My #1 Trick to Avoid Overworking Watercolors 🏆

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Today you'll learn my #1 trick to avoid overworking my watercolors!
The key is to:
1. Define large shapes
2. Paint them using EVEN washes
Reference photo:
Original - pixabay.com/photos/road-fog-m...
My edits - imgur.com/a/iV8z0Oa
Time-Stamps:
00:00 - My #1 Tip to Avoid Overwork
00:30 - Sketch ✏
02:25 - Left Big Shape
04:15 - Wet-in-Wet Trees
07:36 - Right Big Shape
10:12 - Dark Trees & Details
11:23 - Gloomy Sky & Road
16:15 - Final Result & Conclusion
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Music is Freedom by Rex Banner 🎼
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My recommendations are always based on my own personal experience ^_^
#watercolor #painting

[@hopelessatusernames]

Biggest takeaway - I tend to panic a bit once the paint starts to go on the paper, so I reckon having a plan before i start and working on a big shape at a time would help me manage that

[@anitasaviko9583]

I teach watercolors and require my students at all levels to watch you work and love that you show your palette so they can see your water control. Thanks👌

[@LironYan]

Wow thank you so much Anita! 🙏😊 So grateful

[@user-kb7hn2dd5k]

It’s like overworking is a habit that wants to creep back, even if we beat it so many times. This tutorial is a very good reminder! I like how you explained and demonstrated the basic shapes and the flow of the colours.

[@trev1968]

My take is to remember to use thick enough paint when dropping details like trees into damp background. I often have to go over them again and end up with a muddy look.

[@shinjiguy5068]

Shapes that flow together, stay together 🧡

[@paulagoldberg1103]

My big take aways: keep the design simple, don’t use too much water, work sections.

[@andrewsart23]

Looking at the picture as big shapes and keeping the wash wet enough as to merge the shapes and keep a uniform look. ❤

[@BBWahoo]

Oh man, you're the art teacher I've always needed. I'm gonna get some of your courses, since overwork in general is a nasty habit I have, I overcomplicate everything and become discouraged easily, sometimes, paradoxically not even starting at all due to the overwhelm.

[@LironYan]

Thank you so much 😊 Happy this helps. Love the username, reference to Mario’s jumps in the N64 version? 😂

[@karencarlin4886]

Thanks Liron, the main takeaway for me was the one sweep of connected washes within the main shapes. My default would have been to start light and layer on greens and browns etc. That way I would often end up overworked with values messed up. Thanks for teaching this approach. Kaz, UK

[@JT8njr]

Liron Yanconsky, the Roy Kent of Watercolour... “He's here! He's there! He's every-f-ing-where! You just popped up on my FaceBook feed, Congratulations Bro, nothing but love! If you ever come out to Boulder Colorado I will show you around.

[@LironYan]

What an honor 😂😂😂😂 Oi! Jaymeee! Foooooooo… Will take you up on that offer 😁

[@connied8507]

Recently overworked a painting I was loving 😢. I didn't want hard lines from gouche? or acrylic so I grabbed some chalkboard chalk and brought back the white areas. (Dry picture) Sprayed a fixative so the chalk wouldn't smudge and it looked better. The chalk is semi-transparent. I'm still learning when to "let it go" I'd love to see your picture once it dries. That has helped me judge washes.

[@user-yg7lv1me6y]

My biggest lesson as an artist new to watercolour is that much practice makes paint control easier, so that the control isn't obvious, and spontaneity is possible while not leading to mud. Also, as Nelson commented, not to let the paint be too wet when dropping shapes in.

[@josebon8346]

I've been watching your videos for some time and find them very useful and entertaining. Using nuetral colors is excellent. JZ is great at this.

[@LironYan]

Thank you Jose 🙏😊

[@HelmaLuzumova]

I like how you effectively point out the principles to achieve your goals. It was also was interesting for me to see that I do not have to paint the sky first nor do I have to necessarily start with light colors to make the watercolor painting look good. It tells me that there are multiple ways to achieve a good result as long as we understand the principles well... Also the notion that value matters much more than a particular pigment and making the colors much more neutral and darker than my first impulse would be.

[@LironYan]

GREAT insights! Took me years to learn these lessons. There really aren't any SHOULDS or MUST with painting. Many ways for achieving the same / a variety of results.

[@deborahwear-finkle4848]

Divide painting into shapes and paint each shape as one rather than a first wash over entirety and then put details after wash is dry. Looks wonderful!

[@markdonovan1540]

This is an extremely helpful tutorial, because overworking is the most common "illness 😅" of the budding watercolour artist, myself included 🙈

[@catholictortillas777]

Insight... The idea you can just put color on and let it merge together on your wet on wet paper. Also the idea was great on using almost clean water for the sky.

