Watercolor Realism IS EASY with this Trick

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Hi there, Liron here!
And today I’m going to teach you the “secret” to watercolor realism!
After watching this vid and learning these basic skills - you WILL be able to get a realistic result every single time.
Note - this is a “pre-made” method. It’s up to you to personalize it and make it your own.
I hope you find it helpful! 😁
Reference photos & Sketch - imgur.com/a/hLSVBFw
Time-Stamps
00:00 - The SECRET to Watercolor Realism
00:58 - Matching the Darks
03:11 - Matching the Mid-Values
08:58 - Context & Sky
11:26 - Details
13:16 - Conclusion
- Liron
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Music is Still-Life by Anbr 🎼
artlist.io/artist/269/anbr
* Please note this disclosure - Links to Amazon and other websites may be affiliate links. This means I make a small commission if you buy through them (and you pay the same price, of course).
My recommendations are always based on my own personal experience ^_^
#watercolor #painting

[@Spiffycow]

I don't know if you call this a value study, but once I started doing them for scenes and thinking about how to simplify the values like this my painting's quality exploded. I don't know why beginning artists hesitate to really push and commit to their darks, but it makes the end result of studies look so much better and makes us feel so good about our own skills! 🥰 Thank you for the great video! Your channel has been so inspiring lately, thanks so much for making your work and process available for the rest of us.

[@teresaemery1339]

If you’re having a problem with” just paint the shapes” and you are working with a photo, turn the photo upside down and your mind will begin to see triangles, etc. and not “this entire building!!” You can turn off the left side if you can look at something, don’t give it a name, but square, rectangle, oval…..when your brain has a name for something, it will not allow you to Look at the shape. Your brain says, “Oh, a tree. One stick, a round top. Good grief! Make a vertical line and a circle on top and let’s move on!” I learned this in my first art class. It changed my life and I discovered I could in fact draw a building.

[@malon-]

@Liron Yanconsky could you perhaps make a video about making a colored painting like this as well? It would be really great and helpful to see this process on video!

[@e.m.tanner179]

I think it's interesting that Liron holds his brush like a pen. I've never seen anyone do that.

[@sunettecarroll9191]

I took a picture of my son sitting in a tree from and angle down below and I have it in my mind to do... This gave me the perfect idea of how to make it interesting and easy

[@daytonagreg8765]

I do this frequently with my iPhone photo editor. First thing is reducing the color “Saturation” to zero, the adjusting other settings however you want (contrast, black point, etc)

[@claudiuiordache6938]

At the end of the video, you can't tell which one is the photo and which one is the painting. Great lesson!

[@LironYan]

😁😁 Thank you!

[@jeremybunn8473]

Great tutorial. To take this idea further, I use watered down acrylic paint ( applied just like watercolour ) which dries in a 'fixed' way to create the values. Then I can apply true watercolour glazes over the top which remain clean, transparent and fresh because they do not disturb the acrylic paint underneath.....this counteracts muddy mixtures. To further maintain the maximum freshness, paint different glazes in different parts of the painting whilst still wet, letting them bleed one into the other. I tend to apply as few glazes as possible which I have let dry before applying another to keep the translucency, this creates yet another beautiful effect and loosens up the painting a bit. Sometimes, I also paint over the shadows with pure water and load the brush with pure colour and saturate the shadow shapes. It brings your shadows to life with colour instead of dead dark grey and creates depth and reflectance of the colours of it's surroundings. Try it.

[@gwenrussell4349]

This was extremely helpful! My paintings have been stuck in the mid-values range for a long time and I know getting true darks and true lights in them is what I need to practice in order to improve!

[@JGalegria]

Yep this is a great exercise with an urban landscape!

[@LironYan]

Indeed! Thank you 🙏

[@user-en9qd5nx8w]

As a person who recently started learning how to water color paint on my own, I have been afraid of putting in those dark values. However recently on a few paintings I just went for it and laid down some heavy darks and suddenly my painting started to stand out and look more realistic and satisfying. I was afraid before to do it, but as all the great teachers like Liron have said, it's the value that matters most. I can't wait to go thru this exercise tonight.

