No More Muddy Watercolours! How To Stop Your Watercolours Going Muddy

[@barbarawilliams7012]

A great little lesson, thank you! Worth mentioning that any colour can be ‘greyed down’ by adding a touch of it’s compliment, therefore if you introduce even a small amount of a third colour you will grey down = muddy your mix. If you lovely green formed from mixing a blue and a yellow gets contaminated by red it will be less vibrant. Of course if you want a brownish green you can use this principle deliberately.

[@KarenRiceArt]

Great tip! Thanks Barbara for sharing.

[@lindafrost9681]

I wish I did watch you Muddy Watercolour before I paint a desert sand dunes scene, I did it three time that turned out the same muddy and a mess. After your help tutorial may be I will try it for the 4th time but I will work on you little tutorial first. Thank you very much Karen.

[@KarenRiceArt]

4th time hopefully will be the charm Linda! Good luck 😊

[@lindathaxton1994]

Good teaching - good information & demonstration that I can put in practice. Thank u for sharing your expertise & time.🙏

[@KarenRiceArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@PT-MX5RF]

A perfect explanation of what has plagued some of my little paintings. I might have to play parts of this video while I paint "best to stop, let it dry" "don't fuss with it" or try to fix it... it's like you've seen me paint!!! ;) I get into trouble if I don't plan or I try to add things without sketching it out first... thank you for your patience and for remembering what beginners do to go wrong - you are talented and a wonderful teacher

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you so much Polli! So pleased this tutorial was helpful! Yeah 😅

[@johnkelly3178]

I have only just started painting as a hobby, every fault you showed in this tutorial happens in my painting, but now i know why thank you so much Karen

[@happykidstelevisionshow]

Thank you. This is good advice. I always overwork my watercolors!

[@KarenRiceArt]

You are welcome Jessica 😀

[@Privatenospying]

Finally ❤❤❤❤❤a detailed, clear explanation of how watercolor works!! 🎉thank you!!🎉

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you so much 😊

[@konahvanormondt1583]

Dear Karen, I Like this style , amazing what you did with this tutorial. I love it. Thanks again

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you so much!

[@marykendrick4304]

I enjoy your energy and ability to transfer it to paper

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you Mary 😊

[@lindaw9329]

There's always something reinforced that I've been forgetting. Thank you for you generosity with these videos!

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thanks so much Linda! Really pleased you found this tutorial helpful :)

[@alexandrasanches2473]

Wonderful! Thankyou Karen! Big hug!

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you!

[@susanhill9311]

Yes I am a newbie.. and all was well until I got "brave" and wow I had a complete mess. I chalked it up to learning and I went back to the drawing board... I love water color I love the beauty of the colors and the delicate nature of the results... But if one wanders into a bit of a heavy hand, or you mix in ignorance or sloppy technique... wow I loved this video thanks

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thanks so much Susan! It does take practice and so much fun 😀

[@syedazim2011]

Hi Karen, I’m a beginner; and have taken water painting as a hobby at my 60 age, and my to be companion always. Many, many thanks for your detailed narratives. In particular the tree trunk painting, which is a big challenge as I’m from a tropical country Bangladesh, and I love landscape painting. Love for trees is my passion. I would benefit immensely for further guidance in tree trunk paintings. Kindest regards. Azim

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you and great suggestion 😀

[@nm9688]

In landscape paintings, trees are usually not very detailed as they are part of a wider picture

[@RealOldDoc]

Thankyou

[@MegaPlucas]

My hairdryer is going into my art room now! Great advice. Thank you, Karen.

[@KarenRiceArt]

Wonderful! So glad the advice was helpful Patti!

[@halinaopala7489]

Very helpful tutorial Karen🙂 thank you very much .

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thanks so much Halina! So pleased you found this tutorial helpful 😊

[@deannamunro8148]

Learning the "timing" of your paint- the drying, etc. Yes very valuable - I am an impatient painter but water colours are teaching me patience. Great lesson, Karen. Thank you...

