used an old pastel blender and it worked well.

[@LouiseDeMasi]

Glad it was helpful. Thanks Andrea.

[@lavanya4544]

Hi Louise, I see the new-ish palette you’ve been using. Can you help share info on it- where you got that from and is it ceramic? Thanks!

[@pamelaquinsey2962]

I have never heard of soft pressed and I tried to find it on line. Where did you get your pad of soft pressed? Beautiful beetles!

[@arleenaartvark1141]

Beautiful. Did you finish the green beetle with some sort of bronze on thorax? I thought the photo had a bronze shimmer.

[@michaelbatz1850]

👌👌👌👌😍😍😍😍

[@mollypeplau3564]

What did you use to remove the masking fluid? I always seem to tear my paper when I try to rub mine off.

[@LouiseDeMasi]

I often use a rubber cement pick-up tool. I also use an ordinary eraser to remove masking fluid.