How to paint better watercolours using thumbnail sketches

[@esilabet]

This is a must! Moodboard (a collection of references) ; thumbnail sketches, palette selection are my usual planning steps and it's really true, 10 min of planning is hours of time saved!

[@LizChadertonArt]

a woman after my own heart!

[@juliehopkins5784]

You are very generous in sharing this Liz seeing as this is a part of what you teach in your courses. Thank you 👍

[@LizChadertonArt]

My pleasure! it’s too important not to share!

[@SharonNolfi]

This is the best explanation of thumbnails I've heard! Planning what techniques to use is great advice. Thanks, Liz.

[@LizChadertonArt]

I think I'm going to have to quote you!! Glad it was helpful!

[@sheilamillar8071]

This is hugely valuable. I usually plunge in with paint too soon. So good to hear all the thought process. Thank you.

[@LizChadertonArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@stiglinc1]

The best tutorial on planning! Thank you so much!

[@LizChadertonArt]

You're so welcome!

[@agnesgatiniol9925]

Very useful advice, Liz. I'd love to see how you painted your lovely seahorse !

[@LizChadertonArt]

The last project in my beginners course is a seahorse over at www.lizchadertonstudio.co.UK so I can’t really do a film about it here - sorry

[@teresamitchell-banks2286]

Excellent tutorial. Thank you🇨🇦

[@LizChadertonArt]

You’re so welcome 😊

[@bettedubois9925]

Brilliant. Loved this. Thank you.

[@LizChadertonArt]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@almafavela7498]

Very Pretty see horse !! I WILL try to Plan my composition more carefully from now on Saludos desde México 🇲🇽

[@LizChadertonArt]

Hola! I have visited Mexico long ago. what a beautiful country! a little plan really helps!

[@colleenmcchesney1482]

Thanks for explaining the purpose of the thumbnail sketches. I have not really used any with my painting but I see how useful they are and what helps to get you were you need to.

[@LizChadertonArt]

Glad it was helpful! They really save you a lot of pain

[@DoubleRainbows-fp6ih]

You are a Wonderful teacher. Thank you so much

[@LizChadertonArt]

So nice of you

[@a.jlondon9039]

LOVE!!!!! your Work!

[@LizChadertonArt]

Thank you so much!

[@madbarone]

I found this subject extremely informative and interesting. Thank you so much Liz. I will be joining your Patreon channel soon🙏. Just had hip op!

[@LizChadertonArt]

I don’t have a Patreon channel! hope you get better soon.

[@andreawild3737]

This tutorial was more helpful than any others i have seen, will buy your book about portraits! Can you do one on figures in landscapes? 😊

[@LizChadertonArt]

probably not for a while. I’ve got so much on my plate at the mo. but will tuck the idea away…

[@patriciajohnson6272]

Very helpful video. Thank you.

[@LizChadertonArt]

You're welcome!

[@dianecharest8365]

Thank you so much for tis important information.

[@LizChadertonArt]

My pleasure!

[@maryhazlett]

I almost skipped watching this and I'm glad I didn't. My dad was an art-school educated watercolorist who raised 6 kids on an artist's income. He was ALWAYS pulling off the road to "do a quick sketch". I remember what those sketches looked like and still have a few of his sketchbooks. I always thought the sketches looked like scribbles, but the paintings were beautiful. Now I know they were thumbnails. His sketchbooks weren't the works of art sketchbooks often are now. They were tools. I've started taking a class the goal being to fill up a sketchbook. There's a lesson where we're taught to isolate (circle) areas on the photo reference - I want quite sure what it meant. Your comments with the metal-roof barn and light values added clarity to what she said. (I've seen hundreds of those barns). All of this thumbnail talk reminds me of what I hate and skip in knitting: swatching. I guess many arts and crafts have the planning stages we want to skip! Thanks for this.

[@LizChadertonArt]

yes, those tension squares in knitting are boring, but they do mean you get something that fits! a thumbnail only takes a few mins and does save heartache. your dad sounds great.

[@Bearwithme560]

I stopped to say, when you referred to the perfectly proportioned and rendered sketch of the dog as "certainly not beautiful", l had to laugh because it *is* beautiful, and hard to achieve. On to the rest of the video...! Edited to say, it was great.

[@LizChadertonArt]

‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ 😊

[@amseldridge6541]

Very pretty 😄

[@LizChadertonArt]

Thank you! 😊

[@amseldridge6541]

@@LizChadertonArt your very welcome

[@gilliansouthgate1978]

Really love the way you explain things thank you 😊

[@LizChadertonArt]

My pleasure 😊

[@1msfit]

I have seen quite a few videos about the importance of doing a value study before painting. Is a value study painted after the thumbnail sketch is done? Can you skip painting a value study if you have prepared a thorough plan with your thumbnail pencil sketch if it includes values as you did here? I seem do better with just about anything, not just painting, if I have a good plan before actually starting so I like this recommendation. Thank you!

[@LizChadertonArt]

I use the thumbnail as a value study too, so I don’t do a separate one. A thumbnail is quicker to do than watch this film, but they make a big difference

[@sofar_sogud4929]

I’m new to watercolors. So new in fact that I’m still in the “paying with the paint” phase resulting in abstract work. Is there a way to “plan” an abstract?

[@LizChadertonArt]

welcome to the world of watercolour. yes, you can plan an abstract. Two approaches depending if you want to abstract from realism or whether it will be imagined. You can use a pain of L shaped paper to crop a photo to an abstract composition, or you could plan it using the elements of composition such as the rule of thirds, leading lines, repetition…. check out Sterling Edwards abstract watercolour

[@hilarywhite2953]

This is the sort of thing you should just buy a packet of photocopy paper for. Paper you can feel alright just scribbling on.

[@LizChadertonArt]

yes! a thumbnail doesn’t have to be pretty. it is just a route map….