[@KarenRiceArt]

So pleased you found this helpful Deanna! Timing is so important! I am also impatient but have learnt over the years to be a little more patient with my watercolours :)

[@kamdenabdullah614]

a trick : watch movies on flixzone. I've been using them for watching loads of movies lately.

[@malcolmdenver8328]

@Kamden Abdullah Definitely, I've been watching on flixzone for since november myself =)

[@miriamgillham6701]

This was very illuminating. Keep adding paint to the brush so as not to lift the dry paint underneath. Who would have thought! So grateful for this video tutorial as I think these tips are really helpful.

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you so much Miriam, I am delighted that you find the tips in this tutorial helpful! 😀

[@teresajordao6634]

You are a great teacher. thanks for the lesson!

[@jacquelinemeloche9375]

Wow! Thank you for the tips. Grate, I Will pay attention during my pantings . So generous.

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you 😊

[@cherrysimmonds5836]

Thank you Karen, very helpful, I will try to do it ! 🍒

[@KarenRiceArt]

Wonderful! So pleased you found this helpful Cherry 😊

[@karenk490]

Thank you Karen. That was so very helpful!

[@KarenRiceArt]

You are so welcome! Thank you Karen :)

[@marialunatorres7581]

Karen, I don't understand English, I'm writing to you with the translator. But I think I understand something. Very interesting, thanks

[@KarenRiceArt]

That is wonderful Maria! Thank you for taking the time to reply and translate into English 😀

[@ewwwobbie]

Excellent tutorial! Thank you so much!

[@KarenRiceArt]

You're very welcome! Thank you Shari 😀

[@jenfleming9412]

Great teaching. Such an important thing for beginners to grasp. Often we don’t know when to dry in between layers. Thank you

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you Jan! You are so right! The question I get asked most by students is: Should I dry my painting? 😅

[@cecileegeorgeson_artist]

Fabulous Love your tips and tricks

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thanks so much Cecilee! 😊

[@ann-marielofberg1159]

This may help me, so I must try it! ❤

[@xiaoneewoo1780]

Learned something today. Thank you.

[@KarenRiceArt]

Wonderful!

[@LizStevens-o6v]

That was so helpful for me, excellent demos! Thanks Karen

[@KarenRiceArt]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you so much 😊

[@delphinewood7519]

Best tutorial ever! It helps me to realize that I need to go back to the basics and practice. Love all your tutorials! Keep posting and keep laughing. You’re so fun to watch and listen to. Mostly, all your videos are very helpful. 🌵

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you so much Delphine!

[@strictlymyopinion8307]

Wonderful! Yes I would like to see more tutorials, I love how your colors are so rich and vibrant....thank you Karen 🌷

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you so much! Will do! 😊

[@darleneplant.6284]

Thanks Karen. That was interesting and I learned a lot

[@KarenRiceArt]

Really pleased you found this helpful Darlene - thank you 😊

[@Cntr4humanearthres]

Love your lessons. Many thanks.

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thanks so much! 😊

[@christinedrake4984]

wonderful Karen . I needed that..

[@katiewilliams6591]

Will try those tips, thank you!

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you

[@maggiefreeman6513]

Thank you Karen for another fantastic tutorial.

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you so much Maggie

[@cylinder_yuen9604]

Thank you so much 😊

[@KarenRiceArt]

You're welcome 😊

[@pennyhewitt8801]

thank you for this tutorial a great help x

[@KarenRiceArt]

You’re welcome! Thank you Penny 😊

[@jeanietesta]

Very informative thank you Karen... a couple of things I'm having trouble with 1. Finding your style 2. Design a proper loose floral arrangement

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you and I will include your suggestions in our next poll 😊

[@philipdown3147]

Brilliantly explained tutorial Karen, enjoyed this video as always which inspire others how you've planned and achieved a picture. I would also like to see more tutorials which help to inprove my painting, thanks greatly appreciated stay safe and healthy

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thanks so much Philip, I am really pleased you found this tutorial helpful, more like this to follow 😊

[@MatzeMaulwurf]

Great! I believe it is very important to mix the pictures colors out of very few base colors. You are mixing hundreds of colors out of let’s say six colors. So they look very well composed. I tend to use very many colors straight from the pallet. And this always looks non natural. Thanks!

