How To Paint a Simple Woodland Stream in Watercolour

[@barbarachristian8538]

This is absolutely beautiful. I love your style and the outcome. So glad I found your site! Thank you for the explanations at the end as well!

[@StevenCronin]

Thank you so much!

[@HeelhookHustler]

This is one of my favourite paintings.

[@StevenCronin]

I'm glad you like it. Thanks for watching

[@eneaspicolomini7580]

Admirable esa luz y ese dramatismo. Enhorabuena, amigo.

[@StevenCronin]

Thanks for watching and very best wishes

[@lusyanikitina1580]

Вы очень хороший художник. Ваши картины создают настроение. Большое спасибо за щедрость, с которой Вы делитесь своим мастерством.

[@StevenCronin]

many thanks Lusya and best wishes

[@lizmasters3959]

I particularly like this tutorial Steven and the way the final effect invites you to imagine what lies beyond. Thank you for your time and experience.

[@StevenCronin]

Thanks for watching Liz and very best of luck with your watercolours

[@mireilleromain4490]

The paper has beautiful pastel colors all over and a white space in the middle. Lots of tiny trees in the distance and bigger ones in front on both sides. Splendid. Big dark trees using the brush on the right hand side. The reflections of trees are a pleasant view. Smalllittle branches and leaves add beauty to this scene. The reflection of the sky on the water is precious. The land on both sides with their rocks add beauty. Thank you Steven for this beautiful painting as well as all the demos.

[@StevenCronin]

+Mireille Romain thanks for watching and best wishes

[@mireilleromain4490]

Steven, I am watching this video again to look at the movements of your hand and to see if I missed something the last time. Thank you Steven for being always there with your wonderful teachings.

[@StevenCronin]

+Mireille Romain hope the video helps with your watercolours. Thanks for watching and happy painting

[@jameslong4929]

Hit the nail on the head with that one. Atmospheric impressionism at its best. Very, very nice.

[@StevenCronin]

+James Long thanks for your comments James. I'm glad you like the video

[@rusicona21vek]

Уникальная и неповторимая техника творит своё волшебство, поразительную магию создания картины.

[@StevenCronin]

Thanks for your kind words. Best wishes and happy painting!

[@SnehaSharmaArt]

The brushes dance in your very skilled hands , beautiful.

[@StevenCronin]

Thanks for watching

[@vanessapt]

I am so happy I found you! I love your paintings, thank you so much for sharing work. It's beautiful.

[@StevenCronin]

Thanks Vanessa and happy painting

[@mireilleromain4490]

A nice variety of pastel colors to start your sky and foreground with a few thin black trees and tiny branches on both sides of scene with their reflections. Short dark trees on both sides as well as long dark trunks with tiny leaves. Beautiful pastel colors of sky reflect on stream in a lovely way. Dark shadows behind trees and down near foregrounds make this lovely scene looks more vivid. A few dark banks on right hand side as well on other side which make an interesting contrast with white color of stream. Thank you Steven for this beautiful painting with great teachings and videos as well as the little birds.

[@StevenCronin]

Thanks for watching Mireille and very best wishes

[@taraunscripted9270]

Is amazing how chaotic& nonchalant you added paint to paper and turned out such a beautiful painting. I'm learning this is the magic of impressionist watercolor. You are the first artist that took the time to show the detail of the finished product and "walk through" the results of your color and techniques. I found this so helpful. Delighted to have stumbled on your videos, Steve. Will be watching more.

[@StevenCronin]

Thanks Tara and I'm glad you find the videos useful. Keep practicing and very best of luck with your watercolours

[@cherrysimmonds5836]

I really love this one, the depth and reflections. You are such a natural and so confident. I bet you would draw a big crowd if you painted outside - so fascinating to watch ! 😍🍒

[@StevenCronin]

Thank you so much 😀

[@garywilson5846]

Steven: Excellent contrast of dark and light. Your technique really enhances foreground and background perspective. I really appreciate the spontaneity of your brushwork and your color blending. Cheerio from Texas!

[@StevenCronin]

Many thanks Gary and best wishes to you and your fellow Texans

[@karenwoods1234]

Your paintings are amazing. I have been watching your videos off and on for quite a while now and today I finally unpacked my water color supplies. Still haven't put paint to paper but that will be my next step. Thank you for all the time and work you put into your videos.

