How to loosen up watercolor painting: 4 mistakes I had to overcome

[@TheGypsygirl809]

Great job. Like you i wasn’t crazy about it when you were half way but by the time you finished I was in love. Thank you for sharing, loose painting I believe will become my favorite.

[@lenkaodebiyi8123]

It is very very beautiful, soul-southing, self- expressive, and unique. The important lesson I learn from your demonstration is not to throw away what might not look as your best painting outcome, but sleep on it and find ways how to fix it. I personally love the loose style of watercolor painting. And your knowledge is a treasure. Thank you!🤗

[@KseniaAnnis]

Lenka, thank you so much for your lovely comment, I really appreciate it. I don't know why artwork has to go through an ugly stage, but it seems it always does, no matter what medium we use. Like you said, it's important not to give up on it, but just let it rest. Good luck with your art!

[@kariaellig2316]

I love how this came out!! I’m new to loose watercolor painting, I wasn’t even sure I knew what it was. This video made it clear.

[@KseniaAnnis]

Glad it was helpful!

[@lauraw8851]

Love how you so clearly share your process. I've been painting for years and got so much fresh info from the way you teach and this is a beautiful painting. I do love loose painting and with some detail also.

[@KseniaAnnis]

Thank you so much, Laura, I really appreciate your kind comment! I love making videos but they do take quite a bit of time and effort, so it makes me happy that people find them useful and enjoyable.

[@katherinestobbe5556]

This painting is SO beautiful!!! I would enjoy this on my living room wall!

[@KseniaAnnis]

Thank you so much, Katherine, you are very kind! Somebody is enjoying it (at least I hope!) because they bought it. :)

[@jerrincurless5249]

I love this loose style and how you achieved it. Thank you so much for sharing!

[@KseniaAnnis]

You are so welcome, Jerri! Thank you for watching!

[@Galbereth]

Gorgeous Lilacs. I'm in awe!

[@KseniaAnnis]

Thank you so much! 😊

[@sdc9572]

Lovely picture

[@canfieldw]

Really like loose painting and it turned out beautiful

[@KseniaAnnis]

Thank you, William!

[@dianestrickland2685]

New subscriber here. This is really helpful. I love the loose style but you are right in remarking that "loose" does not mean no discipline in your painting. I'm sharing this video with another painter exploring the "loose" style.

[@KseniaAnnis]

Thank you, Diane, so glad you found this useful!

[@catherinegill2488]

Really good advice to stop and come back later. I love loose paintings and really agree with the need to plan - something I have fallen foul of before! Thank you.

[@KseniaAnnis]

Glad you enjoyed the video, Catherine!

[@heidiz6084]

Brand new to watercolor painting. Your technique really appeals to me, so its time to binge your videos.

[@KseniaAnnis]

Have fun, Heidi! ☺️

[@lstchcglch]

I like your style and your comments are valuable to me. My style encompasses a lot of loose, impressionistic style painting. I've recently discovered the value of Dr. P.H. Martin's white....have used gouache white and not crazy about that...thanks, again.

[@KseniaAnnis]

Thank you for your comment, Glen! I agree about white ink working better than gouache. Happy painting!

[@joankiely3614]

I just adore your lilacs. I love this loose work, but I can’t seem to do it & really don’t have a clue! However I have just found your channel & will be watching more of your work to see if I can learn the rules 😊. Cheers 😘😊😍🥰💕❤️

[@KseniaAnnis]

Welcome to the channel, Joan!

[@CynthiaHill-cp8co]

I really love your tutorials. I am taking a class atm but you take it to a whole other level!

[@KseniaAnnis]

Great to hear, Cynthia, thank you so much for such a nice comment!

[@ritaobrien9093]

Thank you for this! I struggle with loose painting and this helped!

[@KseniaAnnis]

I’m so glad, Rita! Thank you for watching!

[@intuitiveinspiredart4366]

Totally prefer the loose look! This turned out so beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

[@KseniaAnnis]

Glad you liked it!! :)

[@marymccaslin1690]

Gorgeous! Love this more than realistic.