[@KarenRiceArt]

So pleased you found this helpful 😀

[@msjones8873]

Thanks for this tutorial!

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you too!

[@dorotkal9972]

Great lesson, thank you!

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you 😊

[@mona905]

Very helpful Thank u

[@KarenRiceArt]

Most welcome 😊

[@elizabethfield8816]

Excellent tutorial. Thank you

[@KarenRiceArt]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you Elizabeth :)

[@Simplycharlotte-s]

Just what I needed, thank you 😀

[@KarenRiceArt]

Wonderful Charlotte 😀

[@rashmitamhankar853]

Two days before I have done one painting. At certain stage it was fresh. To add details I tried some dark shades and it becomes pale. This a good lesson for improvement. Thanks for your expert comments.

[@KarenRiceArt]

So pleased you found this helpful - thank you 😀

[@garyweybright3227]

If you don’t know what to do......... don’t paint! Brilliant absolutely BRILLIANT. That needs to be emphasized! ClaudiaSJI

[@KarenRiceArt]

It really does Claudia! It took me a long time to learn that lesson! 😅

[@garyweybright3227]

@@KarenRiceArt It seems like such simple concept. The other is observation. Looking at what you want to paint a lot before ever dipping a brush. That’s an equally tough concept to master. Thank You! ClaudiaSJI

[@sirderekedwardhope3910]

What a great series of tutorials. I once did a monochrome landscape water colour painting which turned out nice - more beginners luck than any skill. Can you maybe think producing about a monochrome tutorial?

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you! I have several monochrome paintings available. Here is one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2qZo2qBgN6JnsU

[@shelinahetherington4661]

Thanks Karen, so helpful

[@KarenRiceArt]

Wonderful! Thank you Shelina :)

[@therezanicheartes]

Very good Congratulations

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you very much 😀

[@wendyhepting6056]

Excellent Thankyou!

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thanks so much Wendy 😀

[@nancyp7783]

Thank you! Thank you! That was so very helpful.

[@KarenRiceArt]

You are most welcome Nancy, so pleased you found this tutorial helpful 😀

[@michellef1847]

Thank you! I've been having some issues with a Catalina sunrise. I think I understand some techniques I should try now.

[@KarenRiceArt]

Wonderful! So pleased that this tutorial helped you. Good luck with the Catalina sunrise 😀

[@christinegal2925]

Thank for those useful advices !

[@KarenRiceArt]

My pleasure! Thank you Christine :)

[@susanritchie9456]

Fantastic! Thank you!

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you! I’m so pleased you enjoyed this tutorial. For more exclusive and in-depth tutorials why not think about joining my Patreon membership. www.patreon.com/karenriceart

[@k.b.woodworker3250]

Great video!! Thank you, something I needed to know!

[@KarenRiceArt]

You are so welcome!

[@kitwhallon3716]

Very helpful; thank you!

[@KarenRiceArt]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks Kit 😀

[@cherylhelm4282]

Thank you! Just what was needed!😊🎨🖌️

[@KarenRiceArt]

That is wonderful Cheryl! Thank you 😀

[@joanneleger5838]

Listening to your explanations and impressions have helped me get some ever so valuable information! Thank you so much! I was wondering if you could give a tip about using dried up paint on my pallet as I buy good quality paints and sometimes they dry out before I get back to them.🙃

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you Joanne. In answer to your questions... I always spray them with a little water about 30 mins before I start using them and they are good to work with again.

[@lindaleong1694]

Great tutorial

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you!

[@lindaw9329]

What a useful video. I knew some if the tips but learned a lot more tht will improve my painting. Is there a way to know if a color is a warm or cool red or blue, yellow?

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you Linda and for your question... Check out this video I published about colour, I think you will find it helpful as regards to warm and cool colours! kzbin.info/www/bejne/bGPCm3hsoZVpjdU

[@mackie9086]

Really great tips. Thank you 😬

[@KarenRiceArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@KarenRiceArt]

I can't believe I missed your name! Sorry! So glad you found the tips and techniques helpful! :)

[@kerry5586]

I should have watched this before last nights painting session!

