Watercolor for Beginners: Tips and Useful Exercises for Water Control

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Hey there, fellow artists! What has your own watercolor painting experience been like? Are you struggling with water control? If you're more experienced, how long did it take you to master water control? Let's share how many paintings we've ruined in the beginning (and still do) so that people just starting out with this tricky medium can feel more normal! :)

[@thayquynhdayvekhoihv]

much love and have a nice day

[@helenschaefer1167]

I like the tip about first putting the paint on the pallet before painting on the paper. Thanks, Erika.

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Hi, Helen! Thanks so much for checking out this video. I'm happy to hear you enjoyed it and found some useful nuggets in it. :)

[@BankeySharma]

Like 11 very beautiful video

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much for visiting and liking this new video, Bankey! It means the world. :)

[@jennyphuongcooking5756]

nice watercolor for beginners

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much for watching. I'm happy to hear you enjoyed this video. :)

[@TravelAndEntertainment]

Very useful video for watercolor lovers.

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much for visiting today! :) I'm happy to hear you find this video helpful!

[@BenjieBiyahengPilipinas]

Awesome beginner tips Erika.

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much for popping by, Benjie! Glad you found some useful nuggets. :)

[@VinsAnnetteSingh]

Hi Happy sunday! Great video and we really enjoyed watching Have a great weekend

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Happy weekend, dear friends! Thanks so much for popping by. :)

[@VinsAnnetteSingh]

Great video! re-watching

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much, dear friends! :)

[@VinsAnnetteSingh]

We are very much excited for your next video! keep posting more awesome content Thanks

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much for checking out this video. :) Happy to hear you enjoyed it.

[@ThatArtTeacher]

Love your videos, keep the tips coming!

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

So happy to hear you're enjoying them, my friend! :) Have a wonderful trip to Italy!

[@thayquynhdayvekhoihv]

Your tutorial is great, thank you for sharing and i love you

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much for watching, friend! I appreciate your words. :)

[@TwistedTattoo.WarShorts]

Hi Erika, brilliant video my friend very helpful and really fantastic tips left u a Big LIKE 😁😁👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much for the support, friend! I hope you're having a fantastic weekend so far! :)

[@TwistedTattoo.WarShorts]

@@ErikaLancasterArt 😁👍

[@VinsAnnetteSingh]

hi greetings! Great video and we really enjoyed watching thanks for sharing

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Hi, friends! Thanks so much for popping by. :) Have a lovely weekend!

[@BakuCity77]

Hello, my dear friend. Very nice work! Thankyou for sharing! Success to you.

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Hello! Thanks so much for checking this one out. :) Happy you liked it. Wish you a great 2020!

[@maryalgar8779]

I think overall I tend to work with too little water, but tend to like a more detailed subject, so have better control with less water. However, as you said, some of the beauty of watercolour comes with a looser style. Trying to incorporate a bit of both into paintings and be more loose. Different papers make such a difference, that once you decide on one you like, might be good to stick with it as more predictable. You presented lots of information and great tips - thank you.

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much for checking out this video, Mary! :) And also for taking time to comment with your own experience. It's good to explore the effects that different techniques allow, for sure, because this will give us more mastery over the medium and allow us to have "tricks" up our sleeve we wouldn't have otherwise developed. This said, each painting medium can be used to create stunning pieces in so many different styles. There are some artists that keep things super tight, even with watercolors, but they make sure to still use the medium's characteristics to their full potential so that they have that glow and lightness that are so particular to watercolor at the end. I love that there are so many different ways of doing things when it comes to art, and I really don't think there's a right or wrong way to do things. Have a beautiful rest-of-the-day and thanks again!

[@EllaPesonenArt]

Got some wonderful tips here Erika 👏

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Hey, Ella! Thanks so much for checking this one out. :) Happy to hear you got something from it.

[@RidwanMA]

nice sharing

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed it. :)

[@anngrady3085]

Thanks Erica. I'm very new to watercolours & am so eager to learn as much as I can. I found this video really useful & very easy to understand.

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Hey, Ann! Thanks so much for checking out this video. :) I'm so happy to hear you found it helpful. I have a free watercolor mini-course for beginners over at my blog that email subscribers can get access to immediately after joining, in case you're interested. pages.convertkit.com/2a06aa492f/8952019645 It's full of information I wish I had when I was first getting started, as well as very useful exercises. Wish you lots of fun and progress in your watercolor painting journey, and do stay in touch!