[@KseniaAnnis]

Thank you! 😊

[@4Misschrissy]

Beautiful and so creative! I love the loose style watercolor painting and would love more tutorials from you. Thank you for sharing and teaching. 😊💜

[@KseniaAnnis]

Thank you so much for watching, Christine!

[@chloemaxwell2628]

I love loose watercolour paintings, and this one is beautiful!

[@KseniaAnnis]

Thank you so much, Chloe! 😀

[@carloacc]

Amazing! Very beautiful work

[@robynguinn8941]

I love a loose style in watercolor, lots of lost edges lets the mind fill in the blanks and colors mixing on paper allows for magic.

[@KseniaAnnis]

I totally agree, Robyn! 😍

[@suegraves3492]

I love loose watercolor painting even though my only formal training is in botanical illustration. Your tips are right on, and I’m always glad to know I’m not the only one who overworks them to death. Thank you for sharing your beautiful style! Lilacs are one of my favorite subjects and I really like your final result.

[@KseniaAnnis]

Thank you so much, Sue! I think botanical illustration is a lot harder than just loose watercolor painting! :) I'm so glad you enjoyed my video.

[@susanhess8632]

Love these lilies!

[@amazinggraphicdesign]

Beautiful. Inspiring!

[@ajylizaliturri9210]

Really loved this one!

[@KseniaAnnis]

Thank you so much, Aj!

[@gayle_75]

Very beautiful! I wish I could paint this!!

[@KseniaAnnis]

Of course you can, it's just practice!

[@susanhepburn6040]

I love loose-style paintings and you have provided really useful advice here. Thank you very much!

[@KseniaAnnis]

You are so welcome, Susan, thank you for watching!

[@lisarodgers2534]

I love your lilacs! I think they turned out beautiful. I am a beginner in watercolor and am really drawn to loose style and abstract art. This was very helpful but I have a long way to go.

[@KseniaAnnis]

I’m so glad it was helpful, Lisa!

[@deehaddad8420]

I think your painting turned out beautifully!

[@KseniaAnnis]

Thank you so much, Dee!

[@jas0409]

Very skilfully pulled together. Great advise throughout the tutorial. I personally love this loose style of watercolour, be it landscapes or flowers. Very beautiful and thank you for sharing your thought process

[@KseniaAnnis]

You are very welcome! So glad you found the video helpful. I'll be posting more loose florals in January!

[@jacquiewilliams5151]

Beautiful! 😊

[@sharronchurch6740]

Gorgeous!!! Thank you.

[@KseniaAnnis]

Thank you for watching, Sharron!

[@karenmcelroy9571]

I really enjoyed seeing this come together! It is my goal to learn to achieve this style. Its structured but not tight.

[@KseniaAnnis]

Thank you so much, Karen! Good luck with your art!

[@WardieChimps]

This video was really informative. I have to say that I thought you might go too far with the dark paint... but then the addition of the white highlights took my breath away. I will be trying this out very soon!

[@KseniaAnnis]

The highlights save the day! :) I do try not to rely on them to "fix" the painting, but they are necessary. Thank you so much for your comment, Sue, and good luck with your art!

[@donnacarraway9182]

Beautiful! I really like it!!

[@franziskabaumgartner5323]

WOW - so beautiful!!

[@KseniaAnnis]

Thank you, Franziska!

[@trishhogan7730]

Love the way the flowers popped at the end when you added the white highlights. It really brought the flowers into the foreground. Thank you

[@KseniaAnnis]

Thank you for watching, Trish! I was a little surprised myself. :)

[@canfieldw]

Beautiful

[@jane_7193]

Lovely

[@maureenknight3863]

Stunning..i lovevit

[@JessicaSandersArt]

Beautiful!! I adore loose watercolor. Thanks for sharing!

[@KseniaAnnis]

My pleasure, Jessica!

[@noranancy13]

lovely work! I love loose watercolor painting. thanks

[@KseniaAnnis]

Thank you so much, Nora! 😀

[@sarag8788]

I really enjoyed the way you explain everything as you go. I’m just starting and appreciate that. Thanks:)

[@KseniaAnnis]

You are very welcome, Sara! Good luck with your art!

