5 TOP WATERCOLOR TIPS from my MOST WATCHED (Viral) VIDEOS

[@sicajm]

Your first tip about preparing the paper is for exactly what I most need help with! I've only been painting for a couple months so everything is new and the learning curve is steep, and I've seen nobody else talk about the sizing this way and explain! Thank you so much, subscribed!

[@LeslieStroz]

It took me ages to understand why the paper needs to be prepared. I’m happy to have helped you along your watercolour journey! 😊

[@davidsaad556]

Tip #1 is a game changer! I had no idea. Every anomaly you portrayed in reference to sizing, I experience on a regular basis. Is there a particular brand of paper that leads to less preparing or no preparing?

[@p.d.leiker3669]

You are so frugal& resourceful..I love a teacher who passes on knowledge! The paper prep especially helpful.. always surprised at what I don't know😅. I have a larger sponge pad.. but the little square in a paint pan?? C'mon. So darn handy. 😮

[@LeslieStroz]

You can always cut them down to size. 😊

[@alisonhendry2928]

Thanks for the info about preparing the paper. I usually stretch my paper and if I don’t I get quite frustrated with buckling, but with your tip I now know why the layers often don’t look right. Thank you! Loved seeing how the water bottle in the WN portable painter box is also a palette for mixing! 😮 gum Arabic tip and dried paint! Going to try that…now for the hunt in the garbage for the old tubes 😂😂😂😂

[@LeslieStroz]

I’m glad it was helpful! I find that just wetting the paper first like I did here gets the same results as soaking it and is so much easier! 😊

[@marylaurin-n3r]

8young cinn

[@Gravuun]

I had literally NO IDEA you had to prepare the paper by soaking or brushing, why has nobody told me??? Ive been watching "what you need to know about watercolor" and "tips for beginners" type videos for seeks now, and this is the very first time ive heard this!

[@Misana]

I knew about brushing but yes, this is rare info.

[@corriegrant367]

Thanks for the great information. I learned 5 new things. I am fairly new to watercolor. Much to learn. 😊

[@LeslieStroz]

That’s wonderful. Best of luck on your watercolour journey! 😊

[@corriegrant367]

@@LeslieStroz Thanks. Do you think it is better to begin with cotton paper? I have both and they do respond differently. I have Daniel Smith watercolors and good brushes. I feel the inexpensive paper results in a very different outcome. I go back and forth between papers. Feel that cotton paper contributes immensely to outcome. Much different learning experience. Don’t want to learn twice. Thanks for sharing!

[@LeslieStroz]

@@corriegrant367Cotton paper is much more versatile. You can layer and lift colours better and in general it’s a nicer painting experience. 😊

[@lindaarsenault3223]

I appreciate how thoroughly you explain things as well as the pace of your videos. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and knowledge.

[@LeslieStroz]

My pleasure! ❤

[@pamchan5585]

So many new things I learned today! Particularly the cracking of paint in my travel palette! Koi brand are the paints, I have tried the gum Arabic and pressing colours back in and will try adding paint in as well! It’s taken me 2 years since my start on my watercolour journey to stumble on to your KZbin channel!

[@SukhdeepSingh-hh3tw]

Thank you , for such a good information. so, now a sponge will also help in my paintings for creating clouds,very detailed texture of the leaves of trees as before sponge i always had to take no of hours to make a bushy tree leaves 🍂

[@LeslieStroz]

It’s such a versatile little tool. 😊

[@-MEL16-A.O.C]

Thank you I love this type of video !!! It's really helpful and must be part of my favorite playlist!!! It's a pleasure to learn tips and technique from you and so kind to you to share your knowledge and your talent 👍😊 Bises and nice week Leslie 😉😘

[@LeslieStroz]

Thanks so much! I wanted them to provide a little “extra” so they weren’t exactly like the Shorts. 😊

[@user-ee4vn2rs4m]

I’m so grateful! I’m getting ready to start water painting, and these sorts of “passing wisdom” videos are a gift. Thank you! 🙏🏽

[@k8marlowe]

Huh. I can’t believe I never knew how to properly prepare watercolor paper. Thank you so much!

[@Misana]

I know I'm going to have to watch this a few times but I've never seen a video such as this. Appreciate it.

[@Babyjohn8170]

Thank you. Excited to learn more.😊👍

[@PatriciaGodboutArt]

Your studio is so lovely. Large, tidy and organized I have hardly any space. My husband has it all, I need to fight for more space. i will persevere. Thanks for your inspiration. Big fan of your work and instruction. Many thanks and much gratitude .

[@leslievincent8565]

Thank you for these tips! I'm relatively new to watercolor and thought that preparing the paper was for more advanced artists only. I had no idea how much it would help me get the results I've been wanting to get. Subscribed!

