The BIGGEST Mistake Watercolor Beginners Make

[@sherryfurr9115]

EXCELLENT. I am self taught, having started nearly 3 years ago and painting every single day. I am just now getting comfortable putting paint down and leaving it. As you showed so well my paintings have more life and character. Hopefully others will learn this faster than I did. But my excuse is I am old, lol. Keep up the good work. You are an excellent teacher and artist.

[@LironYan]

Haha 😁 I’m sure you learned it at just the right pace for you! Thank you so much for the kind words 🙏🏼😊

[@gallagrrr]

Thank you for these videos on freedom and expression, Liron. I don't hear enough artists talking about this, and it's the whole point! I am taking your words to heart.

[@LironYan]

So happy my words found a home! 😊🙏🏼 Thank you for the kind words

[@sharonhaggadone3675]

This was so helpful, seeing all four pears, helped me to decide I want to paint with more color.

[@LironYan]

So happy to hear! Keep me posted on how it goes ☺️🙏🏼

[@marilynr7469]

Wow I just started doing water color paint and I’m on week 2. I’m just playing around painting flowers and circles. This is very helpful. I feel like water color teaches me to let go.

[@LironYan]

Yes! It really asks for it and rewards those who manage to do that 😊 Thank you for watching 🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@roxane1237]

I think the big difference I see is the boldness in the use of pigment. Using more pigment leads to higher contrast in the values which is the first thing you see and will make or break the painting. Lots of beginners are shy and use too little pigment and it looks washed out. Be bold, put a lot of pigment in that brush.

[@LironYan]

Yes! And it also leads to the colors being visible independently rather than a gray vague mush!

[@karindodge9814]

Yes that is my issue!

[@followyourbrush]

😂 oh boy, I fall back into this! I even know better! I do better making a mess and go for it! Hope you’re having a great holiday! ❤

[@LironYan]

Haha 😂 Thank you Pam! Wishing you a wonderful new year! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@aatikakhaled]

SIR LIRONN I MUST SAY YOUR WORK IS COMMENDABLE AND YOU TAUGHT ME HOW TO BE CONFIDENT IN MY WATERCOLOURS THANKYOU

[@LironYan]

So happy to hear!! Thank you for the kind comment ☺️🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@miranda6728]

This was so helpful; I tend to water my paint down too much and am scared to use more pigment, but I am feeling inspired to try your approach. I love the idea of using watercolor for creative expression, doing what speaks to your soul, and using intuition instead of it having to be such a dull, rigid, prescriptive process.

[@juliahoffmann5522]

Wonderful lesson, thank you so much! You are the master!!

[@LironYan]

Thank you Julia!! 😊🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@paintspirationsunlimited]

As a professional, I think you're speaking of the term "finesse". Most beginners won't really reach that level of understanding tones. Tones are what define the shape and the 3 dimensional aspect of the painting. Often times beginners esp in watercolor donot know how to control water and paint ratio to create this effect because they are simply unexperienced enough and fear that things are getting too dark. Watercolor is a touch move medium and they rightly fear this so. So they add more water and continue to build colors also not knowing the times needed for paint to settle so you can build another layer of color. Watercolor is "less is more" when it comes to painting. More brush strokes lead to hard looking paintings where the edges of dried out paint meet even if it is subtle. You can only reach this level of the confidence if you have already a strong knowledge of the basics and foundations. Some find it hard to let go of the style of painting slowly, others get on by it. If you look at how eastern methods of painting watercolor work, (like Liu Yi) the colors are laid side by side while the paper is wet. Everything is already planned out in the beginning. For me it's still about the technique, and technique is improved by experience. Otherwise you can be "brave" just like what i heard someone say and "crash your painting" most of the time because you still lack the necessary experience. It doesn't mean you know how to drive, you can instantly drive a formula 1 and drive as fast as you can. There is a learning curve and alot of starters in the watercolor medium will learn about this the more they work.

[@DreamerSeeker]

If I’m understanding right, a big important message is to just get brush on paper over and over to gain experience of what works and what doesn’t work?

[@pagalmasala]

Oooooo thank you Liron! I just got some new watercolors for Christmas....this I guess will be my project for the day. Love you from Arkansas, USA!

[@LironYan]

Awesome my friend!! Enjoy your new supplies 😁 It’s always exciting to try a color for the first time!

[@momof2dc]

Thank you soooo much. I needed this!

[@LironYan]

Happy to hear ☺️🙏🏼 Thank you for watching!

[@Arclight641]

Great video, I just want to say "creating works that are meaningful to you" is something that i think is kind of unrelated to technique or skill, I've known people who are total beginners but are happy with their work because they're trying their best and improving, and I've known people with ungodly skills who make the most beautiful art, but hate it when they're done. The key ,I think, is trying to have a good mindset. what that mindset is will inevitably be different for everyone, but I think a lot of people feel unsatisfied with their art and believe that they will feel better when they get better at art, when really you should try to feel good about your art regardless of what stage or skill your at right now.