[@LucianaBLotus]

Thank you for the video! The biggest lesson for me: to have confidence that the 'current' stage of the painting is enough. So to step back and let it dry with confidence. And also curiosity :)

[@tulipacjrocha]

my take is letting paints flowing makes painting charming

[@dimazi]

Biggest idea from this is to let paint mix on paper. I have tough time doing that but love how it looks! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

[@user-uy7ng8gm3r]

I'm gonna try to keep thing in simple shape , i think it will help for avoid the messy feeling of my painting. thanks for the video and hello from France !

[@samurae7370]

Personally, i prefer using mixed media, so i apply the watercolours first, then put all the details in using a micron fineliner. They're mostly waterproof as well, so you can add more to them after without consequences

[@issyf9589]

I go to search for liron overwork but before I finish the second word youtube suggests liron overlord... I was tempted

[@DMannionArt]

Thank you, Liron. Let it flow! Like the way you approached this in a relaxed painting style.

[@cherieblizzard9585]

I might be learning how to do this.

[@chetanimckinney]

-> Connect the shapes!

[@jessieadair]

I learned to find the BIG shapes and paint them in as a block, blending in various hues and temperatures into the wash as needed. While the block is still wet, quickly tap in thicker paint here and there to suggest various elements within the big block. Then, get out of there and stay out of there to keep it fresh, lol!

[@susanplume7631]

This is a great video, very helpful thank you!!

[@chekovrules]

The little bits of connecting the road to the first shape was really cool, and also the advice to pay attention to those flat sections! I'm trying to get better about merging shapes and this was a great demonstration. Thank you!!

[@theartisticactuary]

I'm already OK with big shapes flowing together. Biggest lesson for me was being reminded again that my colours are too saturated: when you put that first bit of grey paint down in the top left, called it green, then said it was too green and mixed in more of the red, I was sitting up in my chair transfixed.

[@LironYan]

Haha I’ll actually post a video today where I fix the colors… will be out 9 am est 😁

[@freebirdk8]

I love watching you paint. And your teaching style is good! 👍 thanks! My biggest lesson has been to actually pay attention to a good artists suggestions and quit insisting doing it my way and be continually dissatisfied. Lol

[@annekupillasfineart]

I think this is a great demo, and great lessons on how to simplify the large shapes but still have visual interest. I know you don't care about color accuracy, but I do wonder why you chose these colors? It makes a much moodier painting than those spring greens. Maybe the darks show up on video better?? Thanks for all your demos and tips, I learn a lot from watching you, Liron.

[@deenamillecam4441]

Big shapes, let paint flow and paint will mix naturally together, wet on dry,

[@jennwalker3921]

Look for big shapes

[@BornAgainFarmGirl]

Always exactly what I need Liron 😊, I just purchased your Frustration Free Course !!!

[@LironYan]

Oh thank you so much!! 😊🙏🏼

[@BornAgainFarmGirl]

@@LironYan My pleasure !

[@717379]

😄 Mixes a grey and says: "Now this green is to green so I'm just gonna..." On a serious note, I love your work, how knowledgeable you are and how you show and teach things that no art teacher ever mentioned. You are the person who has done the most to help me get over the colour block I had. Great demonstration 👍 And thank you 😊

[@LironYan]

Haha 😂 Thank you 😁🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@derwood206]

my thoughts exactly ha. then i realized it was for the background trees and im like....oh, ok

[@karinlease3544]

Let shapes merge

[@derwood206]

take away. break it up into shapes. Did the painting lighten up? If i tried painting this, i would be interested to capture the brightness of the green in the reference photo. i enjoy your videos and your passion for watercolor. Your palette always amazes me and you paint so freely with it. I am constantly washing my brush so that i dont transfer paint to another well.

[@Natalia-List]

My teacher tell me: no more 3 pigments in mix! And border your colours. I can't draw)))

[@annettetuck2477]

I use too much water on my Color pallet.

[@ItsAlcs]

May I know the brushes you used in this painting?

[@LironYan]

Escoda Ultimo size 16, and barroco size 14. It’s the travel version, I believe there are also studio versions (:

[@mindsQuill]

That you don't have to copy the picture 😅

[@michaelmanchester1814]

How do I access the reference photo

[@LironYan]

There’s a link in the description, here it is again (: pixabay.com/photos/road-fog-mountains-austria-7504719/

[@sarachauvot7677]

Big shapes…noticed how much paint you had mixed up in advance

[@LironYan]

Yes! I do that instinctively by now, and even my amounts aren’t enough 😅

[@ABCXYZ-kc2zc]

I Don't Need To Get The Perfect Color And I Can Change The Color

[@missmayflower]

It’s all grey and brown! I’d like to see more green like the reference. And that pallet just looks like mud. I want to do watercolour because of the great colours, so this is not for me.

[@LironYan]

I fixed it here (: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jV7QgoqPrZ6BmdU And, check this one out for a more colorful approach: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jWHFgqqMopmZd6c

[@prayas1673]

Is this finished?

[@LironYan]

Yes! I’ll share today a video in which I show you the final result with some small fixes I did to the colors (:

[@salishacorbie6612]

Simple shapes Less is more