[@LironYan]

Amazing! Keep up the great work ^_^ Once you remove any limitations and rules (whether conscious or unconscious, such as the fear to paint darkj), the freedom and creativity gradually drip out more and more. And past a certain point - the entire process is free & blissful, and a beautiful result is an inevitability

[@alisonhendry2928]

Wow! You made this super clear! I admit to being lazy and have never tried this or avoided the value practice study stuff, but and this is a huge BUT, YOU just showed me in 11 min the VALUE ( ha ha excuse that pun) of doing this. I run from painting buildings and now think I am going to go give this a try. Thank you for this!!!! Excellent teaching and advice as always. Loved “ don’t get romantically attached to…. “ perfect way to say it. Like holding on to an old worn out pair of slippers with holes in the soles…. Sometimes you must go shopping.

[@LironYan]

Haha 😂😂 So happy this was helpful Alison!!🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@tonibauerlein5806]

That was really helpful! Great instruction!!! Highly recommend!❤

[@phipsart6424]

such a joy to watch and listen

[@possbruce]

This was a great tip. I did it with one of my paintings and the results really impressed me.

[@LironYan]

Very happy this was helpful, thank you for watching! 🙏

[@bobbiegraham7729]

Fantastic video. Breaks it all down to a logical progression. Thank you!

[@LironYan]

Thank you for watching Bobbie! 😊🙏🏼

[@mariamuchi9707]

Thanks for sharing Liron!!.. i have learned a lot since i discovered you. Regards from Argentina!!

[@LironYan]

That makes me so happy to hear, thank you! 😊🙏🏼

[@romykruse6266]

Very helpful! These are realy great tips. Todah!

[@jacobminor1122]

You've been a big help for me! Alot of what I've learned, I've learned from you. I had a hard time with watercolor in the beginning; but the way you explain what your doing step by step is amazing. Keep doing what your doing Liron. I appreciate everything you post. Your an excellent teacher!

[@LironYan]

Thank you so much for the kind words 😊🙏🏼🙏🏼 So happy I could help

[@electrichen6243]

OMG I've been posterising photos to help me with matching values and colours, but not painted a picture from it. I'm going to try it.

[@LironYan]

Haha it's very fun once you get the hang of it! Let me know how it goes 🙏🏼

[@chickeemama1]

I am so impressed with this tutorial! In theory I knew this but I have never just painted it this way to get the realism! I’m going to check out your realism portrait course now!

[@miltonwelch4177]

@ 3:20.All that I needed to know. Thank you.

[@cherylj.harris4967]

Awesome! Will definitely give this a try.

[@debramoss2267]

Thanks, Liron, a real gem. Another one! 💛

[@4bews]

Great technique and explanation! Thank you!

[@LironYan]

Thank you for watching! 😊🙏🏼

[@lindatannock]

This was hugely helpful, thank you! I'm in the process of learning watercolour. I've always used gouache or heavier mediums, and watercolour scared me a bit tbh, as I'm used to being able to paint over "mistakes" lol. Breaking down the values like this has made me better understand how to approach the medium 👏🏻💖🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@fishnchips6627]

This is my approach to portraiture. It's good for beginners like me.

[@berolinastrassmann]

Great tutorial and pa innt inng. Thanks, Liron!

[@barbmummey5467]

Really great lesson. Thanks!

[@ranchjp]

My cousin, a world class quilter, before assembling her fabric swatches, converts them all to BW version on a copy machine. She assembles them based on value. Her mantra "...color gets the credit, but value does the work...". Folks should Google the term NOTAN - it is a Japanese design term which refers to the balance of lights and darks in an image. BTW there are apps on iPhone (and perhaps other smartphones), that allow converting images to 2,3, or 4 levels of white-black. No need to use photoshop. You can do it plein air with your phone. (search Notan or Notanizer in the app store).

[@PiHomeServer]

Thanks for the app name ! Works great

[@brendabrass2715]

Wonderful and succinct instruction, thank you

[@mariamalenta6574]

Great video! Looks amazing and it gives me confidence I can do it

[@meeraahuja1594]

Great tutorial. Thank you for sharing.

[@trlan55]

Great tutorial! I have thought about doing this; now I'm ready.