[@StevenCronin]

+Karen Sisson I'm glad you find the videos interesting Karen. I wish you all the best when you've pluck up the courage to finally give it a bash. Thanks for watching and happy painting

[@mireilleromain4490]

Lovely pastel colors for the sky. Tiny trees on both sides as well as small dark trees. Big trees on left hand side and more dark tiny trees on both hand side with small branches and their reflections. Nice colors of sky reflect beautifully on water. Nice shadow you draw behind the trees Steven, it adds some beauty and depth to this lovely landscape. These lines you are drawing now Steven for the foregrounds make this scene more vivid and it's also beautiful with the contrast of this white steam. Interesting demos in drawing the waves. There is a sense of depth with all the black color on both sides and the light in the middle from top to bottom of the paper. Thank you Steven. I enjoyed very much watching you painting and learn a lot with your explanations and demos.

[@StevenCronin]

+Mireille Romain many thanks as always for your kind words and support. Keep practicing and happy painting

[@Take5Geri]

What a great video Steven from start to finish love the way you begin ...the colors are beautiful so hard to keep the lights so it's fresh but you do it. What a successful painting. Totally enjoyed every minute. You are a great inspiration. Thank you.

[@StevenCronin]

+Take5Geri many thanks for your support. I'm glad you like the video. Thanks for watching and best wishes

[@MegaYosarian]

Another beauty Steven. You make it look so easy. Thank you. A real inspiration.

[@StevenCronin]

+MegaYosarian thanks for watching and happy painting

[@jamesrawson6659]

I have just watched this method of yours and I like it. Well done I enjoyed watching.

[@StevenCronin]

Thanks for watching James

[@tonydinicola3893]

Nice change of pace, Steven. Like this loose style very much!

[@StevenCronin]

+Tony DiNicola many thanks Tony. Happy painting

[@robsmith9190]

Great tonal features in this one Steve, thanks once again.

[@StevenCronin]

+Rob Smith thanks for watching Rob

[@falkner1942]

Thanks so much. Love your work. After many years I'm trying to get back into watercolor and found your demonstration very helpful. Went on your Diary website and ordered all the material you used. I've never been able to paint water streams with water color until I followed your demonstration. And I have a Degree in Art. Thanks, Wanda Gaskin-Smith

[@StevenCronin]

+Wanda Gaskin-Smith I'm glad the videos have helped with your watercolours. Best of luck when your materials arrive. Thanks for watching and happy painting

[@arekkusu888]

very nice painting, Steven!

[@StevenCronin]

+arekkusu888 thanks for your comments and best wishes

[@sylviathompson7297]

what a lovely colourful scene,,,,wish my paintings were like yours,,,will have to have a go with the hake brush, and keep watching you .Keep up your lovely work

[@StevenCronin]

+Sylvia Thompson keep practicing Sylvia and happy painting

[@SuperLuisagarcia]

me encantó! muchas gracias por compartir su arte, me ha sido siempre de gran ayuda!

[@StevenCronin]

Many thanks Luisa. I'm glad the videos have helped your painting. Best wishes.

[@blancheelaineanderson9892]

Very beautiful painting. You've created a magical world. Love to watch you paint. At first looks like a total mess and then it comes together brilliantly. Can't wait to watch the next video!

[@StevenCronin]

+Blanche Elaine Anderson many thanks for your support and best wishes

[@suryatjandra7120]

Very beautiful!!!

[@StevenCronin]

Thanks for watching

[@SavedbyGraceCT]

You make it look so easy!!! beautiful. Thank you.

[@StevenCronin]

Thanks for watching

[@heatherhennick1849]

you make it look so simple. Beautiful. Wow

[@StevenCronin]

+Heather Hennick thanks for your comments Heather

[@elderfrancia26]

Genial. Me atrae sobremaner lo reducido de su paleta y los magnificos resultados. Gracias por compartirlo

[@ValBlack]

Nicely done, Steven.

[@StevenCronin]

+Val Black thanks for watching Val

[@patrickezechieleart]

oh I like this so much, on of your best in my opinion :) nice job Steven

[@StevenCronin]

+Patrick Ezechiele thanks for watching Patrick. Glad you like the video. Best wishes

[@patrickezechieleart]

:) my pleasure

[@Sunny4ualways]

Superb!!! Nice demonstration. Thank you for sharing

[@StevenCronin]

+Suneel Kumar Pigilam thanks for watching

[@loaknathghosh8353]

+Steven Cronin your work is very encouraging

[@santoshbehera6823]

Lovely nice look

[@StevenCronin]

Many thanks

[@roncollins3078]

Luv it, it's very expressive...

[@StevenCronin]

Thanks for watching Ron

[@keithpayne4143]

Great demo Steven 👍🏻 thanks.

[@StevenCronin]

+Keith Payne thanks for watching Keith

[@sybillestahl8646]

Thanks for these videos! I just copied this one, and while it doesn’t look as good as yours it looks a lot better than my usual.

[@StevenCronin]

You are so welcome! Glad your having some success with your painting. Keep practising and very best of luck.