[@rhondi123]

Great lesson. Thank you.

[@LironYan]

Thank you for watching 🙏🏼🙏🏼☺️

[@johnrestucci8269]

Liron , your videos are always a boost to my confidence in watercolor! Wishing u happy holidays! 🤗

[@LironYan]

Thank you so much John! Happy holidays to you and your loved ones, and a wonderful new year! 🥳

[@summerman2]

Excellent!!! As a hobbyist I just go with it and it's working. Thanks. Very well said.

[@LironYan]

So happy to hear! 😁 Keep up the great work

[@stampinturtles]

Meaningful, passionate, expressive! Yes! I love to let go and let my hand just go!

[@LironYan]

😁😁❤️‍🔥

[@missha99]

Thanks for the advice, i tried to be more bold in using it and it looked much better! I always saw them starting light,so i probably mistaken light for too much wash😅

[@EwaSzyp-Sochacka]

Thank you for giving courage❤

[@LironYan]

Happy to help ☺️🙏🏼 Thank you so much for watching

[@XtianApi]

Incredible. I needed this

[@silverleafmaple]

Very helpful!

[@LironYan]

So happy to hear! 😊🙏🏼

[@marypartridge5154]

Yes its the boldness and use of saturated colour

[@LironYan]

😁

[@fuseblower8128]

I believe freedom comes naturally from practice. In the past I used #1 and #3 brushes as my favorites and was basically painting the same way I was drawing (even down to hatching with a brush!) but now I feel that even my #12 brush is on the small side. Things like using pressure to get subtle gradations and rolling the brush between my fingers I picked up subconsciously somewhere doing a 1000 paintings. Of course, it can't hurt to point out that brush strokes need to be deliberate but how can a beginner be deliberate if they don't know what they're doing? And the only way to learn that is to do it a lot until it comes naturally (it's funny how "naturally" is actually an acquired skill :)

[@LironYan]

Indeed, it seems to be an acquirable skill 😁 And I think it can be much faster to acquire than most think! (:

[@judithpool8177]

Thznk for refreshing this important mistake. Iy really makees me understand my mistake.

[@LironYan]

Thank you for watching 😊🙏🏼

[@savithriragavan549]

Thanks for the tip and demo Liron! I really needed this, as I tend to overthink! Happy New Year 2025!

[@LironYan]

Happy new year 🎆 Happy this was useful 🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@CGM_68]

This reminds me of some Chess Grandmasters trying to teach others how to play chess. They fail to understand how beginners think, saying stuff like : Openings don't matter, the end game doesn't matter, etc.. Except of course it does. In the context of watercolour, technique, brushes, attention to detail, these do matter. I get what you are saying about over thinking it, but your current freedom comes only from years of mastering the aforementioned building blocks.

[@LironYan]

I understand the confusion (: But let me tell you a secret - that’s not where my freedom comes from. I’ve had some rare occasions on my 1st and 2nd years into watercolor painting when I produced work I still consider pretty amazing. It was leaps and bounds beyond the rest of what I was producing at the time. And I’ve had this happen multiple times throughout. My technique and skills were the same (and very basic), but still there was this huge variance in results. The source from which the variance came is different from technical skills. It’s more in the fields of immersion, interest in the subject, and a sense of freedom. What you may indeed be correct in, is that it took me YEARS of finding and being able to access that freedom on a whim. Which is where I am at right now. It’s okay if you disagree, but those who really walk the journey all the way (not that I’m a 100% there yet), have a very similar experience from my personal observation). I hope that with these videos I can create a shortcut for someone, in the form of an ah-ha moment, and shave YEARS off that process for them (:

[@LironYan]

And by the way it’s a great topic for a video. Perhaps I can do it better justice in a longer format. Thank you 🙏🏼

[@stampinturtles]

I wonder if I can go back to a painting I did years ago and add more contrast. More pigment.

[@LironYan]

I’m sure you’ll find that you can, and the difference will be spectacular!

[@bret6457]

amazing video. thank you for the tip. However, how are the colors on your palette not bleeding together? Also, are you not cleaning your brush after switching colors?

[@LironYan]

Happy to help! 🙏🏼😊 The reason my colors stay somewhat well defined in the palette has to do with their consistency. Imagine the lightest color being just water (0/10), and the darkest straight out of the tube (10/10). Once you move past a certain point in the middle, around a 5/10, the paint is still wet, but moves less. And you can then use it and know it will make an impact without blending with everything else. You can see more of this in my recent vid here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZoOqqoupf6uig8ksi=4bpx9z3wOkLDO-vV As for cleaning the brush - I do. I dip it in the water bucket and move it a bit. But it doesn’t take much more than that to clean (: And overall I paint quite dirty, with the wells of paint contaminated.