[@janemccormick2932]

What a great tutorial! Thank you so much! I wondered is there any disadvantage to using a hairdryer compared to natural drying? And do you have to wait until the paper is not cool to the touch to tell if it’s fully dry? You are such a great teacher. Thank you!

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you! If you can I would always let your painting dry naturally😊

[@sperrins595]

Yet ANOTHER fabulous video Karen, thank you..my evening's have never been so exciting..what do you do to stop the paper from buckling when painting wet on wet? It's causing problems with backups, causing all kinds of problems...thank you once again for your informative and inspiring videos, we LOVE them!! Please keep them coming 🥰 xx

[@KarenRiceArt]

I am so pleased you enjoyed this tutorial. I have published a couple of tutorials about paper you may find helpful, here are the links: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqWsaWCZh8iIerc and kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZDTmGOgiNmNg8U 😀

[@pamgibbons2043]

Thank you👍

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you Pam :)

[@chiangsim]

thank you!!!!

[@KarenRiceArt]

You're welcome!

[@Wildflowerafternoons]

Great tip.

[@KarenRiceArt]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you Kat

[@lina5699]

This was so helpful! It ruins my painting. I tend to be overeager too with painting

[@laurengouldman9683]

Awesome! TY

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you Lauren :)

[@dalemoyer]

Hi Karen. I’d like to learn how to get more 3-D in my painting.

[@KarenRiceArt]

You may find this helpful: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g2O9nXyagKZ7jq8

[@Xyz19781i]

Wow amazing ...

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you so much for your lovely comment! I am so pleased that you enjoyed this tutorial. For more exclusive and in-depth tutorials why not think about joining my Patreon membership. www.patreon.com/karenriceart

[@nicoleperron3315]

Nice visuals. I have a question, another artist recommends only using transparent colors to avoid muddy paintings. I was wondering what your thoughts on that were. Is this a good idea?

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you Nicole and for your question. No matter whether the colours are transparent or opaque, there is always a danger of muddying colours if you painting is not dry or from overworking. I agree though opaque colours are prone to muddying, especially with overworking 😀

[@nicoleperron3315]

@@KarenRiceArt thank you

[@appleknocker56]

Like how you said, If you don’t know what to do “stop” as it can pull me in & want to “fix” it when in the “danger zone”! Not dry but looks it & as a beginner (won’t but another color into my pallet colors) to avoid muddy colors as don’t always know “these two always mix well” so try to keep my colors clean & wash my brushes (didn’t realize) how much paint is still in that brush after cleaning well w clean water!

[@KarenRiceArt]

I’m so pleased you found this tutorial helpful.

[@sanazrafi2707]

Hi dear Karen. I tried salt, with the kitchen salt. Do you use kitchen salt? I mean the regular? I know sometimes you say, sea salt. Thanks

[@KarenRiceArt]

Hi Sanaz, I used table salt in many of my videos but you could use sea salt. Check out this video I published all about salt: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKPUhaqDh6qIi7c. 😊

[@kimdavies4542]

Great tutorial, my biggest problem not being patient enough to let my painting dry before adding more paint.

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thanks Kim! We are all so guilty of that! 😅

[@alvirosy]

Thanks for the tips, Karen! I voted for backruns and cauliflowers, btw. Next round, would ya? 😶😶 Those are my big big problem. 😢

[@KarenRiceArt]

I will make sure it is in the next poll! Really pleased you found these tips helpful :)

[@marigoldwood8494]

Very helpful. Many thanks. Something I am struggling with is moving up from small (a5/a4 size) paintings to quarter imperial size. I have tried doing small versions first and they look fine, but when I do a larger version using the same composition, colours etc, I just don't like the result. Any tips would be much appreciated.