[@geraldinebusson1168]

Thank you! Very useful advices.I already knew the tip with arabic gum for cracks and starterd doing an half pan with a DS tube.

[@lcm2007]

Thank you so much - I haven't been painting long, but every tip was an answer to a question I've had come up 😄 Brilliant, thank you 🙏💕

[@Ch-yz4yt]

Probably a dumb question.... Can you pre-prepare paper and store it so you don't have to do it when you want to sit down and paint or will it go back to the unprepared state if it sits for a while?

[@raybeaumont7670]

YES! I normally stretch paper the day before I use it but my sketch pads are pre-wetted days before.

[@JoAnneSmith-di8ok]

Thank you for all of these tips. Have a good week.

[@Flora-v6u]

Such useful tips, thank you Leslie, particularly the first one! Thank you again ☺️

[@deeoh3708]

Thanks for the sponge tips.. very useful! So much to learn about water colour painting!

[@tonitichauer4723]

Learned so much. Thanks😊

[@AVToth]

I do the same thing with toothpaste tubes. Also lotion, take the pump out, cut the bottle open. I get at least 2 or 3 showers worth of lotion out that would normally get thrown away.

[@nansnook3920]

Being new to water color I appreciate your advice. Thank you.😊❤

[@musfirartistic]

Amazing tips. Most of them I already do without having to search on KZbin. After watching this I feel like a pro now. 🤣🤣 But using the tack-it tip to stick your pans was absolutely awesome and new for me. Will definitely try it out if my pans fall off. Thank you so much for sharing them ❤️❤️❤️

[@LeslieStroz]

I’m glad I was able to show you at least one thing you didn’t already know. 😅🤗

[@musfirartistic]

@@LeslieStroz it's more than one actually. Thank you for sharing your tips. They're definitely pretty valuable ones. ❤️❤️

[@pippas5808]

So helpful. I've been using a sponge to take colour out to make clouds, but for some reason, it never occurred to me to use it to ADD colour! I love the foliage effect you got with the sponge and can't wait to try it.

[@LeslieStroz]

It’s so much fun. 😊

[@betsy773]

Thanks for your thoughts. Ive used W&N exclusively for years. Because they are affordable. But as a gift to myself after a VERY trying class in Family Systems therapy I bought a Schminke whiskey painters box, tubes of both professional W&N and of Sennelier. I still prefer my old W & N. Those professional W&N as sooooo darn expensive i will probably neaver use them. Probably all fear based garbage. Thanks for your video. Bloopers are great.

[@minisnmore]

Thank you so much. This is a great group of watercolor tips.

[@LeslieStroz]

My pleasure! 😊

[@rociocruz2786]

THANK YOU,Leslie,this was a really useful video!❤

[@mianoname9825]

Very interesting, thank you Leslie! I really didn't know I have to prepare my paper that way, even in sketchbooks 😲I knew this for wet-on-wet but not for reagular painting. But you're so right, it really looks different... I'm definitely going to give this a try. By the way: I also have had good experiences with "gluing" fallen out paint cakes back into the palette with a drop of gum arabic. That even works on silicone which normally is really difficult to glue.

[@LeslieStroz]

Gum Arabic is so versatile! And yes, I don’t always prepare my paper, but it’s so much better when I do! And it’s so simple too.

[@jacquekelly1689]

Thank you for the helpful information!

[@bettinadelia3928]

Thanks a lot for this video. 😊

[@caroles5258]

Thank you for all this very helpful information.

[@malleusmaleficarum2992]

So that's why my art teacher always made us wet and dry our watercolor paper !! You've solved one of the mysteries of my childhood lmao Also, something cool I learned recently is that you can reshape your bent brushes with hot water and a little bit of gum arabic or water soluble glue. It helped a lot woth my old brushes.

[@tessellatiaartilery8197]

Wonderful tips! I learned lots here. Thank you very much.

[@LeslieStroz]

My pleasure! 😊

[@msundius725]

What tape do you recommend for taping down the sheet. I've used painters tape or artist tape and it often comes loose. Brown paper tape leaves residue which can be challenging to get off.

[@shineefeels]

I’m struggling terribly with cracks in my watercolor pans. I’ll have to try out your gum arabic tip next time! Also I never thought about using water to get loose pans to stick again! I don’t know why I never thought of that. Thank you so much for making this video! I learned a lot 😊

[@LeslieStroz]

I’m so glad. 😊

[@shells_bells]

Love this!! It’s so informative and easy to understand. ❤

[@jdschneider5858]

I love your videos and so do my watercolor friends! I bet you'll have a million subscribers by the end of the year! As for tried paint tubes: I make a slit in the tube -- an "I" or a "C" works well. Then I peel the metal tube back and just use the dried paint straight out of the tube! I don't think there's any downside to doing that, though it wouldn't be great for plein air. Thanks for your artwork😊

[@LeslieStroz]

Thanks so much! Yes, the hard bits can be used the same as pans. 🤗

[@jameshenderson5385]

Invaluable information, thank you.