[@VinsAnnetteSingh]

Looks hard to do! have a great weekend dear friend

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much for checking this one out. :) Have an amazing week!

[@artdinhxuanquynh]

great information for beginners, thank you for sharing, have a great day

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much for watching! :) Happy to hear you enjoyed this one. Have a lovely weekend!

[@DenaTollefson]

Hi Erika!! Your tutorial on watercolor water control is excellent. You are so right about all the variables with brush, air quality, watercolor paper, pigment and such. I feel like even though I have done watercolor paintings for over 40 years, I am still trying to master water control. Regarding how many paintings I have ruined in the beginning hehehe- oh my goodness too many to count, and it would almost always be when I was adding too much water from one area to another- from not being patient to let an adjacent area dry and then flooding the area with too much water- yikes! I have found what works for me like you is to I wait an hour or two and then come back to see if more paint is needed. I am currently working on leaving some areas unresolved or washy/loose and keeping others tight and detailed. The lotion fingerprint :) Wonderful video, Erika- you are such an excellent teacher and fantastic artist.

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Hi, Dena! I'm always so grateful for your comments. :) Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with watercolor. It's so important for people starting out to understand that messing up happens to all of us, and not only in the beginning! I don't like hearing from people giving up because they got too frustrated. I'm also doing my best to create a balance between more detailed and more abstracted areas. It's something I'm working on. I love seeing pieces that show that balance and contrast between the two. The struggle is real with the lotion! :D I always have SUCH dry hands and do my best to remember to apply some lotion when I'm filming a video, but then this type of thing happens. hahah Thanks again, Dena! I hope you're having a wonderful weekend, so far.

[@DenaTollefson]

@@ErikaLancasterArt Ericka you are the best!!! And the lotion is quite the thing. I sometimes get a line of nail polish where my polish somehow gets on my watercolor paper, sketch, or canvas and then of course won't rub off. I have to then conceal it. Reminds me of one time when I was plein air painting and a bunch of grassy, strawish stuff blew on to my wet oil paint. I picked out what I could and some was embedded in hehehe it added another level of unintended realism- I guess it became a mixed media piece

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

I've had the nail polish situation happen, as well. :) I've left a line across watercolor paper by accident several times. Painting in plein air brings a lot of challenges with it, for sure! All sorts of bugs and dirt and things get attached to paintings. One can never predict when the wind will pick up! Quite an experience.

[@ARTESOSCAR2]

like 17...gran trabajo...gracias por compartir...saludos....

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

¡Muchísimas gracias! :) Me da gusto saber que te agradó el video.

[@deborahalbanesius3924]

I really enjoyed this video. It helped me learn water control which I was struggling with. Thanks. Will be watching more!!

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Hi, Deborah! So happy to hear you found it helpful. :) Wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your journey with watercolor. Have a lovely day and thanks for watching!

[@phyllisfrieze6791]

This video is very informative and helpful to me as a beginner.

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Hi, Phyllis! Glad to hear it was helpful. :) Thanks so much for watching! Wish you tons of progress and enjoyment as you move forward in your art journey. 💚

[@MissyArtStudio]

Great tutorial! Very useful tips:) ❤️💙💛💚👍

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much for watching. :) Happy to hear you enjoyed it!

[@RidwanMA]

Good job, Very nice to watching, It's a nice creatifity, we proud of you, sucsess full have a nice day, we well highly appreciate your sharing, thank you...

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Hey, there! Thanks so much. I wish you tons of success, too. :)

[@Hippiegirl55]

This video makes mixing water and paint much easy to take on. The exercises had real value and helped my touch. My pieces have much less bleeding. Thanks Erika.

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

So happy it helped, Jennifer! 💚🙌Wish you tons of progress and enjoyment in your artistic journey. Have a lovely day!

[@BenjieBiyahengPilipinas]

That was awesome how you easily drew that tree. Thanks for the tips.

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Hey, Benjie! Thanks so much for visiting today. :) I'm so happy you enjoyed this one.

[@HeartedM]

Fantastic video! I'm glad I stumbled upon your channel

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much for visiting and taking time to comment. :) Super happy to hear you're enjoying it! Much more to come!

[@RidwanMA]

Good job nice to watching have a nice day thank you we proud of you nice creativity

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much for your kindness! :) I really appreciate it.

