Getting Control of Watercolor for Extreme Detail

Steve shows his brushes and a few other tools to help explain his very controlled approach to watercolor painting.
For more information: stevenkozar.co...

[@SaifRizwan]

I could never have believed this level of realism could be achieved through water colors. I'm shocked.

[@billjones8608]

Yeah especially with watercolor. It’s very difficult. I go for a realism approach to my watercolors also. But I paint on small paper because painting large takes so long. Very difficult

[@chatita9527]

I went to your website and looked for the paintings ... wondering why you had uploaded "photos" and no paintings. It took me a while to realize that I was looking at paintings!!! 😳😳😳 This is unbelievable, amazing and awesome!!! I have NEVER thought this could be done with watercolor. Thanks for sharing! 👍😁🤗🤩♥️

[@jenniefrench1338]

I am so glad to know that wc detallists truly exist. I have heard wrong instructor information saying that only newer students glaze tons because they can’t get the value and hue right the first time. I firmly disagreed because some of the details that I paint just require more layers. Anyways thank you for sharing your form of painting. I love it and your patience must be immense. And I love detail work as well and left handed and we have the same palette. Take care and when someone says “paint looser’ please say no paint very tight and make the photo look mediocre.”

[@christocr]

Now this is my kind of painting. "Loose" watercolor work doesn't do much for me most of the time. Tight-focus watercolor work is amazing.

[@DonnyDump]

Totally agree with you

[@ex0rcisme]

i love this comment

[@Dutchduck1977]

Thanks so much for these videos. I have been searching for an artist who paints in watercolor with this much detail and is able to explain what he'd doing. Awesome!

[@markriedener8697]

Hey, Steve, just discovered you literally about a week ago, so I am trying to see how you create your painting wonders, and two things just caught my eye, your easel is apparently custom made and fastened to the wall, so no legs to work around, and it seems you always work at a slight angle, a lot of artists who I have seen paint work on a surface which is parallel to the wall. The second thing is that it seems you have you work stapled to a flat piece of wood with like several dozen staples, but the wood itself is not attached to anything, giving what looks like complete mobility to move in all directions, interesting. Everyone has their own system, and no two completely alike! Oddly enough, its not how you create you fine detail work that fascinates me, but rather your perfect blending, for your panoramic skies, that I find extremely facinating! Hey, keep them coming, please!

[@StevenKozarMessedUpChurch]

Great to hear from you, Mark! I will do my best to make more of these videos; glad you find them interesting!

[@kennethreaume6380]

Your work is so incredible.

[@thomasstanfordart5606]

"I don't use tricks for texture." - Steve Kozar Invaluable insight. It's a vicious war of layers.

[@Francine1117]

You are very gifted!

[@mindykeys206]

Thank you for sharing and showing a different style of watercolor. Your work is extraordinary. I love that you validate using wc in different ways. Breathtaking.

[@Lanaprivitera]

It was a real pleasure listening to your explanations and getting to know you a bit, Steve! ;-) Wishing you a Happy, Healthy and Rewarding 2022!!

[@Stevenkozar]

Thanks so much, Lana! Same to you!

[@cathywestholt5324]

I never would have thought that watercolor could be layered like that. You amaze me!

[@markriedener8697]

Hi, Steve, thanks for responding, that means a lot to me. I do love your paintings, they blow me away with their realism, I just gaze at them and think, "How did he do that!" I do have a request, if I may, could you tape a painting session showing how you pull off those stunning skies of yours, they just amaze me, they just so consistent with color, I've never seen any other artist pull that off like that! I do like your sponge trick, I've been doing the same thing for years, but I pinch my brush with my fingers, , and pull the brush away, sort of like sharpening a knife! It works, but what a mess on my fingers! So thanks in advance, I really appreciate it!

[@creativecolours2022]

Your idea to use such a big container for washing your brushes is genius.

[@simpleartofhealing286]

Thanks! So interesting! Such patience!

[@goldfishinabag5559]

Thanks. Great advice!