[@Harkart59]

Those are all great tips! Thank you very much.

[@marit4660]

These were all great tips - thank you so much!! I was wondering what to do with that little sponge 😀

[@LeslieStroz]

How exciting! Have fun with it. 😊

[@marit4660]

​@@LeslieStrozThank you! And hi to sweet little Poppy! 🥰

[@HomairaEkra]

Thank you,,, this was so helpful 👍😇❤

[@charlotteherschel7340]

Thanks for these great tips. I've subsribed and will follow all of your tutorials. ❤

[@claychick100]

Great information! Thanks so much!

[@laurapuchalski7402]

I always soak my cellulose paper first and have beautiful results. I find if you can have the outer surface mostly dry while the inside of the paper has retained some moisture you can paint just fine without blooms.🎉

[@Mrunalini_art]

Thank you for this pot ful of tips!

[@janetsunshine8689]

Very good information!! Thanks!

[@jude1515]

Helpful video. Thanks.

[@lindam.8113]

My best tip for watercolor paint: To prevent the paint from drying out, squeeze the paint to the edge of the tube each time you open it, then close it. This way, no air gets into the tube (it gets pushed out with this method). Airtight and sealed!

[@rebeccapage4411]

When new cakes fall out of half pans, I usually just wedge them in upside down. Almost all half pans have slightly slanted sides so the top is larger than the bottom

[@mooneybot]

I have studio envy!!!

[@FreeSpiritinLightandLove]

Thank you!

[@sohinidutta97]

I recently bought a cotman set and OMG do they fall out!! Every time I open my palette, the paints are out of the pan and sticking to the top! This was such a needed hack for me. Thank you so much!

[@crystalheart9]

Thank you so much for this valuable information. I like to paint with a watercolor bloc. I can't wet the back but if I wet the front and allow it to dry would that prepare the paper as well? Thank you.

[@LeslieStroz]

Yes, definitely! I love watercolour blocks. 😊

[@crystalheart9]

@@LeslieStroz Yes I love them too, thank you.

[@FreshEclecticism]

Great video, really super info!❤

[@GodzHarleyGirlStudio]

Great tips! I’m learning to love your channel because of your content! Thanks for everything you do to help us! Hugz, Tree

[@LeslieStroz]

Thanks for being here. 😊

[@maureencoles9914]

Never new something of these things. Wow thks

[@Jasmine-Jeane-H]

Thanks for this, great tips ! I was in an art supply store the other day, I bought empty plastic 1/2 pans and a tube of Winsor & Newton paint. The clerk told me that the W&N paints weren't suitable to squeeze into the pans because they wouldn't dry properly. But you used a W&N in the vid. Do you use other Winsor & Newton wet paints in your pans ?

[@LeslieStroz]

Yes, I’ve used them in several palettes and paint pans. They work fine. I prefer to buy tubes and make my own pans because you get more for your money. Some colours definitely shrink and crack more than others (like burnt umber!), but now you know the fix. 😊

[@Jasmine-Jeane-H]

@@LeslieStroz Thanks !

[@lizgorley]

Great tips! Thank you!!!

[@elsgussenhoven1727]

Dankjewel 👍💐🇱🇺

[@pamelawilson2382]

Thank you for all this extremely useful tips! I was hoping you might speak on tubes that have a non functional screw top? I have tubes of QOR tubes but the top wound not screw back on?..any suggestions? You are amazing!

[@LeslieStroz]

I would suggest always saving caps from old tubes for this reason. If you don’t have that I’d buy empty tubes and transfer them to that.

[@Julie-r4b]

Enjoyed this video .. yes I wondered why a strip of sponge was in my purchase pallet.. I was only using it to remove water from my brush .. I also did not know gum Arabic came in liquid form I have the pasty type .. I don’t think this would work to soften paints .. would it ? I guess I can try it

[@sahnajakter8274]

❤❤

[@carolinafernandezoro733]

Excellent!

[@Shreya-z1d]

Do we have to prepare every paper or just cheap once?

[@leslie-annepepin8927]

Excellent video. I am a beginner and did not know to soak and dry paper first. May I ask where you got your small wooden palette? Thank you.

[@LeslieStroz]

There are lots of inexpensive imitation ones that I’d steer you away from. Mine is from the original inventor of the design. It’s from Go_Draw on Instagram. If you go to their page they have a link to their Worldwide shop. 😊

[@sesnighthawk]

That notebook at the beginning during the prepared paper section was gorgeous what it is please Leslie?? Wonderful useful tips thank you ❤❤

[@LeslieStroz]

That little sketchbook was gifted to me by Natsume Handmade on Etsy. She sells cute sketchbooks. I’m pretty sure the paper is cellulose.