[@KarenRiceArt]

Great question Michele! As A4 is about half the size of 1/4 imperial, it is a big jump so maybe go in between the sizes. If you are running out of time on 1/4 imperial and the washes are drying too quickly, you could use a spritzer bottle to keep your painting from drying out. Make sure you mix plenty of paint in advance and use larger brushes if you can. Hope this was helpful :)

[@marigoldwood8494]

@@KarenRiceArt Thanks, Karen. Will definitely go out and get a couple of big brushes asap. In your opinion, though, do all compositions work for different sizes or do you make changes?

[@KarenRiceArt]

@@marigoldwood8494 Great question Michele. I wouldn't like to be definitive on the subject. However when you are struggling on a larger size I would go just a little bit smaller to adjust timings etc... and hopefully build more confidence ::

[@Engelhafen]

So is the allanprima watercolor rule to use thick over thin?

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you for your question... in a way yes, but make sure your thick is not too thick that you cannot see the light coming through the paper :)

[@Vincentvan_girl]

Hello Miss Karen, How do you mix the Payne's Grey colour? Thank you, Paige

[@KarenRiceArt]

Hi Annie, if you can't get hold of a tube of Paynes Grey... you can mix it with Ultramarine & Burnt Sienna/Burnt Umber. Hope this was helpful :)

[@Vincentvan_girl]

@@KarenRiceArt Thank you very much! :)

[@valerieh.708]

Good advice I've never heard before: Don't wait for the brush to run out of paint.

[@KarenRiceArt]

So pleased you found this helpful 😀

[@irener1111]

I have a hard time keeping my paper wet, it seems to dry very quickly. How do I prevent that? I live in AZ

[@KarenRiceArt]

To stop your painting from drying too fast, you could do one or more of the following. Work smaller, gives you more time. Make sure you have your paint mixed up beforehand, saves time. Always load your brush and load it often, keeps the paper wet and even. Really wet it for a while with clean water, allowing it to soak into your paper, gives you more time. Some papers dry quicker than others. I found Arches and Saunders Waterford are great for staying wet longer. 100% cotton paper does not dry as quickly. You can also spritz your paper with water to rewet it as well.

[@MiraTulic]

Hvala...❤

[@KarenRiceArt]

My pleasure 😊

[@soulance8342]

Don't fiddle, just let your painting dry... Sage wisdom!

[@lisamccort6777]

I always take away something from your tutorials. Thank you so much for listing alternative paint options.

[@KarenRiceArt]

You are so welcome! Thank you Lisa

[@Ninjamom4]

❤️❤️❤️

[@isabelwittich9148]

👍

[@nirmalan5590]

I Always overwork, get muddy colors, paint layers and layers for hrs. Then ,my painting goes somewhere😀

[@kdhlkjhdlk]

Here I am painting scenes from WW1. How do I make my watercolours muddy?

[@KarenRiceArt]

Mix brown and black

[@christinemuller3526]

When is your birthday? I’ll give you new water containers. 😜❤️

[@KarenRiceArt]

I was thinking I should get some new ones! 😂

[@christinemuller3526]

@@KarenRiceArt ❤️❤️❤️❤️😍

[@erba6344]

👍♥️

[@DeniseBrooks1955]

🧡🧡🧡👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@bettysmith3781]

5

[@johnkelly3178]

I have only just started painting as a hobby, every fault you showed in this tutorial happens in my painting, but now i know why thank you so much Karen

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you for your comment John and I hope you enjoy your watercolour journey! I am so pleased this tutorial was helpful!

[@mo-mo-p5t]

Another great lesson, thank you!

[@KarenRiceArt]

Thank you 😊

[@redparrot53]

Awesome, I learned a lot here, thank you!!

[@KarenRiceArt]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you Linda 😊

[@martinanelsonartandpsychol6478]

Thank you. So helpful!!

[@KarenRiceArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@pithvinegar8975]

Thank you!

[@KarenRiceArt]

You're welcome!

[@mharris7832]

Thank you!!! I love your style....Great instruction!!

[@KarenRiceArt]

You are so welcome!

[@pascalecuje8833]

Thank you !

[@KarenRiceArt]

You're welcome 😊