Learning How to Paint Simply and Freely in Watercolour

[@julieg3290]

I just found your part I tutorial starting with the apples. It really helped the naturalness and “art” of my watercolor, and to get out of a rut. This part two is a lot of fun - I happened to have an over-the-hill avocado with interesting fibers and coloring so it did not go to waste. These lessons were inspiring and instructive. Thank you so much!

[@johngameson9768]

Best Paint it rather than eat it

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Hi Julie, I’m so pleased that you had a go at the avocado. I also had a slightly overripe already cut avocado to paint, but in the end I cut a new one for the video. Glad you enjoy the style of my painting, I love the speed of it and it’s fun look. How did your painting go? Best wishes, James

[@roberthoward3723]

Morning - your control of uncontrolled medium comes out very well and makes the painting as it merges. I will have to keep practising.

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Hi Robert, Glad you enjoyed the video. Experimentation is the key to Watercolour. Hope it’s all going well. Best wishes, James

[@roberthoward3723]

@@JamesPotterAboutArt just had a day at putting into practice your demo. The longer I went on the worse it got! It’s a good job I don’t have to submit the results but it did me good and I enjoyed it. Thanks for No. 2

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

@@roberthoward3723Hi Robert, It’s very interesting that you found the more you did the worse it got. Is one of the most important parts of learning Watercolour is to know its limitations and understanding when to stop is so important. When you overwork it, the beauty of Watercolour slowly starts to disappear. There’s always the next time, and I’m sure it will be better! Best wishes, James

[@jimsmith3653]

Really enjoyed this James, as a beginner I have been reluctant to get my brushes out but your tutorials are stirring my enthusiasm. I look forward to trying something similar to your ideas. Thank you.

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Glad you enjoyed it. Jim, It’s great to hear from beginners. There is a leap of confidence that we need in Watercolour. I hope my videos keep on helping you. Best wishes, James

[@zipsterone]

You really make learning a potentially frustrating subject very accessible James. I find watercolor a very tricky medium, but also the most rewarding and surprising. Your unique videos capture that freedom and joy and are absolutely infectious in the best way. Thank you.

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Hi Zip , Many thanks for your kind words. I’m so pleased that you’re enjoying my videos so much. Water colour is a wonderful, medium, and a real joy to me. It always feels Very free to me in comparison to oil painting, which is a much more of a laboured affair. I hope your painting is going well. Best wishes, James

[@lindathaxton1994]

Watercolor is magic - I never get tired or bored working with it - learning so much from you - thank you 🙏

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Hi Linda, Watercolour really is amazing. I think the experimenting side of it and the excitement of finding new ways of doing it, is so great . Glad you’re enjoying and learning something from my videos. Best wishes, James

[@boataful]

I love your style of painting and your use of color. As someone who is new to watercolor painting these exercises have brought much joy to the whole experience. I hope you will continue making these!!!!

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Hi, Glad you’re enjoying my videos. My whole aim is to produce a fresh painting where the colours sing. One of the most important things as a beginner is to work out is which direction you want to go in. There are so many different ways to paint from detailed realism to abstraction. I feel that my way of painting is inbetween this and very much the best of both Worlds. I hope you enjoy the next video, and I will do more videos like it! Best wishes, James

[@davidgow986]

Loving the colours and especially the way you made the stone appear to rise out of the avocado if that makes sense😊best wishes from Janet and david

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Hi Janet and David, It did have fun colours. I do enjoy seeing the shapes appear. Best wishes, James and Tanya

[@LaLaObeRoT]

Fresh

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Glad you enjoyed it! Painting simply and not overdoing it, is good for me. Thanks for watching, Best wishes, James

[@tallygray1008]

I am a complete beginner, I started to learn to paint in watercolour and to draw in January this year. I find your videos so interesting and instructive. I like how you explain the process and how to paint in a looser way, rather than being too constrained-which I have been previously in my watercolour class. I have found that your method works better for me and I produce more pleasing results. I have also used your advice with paint mixing and again I prefer it to the traditional way of mixing, it produces a more aesthetically pleasing painting. Thank you, you have definitely inspired me.