[@bunnyhand1]

Fantastic video!!

[@LeslieStroz]

Thanks! ☺️

[@dianepaynter2414]

Great tips!!! Thanks

[@MB-hc9tk]

Great tips ❤ thank you

[@lesleypickard9732]

Thanks for the video. :)

[@ChantelleArts]

these are brilliant ☺☺

[@karenrouth2056]

Well done Leslie! Lots of brilliant info! Our wonderful art teacher at school always had us ‘prepare’ our paper by wetting prior to painting, we also taped to hard board to keep it stretched… and that was 40-50years ago😂! Thank you x

[@pauline3379]

Great tips, thank you, just come across you and subscribed, I will look at more of your videos 😊

[@LeslieStroz]

Thanks so much. 😊

[@graemejwsmith]

Tip 3 makes you an honorary Scot!

[@ralphherrick596]

Thank you so much 😊

[@vieramosberger-uvacek9153]

Dear Leslie, thank you very much for these clever tips. I appreciate you and your work very much❤ Pearhaps you can help me. I would like to know, if you have an idea, how to make two half pans out of one full. I like to make my own different palettes for different purposes, but often have only one pan of paint. Before considering to purchase a tube, I would like to test and play. But it is annoying to have a lot of different palettes on the table, when I am trying only one to two pans out of each. So pearhaps there is an elegant possibility you would share with us? I dislike to saw it apart. It is a mess😅 Thank you and have a nice day

[@LeslieStroz]

I wish I knew the answer! I’d be inclined to thoroughly wet it and try cutting it, but I’ve never tried… Now I’m curious! 🤔

[@jeanettetobey3433]

Thank you for this lesson.❤ I’m fairly new to this, so please excuse my color?blindness?? Because I’m finding it difficult to see much of a difference (even after pausing video for a stare) of the unprepared-vs- prepped strip. Have you, or might you ever do a video like this but different🤪. So we can see the differences within the entirety of a painting??

[@whimsydotexe]

I feel like I conceptualized tip one in my own practice, but with the wrong explanation! I thought of it more like a brand new kitchen sponge; it takes a second for it to be able to absorb water well because of how dry it was sitting in a box for months and months. You need to let it soak and work with it a little bit to make it ready to actually use, because you cant just put soap on a brand new sponge and expect it to work. The water is going to sit on the surface for a little white before it can actually penetrate the sponge, and then after that, it's smooth sailing!

[@sharonelliott1075]

I was wondering how to prepare watercolor paper in a block 100% cotton . Thank you

[@NiharikaSarma-zt9qn]

💖💖💖💖💖

[@jezza_wut]

❤❤❤❤

[@ladyflimflam]

It occurs to me that a small cosmetic spatula or cuticle pusher may work easier than a palette knife for an operation like you carried out on the yellow paint tube.

[@LeslieStroz]

A spatula would be great!!

[@IBeLieveInChrist07]

❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@cindybohl9593]

What is the website where you looked the pigments up on?

[@LeslieStroz]

www.artiscreation.com/Color_index_names.html

[@marceystevens8275]

Thank you, new subscriber here. Good video

[@LeslieStroz]

Welcome! 😊

[@iwonarychel6310]

❤Dziękuję za wskazówki ❤ zy możesz napisać czym preparować celulozę a czym bawełnę Wtedy sobie przetłumaczę Lisly

[@christophermckellar1352]

Thanks.

[@patriciaheller9211]

I use watercolor blocks. The master Charles Reid did not stretch paper nor Robert E Wood.

[@sharonsunshine2532]

❤

[@carolexo7269]

You learn about preparing paper when you take a class.

[@noremac4807]

Not sure Why you need to prepare paper that is sold for the purpose of watercolour paint, particularly an expensive brand ?

[@theshizknit]

You can always rewatch the video since you aren’t sure.

[@CynthiaHellner]

SIZING

[@Panndora222]

she just showed up why

[@sarahberry6080]

Painting is something that I can sit down and get lost in for hours. A mask and gloves would ruin the experience.

[@raybeaumont7670]

If your paint gets so hard maybe you need to use it more often - or find a new hobby.. Paper stretching is a normal part of the process.

[@chrisnewman9693]

Oo er missus!

[@minabattagin6042]

You’re making what should be simple, so difficult. For beginners I think this is all so unnecessary!

[@phillipstroll7385]

No thank you. I don't watch shorts

[@PaintIt4Ward]

Your loss. This isn’t a short anyway

[@Queenie-the-genie]

Such good advice... Thank you. 🩵🩵🩵