[@donnayoung2169]

I so admire this high skill in painting! God's creation is beautiful; to me, a true artist tries to capture that in a realistic way. I heard about Steve's painting when he was interviewed on the podcast "A World Fitly Spoken". I was BLOWN AWAY by the excellent realism he portrays.

[@debbieborden7651]

Wonderful information. Thank you so much for sharing!

[@lozartandthestinky2379]

Your crazy with these paintings!! Insane work!!

[@jhuvyg]

Hello Steve!! This is Jhuvy Wilson, I'm a subscriber to your youtube channel and of course a fan! So nice to see another tutorial from you, been a while now. I'm from Arizona and summer last year we took a trip to Wisconsin, my husband surprised me and took me to your place! Not sure if you will still remember lol..That was so amazing and so nice of you to show us your studio and shared to me some techniques.. Such an inspiration for me to keep painting. We bought some of your prints, it's all over the house now, and my fav, your Devil's Lake Sunset painting which was the first painting i saw 4yrs ago when i googled for watercolor painting ideas, that made me ask like really? This is watercolor?!! Then I learned the name.. hyper realistic painting, then said to myself. now this is what I want to do!!!! So I have it in 18"x24" size which I hang on my painting room to keep me inspired to paint lol. That big sponge and bucket of water is sure an add on to my painting area, why I havent thought of that!!! Well, thank you for sharing I hope to see more of your tutorials lol I know it's hard to keep up as you mentioned to us.... more power to you Steve and God bless!!! Hi to Lucy!

[@erins.5420]

jhuvyg I hope to see more videos too.....and I'm from AZ too!

[@jhuvyg]

Erin S. wow!! where in AZ?! ;-)

[@jhuvyg]

Erin S. Yeah would be nice to see more of Steven Kozar's vlogs, such a great talent and an inspiration to many artists or newbies.. but I could understand how hard it is to keep up, as I'ved known from him during our visit he does everything! From painting to printing, marketing and selling..

[@Stevenkozar]

Thanks so much, Jhuvy!! Lucy says "throw the ball!"

[@sarahbrownell25]

Awesome tips!! The sponge 🧽 too!! Amazing work

[@Muzgab]

Hi Steve, great videos and great work (I really admire your patience!) One small correction, Rosemary & Co. are based in West Yorkshire (quite near where I live) not London. Their brushes and service are excellent.

[@StevenKozarMessedUpChurch]

Thanks Tom! I looked on a map and found West Yorkshire... oops, it's not even close to London. I'm glad to hear good things about the Rosemary & Co brush makers. The handful of brushes I bought from them were excellent, but they aren't very common here in the states yet. Thanks again!

[@Muzgab]

Thanks for your reply. I gather you are showing at Plus One gallery in London, I visited that gallery about 15 years ago to see Paul Robert's paintings (Sniff 'n' the Tears) He's a really good (underrated) singer/songwriter and painter, but I don't think he's with them now...worth checking him out!

[@rachelannapolaro8969]

Wow thanks for the brief and concise advice. I appreciate that you detailed your techniques without wasting time ♡

[@ibrahimmohdnoor5127]

Thanks for sharing Steve. I hope you can share more of your tips and painting's videos.

[@collapsev]

Thanks for showing us your process! I learned something today.

[@dwbrady5795]

I didn't know that this was possible it's amazing.

[@MrJimbelt]

Steve thanks man another piece of the puzzle I agree I don't throw out any paint

[@Artsybroad]

I love to use Lukas as well, along with W Newton. Thanks for the video!

[@crulygirl1616]

well this is just amazing, and helpful. thank you!

[@walterpierluissi1379]

I have seen another that have a very similar way of painting like you... Alexei Butirskiy, a Russian watercolorist. Also one of my favorites is Atanas Matsoureff from Bulgaria,

[@Tt-t100]

Great videos. Hope you film more because they are great source of education. Following you on Instagram.

[@s0me0nelse]

nice story at the end, i liked it

[@sacredrose5477]

I remix paint a month or more after I have put it on the palette sometimes. It is still the same.

[@maryfurtado8434]

Great tutorial. Thank you. You don’t say,but it appears that the sponge is slightly damp. Yes?