[@RobertJonesWightpaint]

Steve, if I may suggest - leaving out the Ultramarine in the sky is a good idea when the skyline is relatively high - as it was in this painting, which did indeed benefit from leaving it out: adding it in a relatively brief passage of sky is bound to darken the painting, and this one is suffused with light, and is one of your best.

[@StevenCronin]

+Robert Jones thanks for your comments Robert. I must admit I'm not really one for planning a painting beforehand. I tend to just paint by instinct and just see how it turns out. Best wishes and happy painting

[@ianbarnes1406]

just seen this Steve - really nice. Gonna get me some hake brushes to help loosen up my style!!

[@StevenCronin]

+Ian Barnes thanks Ian and very best of luck with your watercolour painting

[@mireilleromain4490]

Beautiful pastel colors for the sky. Nice reflections of sky colors on water. Tiny trunks with their reflections on the water. Some small bushes and bigger trees in front as well as tiny branches with small leaves which add beauty. By the way Steven, from whom did you learn this practice of having various colors of paint on your brush ? Or did it come from you ? Small lands on both sides with tiny rocks. I thank you Steven for this new lesson and very interesting demos. Thank you also for the little birds.

[@StevenCronin]

+Mireille Romain I've seen lots of artists use more than one colour on the brush. I think it's a fairly common thing to be honest. Then as you apply the paint you get all these nice variations of colours on the paper.

[@mireilleromain4490]

I thank you Steven for your interesting explanation

[@anetteaslan6088]

Howdy master of light, air and water! It was another breathtaking adventure. Better than any medicine. Then a poem occurs to me: When God gave man the world and recommended everyone to take what he needed, there was nothing left when the artist came. God asked him: why are you so poor? Then he said: because I was with you when everyone served each other.

[@StevenCronin]

Many thanks Anette for your kind words. Best wishes and stay safe.

[@pottedferne]

Thank you!

[@StevenCronin]

You're welcome!

[@rustlephillips3255]

You're getting good at this mate! 😉 Nice work! All we need now is to get Villa promoted! Cheers

[@StevenCronin]

+Rustle Phillips many thanks Rustle and hope you are well. Yes it's not been the greatest of Starts by Villa but hopefully we can push on and make a promotion push this season. Thanks for watching and very best wishes

[@randolfjones1024]

Beautiful harmony

[@StevenCronin]

Thanks for watching and happy painting!

[@Hertog_von_Berkshire]

Nice one Steven. I particularly like the orange glow, but it's difficult to tell how strong it is. In the video, it varies - compare 23:13 with 23:18 - probably due to changes in sunlight. Then, in the photo on Ebay, it's different again - there's more of a blue bias.

[@StevenCronin]

+Hertog von Berkshire I have found it difficult sometimes in the past for the camera to pick up subtle differences in tone and Colour. I guess the only answer is more expensive equipment but at this stage of the game I just can't afford it. Thanks as always for your comments and very best wishes

[@Hertog_von_Berkshire]

Steven, certainly not worth spending money on, especially if money is tight (trust me I know). A cheap thing to try would be to illuminate with an old-fashioned tungsten bulb when taking the Ebay photo. Alternatively, adjust the camera's colour-balance setting.

[@1471079]

brilliant !!

[@StevenCronin]

+1471079 thanks for watching

[@artshahaf3467]

Thanks for sharing it’s beautiful ,I would like to have a brush li,e your long one,where can I find it, what to ask for? Thanks agin,it very inspired

[@StevenCronin]

You'll see a link in the description to my patreon page. On there there's a list of all the materials with links

[@jocetotem9450]

Bonjour , j'aime ce que vous faites . J'ai une question : pourquoi n'utilisez vous pas du papier 100% coton et des aquarelles extras fines ? Ce que vous utilisez correspond t-il mieux à votre style de travail ? Est ce un avantage en dehors du prix moins cher ? (peu de diffusion de la peinture semble t-il ?)

[@jocetotem9450]

Hello, I like what you do. I have a question: why don't you use 100% cotton paper and extra fine watercolors? Does what you use best suit your work style? Is this an advantage apart from the cheaper price? (little diffusion of the paint it seems?)

[@StevenCronin]

Thanks for your comments. To be honest, I started buying the cheaper materials years ago and never really found a reason to switch to anything else. I've always felt that any improvement in my painting would come from a better appreciation of composition, contrasts, etc. rather than expensive kit. Maybe I should experiment more with my materials - one day I may well try the better gear but for the time being I'm happy with what I've got! Cheers!

[@jocetotem9450]

​@@StevenCronin OK ,je comprends . Vous avez sans doute raison , vu vos résultats . J'apprécie votre manière de peindre . Merci pour la réponse . ​ @StevenCronin OK, I understand. You are probably right, given your results. I like your way of painting. Thank you for the answer .