[@kimrigney6607]

Thank you so much! I will try! But not too hard?

[@LironYan]

Haha no rules - it’s all up to you!

[@GillianMiller-d6p]

Hi Liron - this was so so helpful. I have only been painting about a year and am struggling to loosen up in my paintings. Also I went and saw your painting that was being exhibited in Canada!! The gallery is about 2 blocks from my house. Very exciting. I took a photo of your work but can’t figure out how to attach it to this comment. Congratulations and all the best in 2025

[@LironYan]

Amazing, thank you so much!! 😊🙏🏼 Could you email it to me? Liron @ Lironyan . Com Would love to see it! You can also send it via Instagram (:

[@Allen-jn4kx]

This is beautiful and a great lesson. You are putting on layers without letting the paper dry first? is more pigment being used and less water how that is done, and how do you move the brush so much without overworking? What kind of paper are you using too please? Thank you. I have been practicing watercolor for about 10 months and love it. I use 100 cotton paper, Saunders and the D. Blick block paper, and all pro tube paints, Windsor, Daniel S, Holbien, though I find Arches paper to not have the same kind if vibrant colors. I read they changed the sizing a few years ago on Arches. I don't know if it is me, but I am disappointed in their paper when it comes to wet on wet.

[@LironYan]

You bring up some great points and questions! I have a similar experience with Arches. Older batches produce better results for me. New ones sometimes aren’t as great. As for how I paint the layers - yes! Often I can get away with adding more and more while it is drying. The “secret” is - the drier it gets, the thicker your paint on the brush has to be to match that, and actually make an impact instead of wetting and spreading out what’s on paper. Sometimes I’m in the mood to simply paint like that. Other times I do let it dry. The amount of brush movement doesn’t necessarily correlate to overwork. It depends on whether or not you get the wetness to match, as I mentioned above. Hope this is useful, thank you for watching 😊🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@Allen-jn4kx]

@@LironYan Thank you very much, Liron. Yes, very useful to say the least! I am so glad to see the way you paint and how it can be done this way and I greatly appreciate your lessons on here!

[@richarddewitt3457]

I’ve noticed that unless you’re working a la prima you really lose a lot of color vibrancy from the previous layers. The color really just sort of dies.

[@LironYan]

That is indeed sometimes the case. But there's definitely a non alla-prima way that also works really well. Check out this vid for what I believe is a great example for such a result (: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6fKgaODfapoidk

[@ARTCHILD]

Basically, don’t think feel…-Lee

[@LironYan]

(:

[@CPAndy-x5x]

My NY Eve confession: For a long time, I refused to watch your channel. I didn't like your avatar, thought you were too young and unserious. It's just mean, I know. I was wrong. My apologies! I've learned SO MUCH from your videos. It boosted me on the WC learning curve. Nobody else nails little helpful details like you do! HAVE A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR!

[@LironYan]

Haha no worries 😂😂 Have a wonderful new year! What a surprising comment! But it makes sense - not every artist / KZbinr will be a good fit for a viewer. Happy you were pleasantly surprised though. Thank you for watching and hope to see you here more 😊🙏🏼

[@booksbedandbrew]

This happened with me too. That cap in the icon gave me a gen z feel. But oh my god I have learnt so much . Just need to implement 😂

[@edzejandehaan9265]

I see your point, but I think there is no easy quick fix for it. The reason your "how to" works so well is an almost instinctive (you emphasize the not overthinking aspect and trusting your own intuition) feel for color/shape/paint consistency etc. Something you developed over years of painting. Not really something a beginner can implement just like that. Happy New Year.

[@LironYan]

Thank you, have a wonderful new year! 😊 I would agree, if it wasn’t for the fact that I was able to produce 10/10 paintings here and there, when I was still not that great in my first couple of years. I would say even on my first year of watercolor. What made some of these works 10/10 wasn’t my skill, as it was still underdeveloped. It was something else. But of course not everyone’s experience will match my own, so it’s great to take it with a grain of salt! 😉

[@tabea258]

💥👀🙏🏻

[@Mira-o6o]

Thank you! Have a great 2025!

[@MajidKooklan]

❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@NEMES1-S]

I have to say that although all of the examples are obviously pears, none of them look anything like the actual pear, in terms of colour or shading. So, I don’t really see the value of the video.

[@LironYan]

Accuracy isn't the metric of interest for me here (: And in my experience from a decade of doing this, it's not what most struggle with. If you're looking for accuracy, here are some super useful videos 😉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2TMi36Je6d_gsU kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5PZi5WdnMx7arc kzbin.info/www/bejne/naasqnR8q7eDp6M