[@annenglish2935]

I love this beautiful portrait of flowers. I love the bright vivid colors. I'm a beginner - just have supplies & have done a few flowers on small paper. Thank you for explaining as you create - good teacher! Thank you! California gramma 😄🌺🌴🌺

[@KseniaAnnis]

Wonderful, Ann, you are very welcome!

[@carolpetersen9834]

Wow, I hope to develop an eye like that.

[@KseniaAnnis]

You are very kind, Carol! Just a matter of time and practice :)

[@jessiemontgomery5838]

Loose is my fave - love your vids! This one is lovely.

[@KseniaAnnis]

Thank you, Jessie! 😊

[@francoiseconquy8299]

I love it !

[@Love2Create62]

That is so gorgeous! I am going to subscribe, and go look at your other videos! 😊

[@KseniaAnnis]

Thank you so much, Lori, welcome to the channel! 😊

[@josinawashington6744]

beautiful

[@KseniaAnnis]

Thank you, Josina!

[@juliediazoni8112]

What is the giant brush you use? A large quill? I love this kind of painting but I often end up with too much water. Maybe it is easier to control if I use paint straight from the tube instead of pans?

[@KseniaAnnis]

Hi Julie! The first brush I use is a #24 Da Vinci CosmoTop Mix B. A couple of things I would suggest to avoid too much water. Maybe instead of a round brush like I was using, try a flat brush. I am now a big fan of flat angled brushes, and 1.5" would be a good size for a half-sheet painting. And you are correct, using paint from the tubes and only slightly diluting it with water will give you a lot more intensity of color. Pans are hard to get paint out of and you have to have a very wet brush to actually pick up some color. Hope this helps!

[@petrahomagk8453]

For me this is a very helpful tutorial! I like your shown method. I think I will give it a go! Thank you for sharing!

[@KseniaAnnis]

Glad it was helpful, Petra! Good luck with your art!

[@MaryTAllor]

Very nice and fun!

[@KseniaAnnis]

Thank you, Mary!

[@heikeborowski4787]

Its really great!! Thank you. Heike Frankfurt Germany

[@KseniaAnnis]

Thank you for watching, Heike!

[@annwestra2314]

I love this. Your tips are very helpful. 😊

[@KseniaAnnis]

I'm so glad, Ann! Hope you also checked out the spirea japonica video - kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZDPdYZvpNarg9U :)

[@carollangman1163]

Just found you and subscribed, i love the loose style of watercolor and your explanation throughout your video kept me captivated....look forward to more....from England 🌺 🌻 🌼

[@KseniaAnnis]

Awesome, Carol, thank you so much!

[@masja1790]

Loose is my favorite style, but I do not master it at all...yet! I always overthink and overwork it. Damn! I love this painting. 💕 you are so talented!

[@KseniaAnnis]

Just let it do it's thing! :)))

[@masja1790]

@@KseniaAnnis I'll try...and try again 😊🙏🏻💕

[@artisticworldwithnisha5080]

Amezing

[@savithaob]

Unlearnt some of my faulty techniques

[@KseniaAnnis]

I'm so glad this was helpful, Savitha!

[@hrt2art]

Thank you for all your tips - As I'm fairly new to watercolor, every tip is helpful. You were right about your painting needing darks. What a difference that made. I've subscribed and look forward to more videos.

[@KseniaAnnis]

You are so welcome, Marilyn! I will have another loose watercolor floral coming out on August 28 - sunflowers, hope you will check it out!