[@StevenCronin]

@@jocetotem9450 no problem. All the best and happy painting

[@mervwright2611]

Hi Steven I also paint watercolors. I enjoy your work, I also watch Alan Owen, Dave Usher. Just wondering why , when you have nice bright light both in the sky and the trees or land, that you seem to always cover it up with so much dark, dark shadows. In my mind light is what gives the paint life.

[@StevenCronin]

to be honest I'm just experimenting and trying to enhance the light by darking the areas around it. Sometimes it works and sometimes I make it worse but it's all good practise and I learn something for the next painting.

[@mervwright2611]

Thanks Steven for your reply. I do really like your work as I follow Dave Usher and Alan Owen. I think all of fellows are great ! Again thanks for putting your work out . Merv

[@animokashi6851]

excellent stuff Steven :). very impressive. any plans of doing landscape painting in acrylics?

[@StevenCronin]

+ani mokashi not at the moment but I wouldn't rule it out in the future. Thanks for watching and best wishes

[@sheilathomson1628]

ani mokashi y

[@MrJocky82]

Beautiful painting. Steven I'm just getting into watercolor using the hake. I'm reading ron ransons book at the moment. I'm really trying to follow this advice and do tonal drawing before even starting a painting. Is this something you do?

[@StevenCronin]

It's something we should all do and it does help with the finished painting but no it's not something I personally do do but it doesn't do any harm to try it yourself. Keep practicing and let me know how you get on. Very best of luck

[@MrJocky82]

Steven thank you so much for the reply. It means a lot. Your videos are an invaluable source of learning for me. 😎

[@StevenCronin]

Cheers John and best wishes

[@violethorsewoman]

One brush wonder!

[@StevenCronin]

thanks for watching and very best wishes

[@carole-annejones8433]

Wow!

[@StevenCronin]

Many thanks and very best wishes

[@karenwoods1234]

Steven, a couple of questions for you. Hat brand of hake brush do you use. Someone picked me up a few Richeson series 5103 for me many months ago and I just took them out today. Thank seem much fluffier than the one you use and don't have a sharp edge at all. Not sure how they will work out. I wet all the bristles and am trying to dry it shaped to a chisel edge but not sure that will work either. My other question to you is this...if you have a couple of minutes would you suggest to me two or three of the easiest paintings. If I can start easy I may not get quite as defeated. Thank you. 😊

[@StevenCronin]

+Karen Sisson thanks for your comments Karen. I use the Ron Ranson hake brush. I've never used any other brand so it's difficult to compare. I buy mine on eBay for about £8.50. If you search through my recent videos look for the thumbnail with beginner friendly on it. I think that would be a good one to start with. It was a very simple composition and should ease you into the watercolour process. Hope this helps. Best of luck with your watercolour painting.

[@danmostello4050]

Steven is that a 3 inch wide Hake your using?Really enjoy your painting, Thanks!Dan

[@StevenCronin]

No it measures 45mm or one three quarter inches. Thanks for watching Dan and happy painting

[@travisleach412]

Awesome!I have a question,do you use cold press or rough press paper?

[@StevenCronin]

+Travis Leach the paper is cold pressed. Thanks for watching Travis

[@jeanniecarpenter6313]

fab. thank you

[@StevenCronin]

Thanks for watching

[@owens711]

amazing talent ..

[@StevenCronin]

+Gazoutdoors many thanks for your kind comments

[@RobertJonesWightpaint]

By the way, I hate being watched while painting too - so I sneakily take photos, make a few sketches under cover, and if anyone comes by just look nonchalant. We should probably both get over it, but it's a very powerful inhibition and I do respect anyone who can overcome it.

[@StevenCronin]

+Robert Jones yes Robert I'd like to make some videos Outdoors so I really need to start getting used to people watching I think. Thanks as always for your comments and very best wishes

[@shirleywells3062]

If you are painting from a photo, could you please show it on the screen !! Love your style !!

[@StevenCronin]

+Shirley Wells yes if I'm using my own photographs I will show it but if I'm using an image I have seen on the Internet I can't show for copyright reasons. Thanks for watching and best wishes

[@quasima2nez]

Can you do a port rate of john terry!!!,

[@StevenCronin]

+Tony Martinez I hope he will make the difference this season and get us promoted. Thanks for watching and very best wishes

[@mammam3490]

Nuostabu❤❤❤❤❤

[@StevenCronin]

Many thanks

[@dennisturnage]

Ever considered cleaning your palette...you do great work but all your colors are all the same..no variety ..always the same old brown s and greens ...Why not put some color in tour life?

[@StevenCronin]

I could probably do with a palette just slightly bigger to space the colours out a little more. I keep meaning to have a look to see if there is a similar bigger tray.

[@debbieborden7651]

It's be called color harmony! It's beautiful.