[@jeremiaht444]

Thanks for the beginners tutorial on water color 🎨 This is very helpful Thanks so much

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

So happy to hear you enjoyed it, Jeremiah! Thanks so much for visiting. :)

[@RickJBerubeArtStudio]

Great watercolor tutorial Erica!

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much for visiting today, Rick! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed this one. :)

[@ScottsJourneys]

great tips,very helpful

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Hey, Scott! Thanks so much for checking out this new video. Happy to hear you enjoyed it. :)

[@alcatrazeleochestra4146]

Hi! Erika, good job and great tutorial. Very helpful, thanks for sharing. Love your channel.

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Hey, there! Thanks so much for checking this one out. :) I really appreciate it and am happy to hear you're enjoying it.

[@jamdc7880]

Wow thanks for the tip

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much for checking out this video. :) I'm happy to hear you found it useful.

[@Ali-kg7sh]

Awesome stuff dropped a like and stay connected 😀👍

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much for visiting! I really appreciate the support. :)

[@VinsAnnetteSingh]

Re-watching..............happy sunday

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Happy Sunday, dear friends! :) Thanks for popping by.

[@moondiver8652]

very great 👍

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much for watching. :) Happy you liked it.

[@RetroKidsToysTV]

Wonderful tips, this is very helpful for my Ronan and Anne Anne, they love to paint with watercolor. Thank you for sharing..from your new friends here...

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Hey, there! Thanks so much for checking out this video. :) I'm happy to hear you enjoyed it!

[@Abirvlog]

Very nice video was very much liked by the video.. My new friend

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Hey, there! Happy to hear you enjoyed this video. :) Thanks so much for checking it out!

[@angrytreespainting]

This is so cool! I subbed!

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Hey, there! Thanks so much for visiting today! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed this one. :) I've subbed to your channel, too!

[@MithWangมิตรหวัง]

Salut c'est un Excercice pour connaître les couleurs et bien métrisés c'est superbe

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Hi, friend! Thanks so much for checking this video out. Happy you liked it! Wish you a lovely weekend!

[@SBKitchen]

Nice video 👌, 20 lk done stay connected friend

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much for visiting, friend! I appreciate your support. Happy to hear you enjoyed it. :)

[@VinsAnnetteSingh]

Interesting

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much for visiting! Happy to hear you enjoyed this one. :)

[@snuuby5468]

Using a ceramic mixing palette changed my water control issue. Plastic or tin can cause beading like water on a car with a good waxing. The ceramic palette does not bead at all it lets you see how much paint and water you have made. Another benefit is the color you see on the palette is the color it will be on the paper. There are many different sizes and shapes of these palettes. The palettes can be pricey as they start at about $7.99CDN on Amazon.ca. but worth the benefits. I absolutely love my ceramic or porcelain palette.

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Hey there, Snuuby! Thanks so much for taking time to leave your valuable comment. I definitely hadn't thought of that one! Have a lovely week. :)

[@yipwaihong1324]

awesome

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much for checking this video out. :) Happy to hear you liked it.

[@yipwaihong1324]

@@ErikaLancasterArt you are welcome。joined your channel.please stay connected.

[@VinsAnnetteSingh]

Thumbs up #94

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much, dear friends! I really appreciate your support. 💚🙌

[@kjamespeace]

Like 73 this time. Best wishes from Germany!

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Hey, there! Thanks so much for checking this one out. :) I really appreciate it. Have a great week!

[@zakapiorprl]

Lik e82 :)

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much for the thumbs up! :) I really appreciate it.

[@BKFStudio]

Hello my new friend

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Hey, there! Thanks so much for checking out this video. :) Have a great weekend!

[@BlueSky-iy7ki]

warna lukisan

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Thanks so much for visiting, today! :) Hope you're having a lovely weekend.

[@joecrafted]

Can I ask a question? Why do watercolor sets even include a white? Completely worthless. I see yours has not been touched, ha ha.

[@ErikaLancasterArt]

Of course you can ask a question! haha That's a great one! Yeah... I don't use it much at all, and I only use black for my grayscale/monochromatic studies, not for anything that includes color. At this point, I've gotten better at protecting those whites and don't really even bring in gouache for highlights at the end, unless I'm painting something with snow. Some people do use them, though! If they like how it looks, then they like how they looks. :)