[@nathalie9040]

Hello Ksenia. I love your videos especially your loose watercolors😀 I was wondering if you could have shown us a fade in watercolor by superimposing a model with white flowers for example. A bit like the watercolors of Maryse de May. Because I did not find anyone other than you who practiced so well the fades. I do not see how she goes about adding a pattern (tree, flower, or architecture) on a fade. Thanks for your help 😊

[@KseniaAnnis]

Hi Nathalie! Thank you so much, so glad you are enjoying the videos. The technique you are talking about (I think) is negative painting. In watercolor it's used when the subject - a flower, a leaf etc. - is lighter than the background. We then have to paint the background around that subject. You can do that with or without masking fluid. Check out this video where I paint a white flower without masking - kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGK9iIJ8pN93pa8 . And here is a video on white flowers with masking - kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4HXZnWXf56aiNE . Hope this helps, but if you still have questions, please just drop a line here and I'll be happy to add a new video, I'm always on the lookout for new video ideas!

[@nathalie9040]

Thank you very much for your answer Ksenia. Indeed I know the negative painting (even if I still have difficulty in achieving it). But it would be possible that you look at watercolors of Maryse de May on google to have an overview and to get an idea of ​​what I am looking for (not the watercolors of portraits because it is too difficult when you are a beginner I find). I don't quite understand how she manages to fade all over her sheet and integrate a pattern afterwards? I find it looks like some of your watercolor practices 😊

[@KseniaAnnis]

Nathalie, I did look at Maryse de May, she doesn't do anything different except that she has great control over paint and water that produces vivid, super saturated colors. She paints the background with very intense colors wet-on-wet (the paper needs to be wetted and left to soak so that the water is not sitting on top but saturates the fibers). She is avoiding the areas that need to stay white or very light, lets everything dry and then adds some details wet on dry to get some hard edges. Her flowers look so stunning because she lets intense pigments run and mix on paper without getting muddy. Have you seen this video I have, it's exactly the same technique if maybe not as bright as Maryse de May's - kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZDPdYZvpNarg9U

[@nathalie9040]

Hello Ksenia and thank you very much for taking the time to answer me. Yes I saw the video you mention, several times even. This watercolor is superb. Your work reminded me of Maryse de May, which is why I told myself that you would be the artist who could best answer me. Also, I only saw you on youtube painting this way. I was still wondering if she was using drawing gum for those little white flowers 🤔? Anyway, I love the way you paint you are an inspiration 😀

[@hazelsmith9198]

I love your videos. Do you ever watercolor landscapes.?

[@KseniaAnnis]

Thank you so much, Hazel! This is my latest one - How to pick colors for watercolor landscape: my process kzbin.info/www/bejne/op6aemWBpdR0b6s. You can also click on Watercolor Flowers and Landscapes playlist to find more videos on this subject.

[@RebeccaCchArt]

what flower is this?:)

[@KseniaAnnis]

These are lilacs.

[@RebeccaCchArt]

@@KseniaAnnis thank you:)

[@carolharper268]

💖

[@lindawilliams747]

I know you prefer to use large sheets of paper in order for students to learn loose techniques properly, however that is FAR beyond most people's budgets to practice on, especially if the paper is cotton.Can you adapt the technique to smaller pieces? Also, your range of colours is beyond what most beginners have at hand. Perhaps your tutorials are intended for intermediate painters of means? Thanks!

[@KseniaAnnis]

Linda, thank you for your comment, it's a great point. The paper can be smaller and the technique will still work if you use smaller brushes. I would say 8" x10" paper would only require number 10 or 12 round brush to start. Cotton paper can also be used on both sides. Colors don't matter at all, I usually mention in my videos that I don't like to concentrate on specific pigment names because people don't have to have them. If the artist understands the technique, that's all that is needed to use it successfully. Copying exact colors seems unnecessary and very limiting to me because it shifts the focus from understanding the process in general. I do agree that my audience is slightly experienced beginner - intermediate painter, I'm sorry if I didn't state it more clearly before.

[@lindawilliams747]

@@KseniaAnnis thanks so much for your thoughtful response. As far as colour goes, l do understand they needn't be precisely replicated - though it can be time-consuming to find a satisfying substitute. However, it is also a good reason to practice colour mixing. No apologies are necessary, at all.

[@lindawilliams747]

Also, thanks for reminding me about using good paper on both sides. 💜

[@CowboyGirl007]

Beautiful

[@ruthebowe4624]

beautiful

[@KseniaAnnis]

Thank you, Ruth! 😊