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Hi Tally, It’s always great to hear from a beginner. It’s so important to get off on the right foot when you start Watercolour painting. This mixing technique, I think speeds the whole process up of Watercolour and makes you get the right colours quicker. There’s lots of ups and downs in Watercolour, but keep on going, and you’ll get there! I look forward to hearing how it’s going. Best wishes, James

[@leemarks4543]

Hi James im a beginner and this video is very helpful and the second version is my favorite.

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Hi Lee, It was mine too. It’s just seems lighter and fresher. Best wishes, James

[@chriscooper4579]

So interesting that you say painting from life always looks right , rather than copying a photo. I loved this incredibly informative session. I’m definitely going to do more of this Thank you again James. Great stuff. 👏👏

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Hi Chris, I’m glad you’ve picked up on that point. I believe in keeping things simple and painting from life is the simplest way of painting. Let me know how it goes. Best wishes, James

[@suel4269]

Love them both and the second one was my favorite.

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Hi Sue, Glad you enjoyed the avocados. I agree with you, the second one was better. It seems to have a little bit more life about it! Hope your painting is going well. Best wishes, James

[@CHicksArt]

Hi James! I absolutely love your use of color….making this tutorial so much fun to watch and try! Glad you had a good vacation in Barbados…best to you and your family ❤️🎨. Looking forward to seeing you again on Sunday! Carol from Massachusetts USA

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Hi Carol, Great to hear from you again. Barbados, was great, back to Scottish weather now! I hope you enjoy Sunday’s episode. Hope your painting is going well. Best wishes, James

[@patstokes7040]

That's an understatement calling watercolor a "tricky business" but that is exactly what I would except from our, over the pond, cousins. Coming from the States I'd add at least one expletive.

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Hi Pat, Part of my nature, and probably Englishness, is to under react to everything! Watercolour has such a charming name to it, which seems so delicate and easy. However, the reality is something else. I hope you enjoy part two. Best wishes, James

[@stephenfoster1818]

Hi James, I really enjoy watching your latest painting video. As with your apple video the simple quick flow of colours really works for me. Your method strike accord with me and will doley concentrate on your style. Thank you for your time and effort sharing your paintings. Steve

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Hi Stephen, Glad you’re getting inspired to paint! Inspiration and enthusiasm are your biggest friend in Watercolour! Glad you’re going to give the style a really good go. It’s a wonderfully quick and attractive way to paint. Hang in there and it will get better ! Best wishes, James

[@stephenfoster1818]

Thanks James, I'm looking forward to watching your videos and painting.cheers.

[@awatercolourist]

If you don’t like the opaqueness of cadmiums, try using a yellow made with pigment PY175 (a lemony yellow) or the pigment PY154 (more of a mid yellow). PY154 is semi opaque to semi transparent. PY175 is transparent. They both have very good lightfastness, but double check that.

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Thanks for that. It’s something about yellow that unsettles me. it’s probably me. I’ll give it a go. Thanks, James

[@awatercolourist]

@@JamesPotterAboutArt Pleasure!

[@markdonovan1540]

I watched the part 2 video first, now I have watched this one too. They are both very helpful to someone like me that struggles with overworking and too much detail at times. Your method of teaching and demonstrating seems to come from a traditional background in fine arts. What is the best advice you can give to self-taught newbie artists like me? So far, I've learned from KZbin videos, books, some online demonstrations and workshop's and about 2 months of actual watercolour art classes in Madrid where I live. Although, I feel that I've gained in experience and learned a lot, I now seem more confused as to how best to progress on my watercolour journey.

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Hi Mark, Glad you’ve watched both of the last videos and have learnt something too. Keeping it simple is so so important, in Watercolour and knowing when to stop is an important realisation. If you apply too much detail, the freshness will disappear. There’s nothing wrong with being self taught, I myself never went to art school and I’ve never had a lesson. However, I believe enthusiasm makes up for that. Just keep trying and experimenting and you’ll get there. Best wishes, James

[@Dibdib35]

This is so different to the way I’ve been learning. To be honest I think it takes a professional artist to be able to get away with this style of painting. If I did this it would just be considered amateurish. However, I love the looseness of it all. I tried the tulip and although it turned out different obviously I didn’t want an absolute replicate of yours, I loved the simplicity of it. It was vibrant and I loved it just for me lol. Thank you for your great videos, new sub just over the water in Northern Ireland.