[@StevenKozarMessedUpChurch]

Yes!

[@suev1520]

I subscribed today thank you .....i cannot find any videos of you painting..just the after videos..i would love to see you in action actually putting paint to paper..be lovely..also would love to know your method of transferring realist image onto the paper..if you freehand or use a lightbox..i am in Australia but think I need to travel over to see your studio xxx

[@heliopijpe]

THX so much for sharing man,, :-) !!! (I paint oil, so for me this is an eye opener)

[@ruthmoore1448]

Excellent info, thank you!

[@sacredrose5477]

How many hours would you say you spend per painting and how long do you work for at a time.

[@blonski]

Beautiful work! Is this sponge one of those used to skewer flowers, potted plants? In watercolor contests, can I use calligraphy nibs, airbrush and felt-tip pen? Even I use it exclusively, Only Watercolor?

[@EsteeDarla]

I thought I was the only one who used the huge bucket of water for the same reason LOL

[@tomtemple69]

i couldn't tell they were paintings on the website

[@graffigdesign8977]

Steve. Any chance you could recommend a list of colours for someone just starting out. Do you find you use a set of certain colours repeatedly? Many thanks again

[@michaeltalbot8242]

Steve you say you use your brush like a pencil to that extent do you make a panxil sketch to guide you? I'm just starting out as part of my post stroke cognitive therapy ku d regards mickT Thanks for the sharing of your knowledge

[@heathquiel8533]

I've only done loose watercolor in the past but want to try this technique on my new project that involves several faces. What's your experience with getting skin texture with this technique?

[@kimgalea6529]

Hi Steven, thank you for sharing your talent with us....I love your work. Do you truly think anyone can learn to paint like you?? How do you know which colours to lay on top of each other. How do you get your picture onto your paper....if you've answered these on another video forgive me this was the first one I've watched. Thanks again!

[@StevenKozarMessedUpChurch]

Hi Kim, I'm glad you're enjoying these videos! To answer one of your questions here, I don't think that anyone can learn to paint like me. Why not? Because I have specific talents and abilities that make my work unique; but I hope that people can get better by learning some of the things I'm teaching. My paintings are at the very extreme end of hyperrealism, and there are a million other ways to paint realistically. So just learn whatever helps you and paint however you want. You'll never "paint like me" but that's not the point anyway. Hope that encourages you!

[@APSEducation]

Ok toz get I sent all all will will will do an Jamie is going well and that your number and I'll send me the details and I will get back to you on this number and the details of the meterial to get time to come in and do in a few weeks and I will be there for the meeting on the details I will transfer hfdghj and the details I will transfer hfdghj and we can get time can you be here for you no one is ultimate goal is to get to work on the house I will call them tomorrow from about to leave work I can do that I will call him tomorrow and we can I come over to

[@joshknight9857]

What kind of easel setup do you have?

[@disenchanted8470]

Wonderul tips

[@sacredrose5477]

How many years do your brushes last you?

[@DevinC_]

1:44 you say you wipe the palette totally clean. Does that mean you remove paint from paint well and mixing area when you start a paint or just from the mixing area? Also do you reuse paint the dried or only use fresh paint? I couldn't understand from what you said. Thanks.

[@Stevenkozar]

Hi Devin, Good question; I wipe away the paint mostly in the center mixing area. The pure colors that are around the outside edge are left alone, except to rinse them off and get them clean again (which may mean that I wipe some off, but I'm not trying to wipe them totally off the palette).

[@DevinC_]

@@Stevenkozar thanks for answering. Stay safe out there.

[@michaelbuchanan3212]

I'm curious, tap water or distilled water?

[@StevenKozarMessedUpChurch]

Just regular water out of the tap. (We have good water where I live)

[@arqalgemiropadilla]

Detalles y lo enfocan lejísimos

[@curt118]

What size container is that?

[@keepyourshoesathedoor]

Probably a gallon.

[@Tt-t100]

Thought it was a brick man!

[@danielleguy78]

Would be nice to see your face

[@norahakim2499]

Lefties rule 👍🏻

[@TheCombatartist]

Must’ve disappeared...12/2019