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Hi Lovaine, I’m really glad you gave it ago. It is a very different way of going about the mixing and as you found it does deliver the strong colours. You can always chop and change your techniques having traditional ideas and this idea. Thanks for the new sub and watching my channel. Best wishes, James

[@martyncozens5654]

James enjoyed all your holiday paintings, enjoyed this still life study, I always seem to end up painting what I see brown is brown, red is red etc, I find it difficult to see colour how you can, looking forward to the next instalment on Sunday.

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Good to hear from you again Martyn. Glad you enjoyed my holiday paintings. It’s a bit of a shock, weatherwise to get back to Scotland. I like using colours which sing off each other, so if I’m painting a brown, I like a blue to contrast with it. Hope you enjoy the next video. Best wishes, James

[@sheenashe8]

How fun! I will give it a go. What is the reason you have your paper/easel tilted so much?

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Hi Sheena, Glad you enjoyed the demonstration, it is a fun way of painting. I feel tilting the paper gives me more control and I can predict what the Water is going to do. If it was flat, the water will go in all directions. Best wishes, James

[@anermila6325]

So happy to see a new video of yours, James. Always something new to learn from you (without feeling “I would never be able to do that!”). On another note, may I ask how do you “see” Cerrulean Blue? (I know it’s one of your favourite colors！）. I’ve always love CB but I can’t quite put a finger when to use it. For example, you placed CB on the pit. However I just don’t see any blue on the fruit. Must be my eye problem lol. But the outcome turns out very pretty. Will be great you may enlighten about your take on CB. Thank you!

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Hi Anermil, Glad you like the video. Cerulean blue is a great colour and I use it to contrast with warmer colours, which adds interest to the painting. Hope that helps. I look forward to hearing how your own paintings are going. Best wishes, James

[@karenng5108]

hi Mr Potter. I'm a beginner painter and your videos have taught me so much. Thank you so much for them. I'd like to ask, when you use the white, is this watercolour or guache? Thanks

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Hi Karen, I love seeing Beginner, Watercolour Painters on my channel,. Watercolour is such a wonderful thing to do, and it’s so great to share knowledge about it. The white I’m using at the moment is gauche but other white paint is fine as well. Thanks for watching, Best wishes, James

[@clairebradbury11]

Thanks. Is the white you use also watercolour?

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Hi Claire, I’m using permanent white gouache white at the moment. Hope your painting is going well. Best wishes James

[@hotspursam4972]

Thank you James, most enlightening. Is your white Chinese/Titanium watercolour or is it gouache please?

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Hi Sam, Glad you’re enjoying the videos. At the moment I’m using gouache permanent white, however I would use anything at hand. Hope your painting is going well. Best wishes James

[@hotspursam4972]

@@JamesPotterAboutArt thank you James, I thought it was gouache but wasn’t too sure. I have permanent and Chinese white. I thoroughly enjoy your tutorials and teaching style - thank you. If you have any hints/tips re facial proportions for portraits that would go down a treat too.

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Hi Sam, I will be doing more videos on watercolour portraits, so I’ll try and include some ideas for you. James

[@victoriaharris6091]

I notice you use a lot of water in your brush. Can you do a class detailing amount of water versus pigment? If you already have, ignore this comment.

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Hi Victoria, I feel that there is no absolute rule about how much water to use. I could use less water and have a very similar effect. I will chat about that a bit more, in future videos. Thanks for watching. Best wishes, James

[@awatercolourist]

Hello!

[@JamesPotterAboutArt]

Hello, Hope all is well. Best wishes, James

[@awatercolourist]

@@JamesPotterAboutArt Fine, thanks 🙂