[@LironYan]

😁💪💪

[@Reflektorx]

Your teaching is very inspiring and motivating! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!🙏

[@ashleyhawkeswatercolor]

Thanks for the shift in thinking Liron! This was very helpful!

[@LironYan]

So glad to hear! (: Will keep these coming!

[@albertkline1731]

Hi Liron, good advice, large shapes and value. Best, Al

[@jacklynwilliam3862]

Great lesson!

[@worldsgreatestmama]

Thank you for your tutorial. I recently shared it on IG for a current shadow challenge I’m hosting. Such a helpful lesson!

[@robinlandry518]

This is fantastic, i think i understand value scale much clearer now. Thank you

[@LironYan]

Awesome! Very happy to hear 😊🙏🏼

[@Horsewoman-pt2ku]

This is great that you included ref photo and drawing. So helpful. Tfs. I just saw your drawing course and will be signing up in a couple weeks as I am in the process of a move

[@LironYan]

Awesome! Thank you so much 😁🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@elainevechorik2171]

Super cool tutorial. Let's see it on a portrait! That's what I'm trying to learn. Values 3 or 4 or more? How to decide that? Thanks for your excitement and great videos!

[@LironYan]

Great idea! Will do 😁 And as for your question - usually one of them will represent the photo more accurately. I find it's usually 4-5, but can sometimes be 3 (like here indeed) or even 6 (:

[@jds1421]

Just discovering your page. Love your work and inspired me to get back into watercolor painting when I gave up a couple of years ago. Thank you!

[@LironYan]

That's amazing to hear! Thank you & welcome aboard 😊🙏🏼

[@csyt4404]

Amazing! Can't wait to give this a go 👌👌

[@LironYan]

Let me know how it goes! ^_^

[@DS40764]

Yes, I lack patience. Watercolor continues to teach me patience. Thanks for this!. Your panting is nice in just black and white. Do value studies

[@sherryfurr9115]

Wow this is awesome I think it is going to help me with some major problems I have with painting!

[@LironYan]

Happy to hear (:

[@christinevanvuuren1545]

Super usefull tuturial. Tx ☺

[@yasminandreasson7893]

Hi from Sweden! Awesome video. You really took away some fears for me and the way you explain is very clearifying. Thank you very much! :)

[@stinar37]

You are such a gifted teacher. You explain things so clearly.

[@LironYan]

Thank you Christina! Much appreciated 🙏🏼🙏🏼😁

[@isabeltipple9942]

Liron., i cannot thank you enough for your encouragement in this art. I immediately feel i want to ‘ give this a go’. Your teaching style is fantastic and i love how you open the door for anyone to participate in this wonderful activity 🙏👍

[@LironYan]

Thank you so much Isabel 😊🙏🏼 Very happy to hear - it's my main goal!

[@margaretlynch1494]

Thank you!

[@LironYan]

You got it! 😊🙏🏼

[@eiraumanes519]

¡Love it! Thanks

[@LironYan]

Thank you for watching! 😁🙏🏼

[@svetigrin5845]

Thanks

[@888ssss]

superb

[@colleurfull]

Weer een goede video, duidelijk uitgelegd (zoals al je video,s ) a big thanks ☺😀

[@lorraincook881]

Just found you on KZbin. Thank you for this. Well done.

[@LironYan]

Thank you so much! ☺️🙏🏼 Welcome aboard!

[@Nasauniverse001]

Great

[@debbiec2663]

Great video

[@user-wj1tw5hy1c]

Hm. That's very interesting! I will try it.

[@blaismaxime9392]

Great teacher and fantastic result, as always.

[@LironYan]

Thank you 😊😊

[@grounded9623]

1) Shapes, Values and Edges (always return to the basics when confused) 2) Postpone your disbelief and need for instant gratification 3) Poster-ize with 3 Values, starting with dark, moving to grey and back and forth. 4) Context and contrast is believing, have patience while it develops 5) Evolve your process, try something different; process is not sacred, it serves the end result. 6) Painting is an illusion, don't let reality fool you 7) Don't be afraid to go dark 8) Anything can be fixed. 9) Use a test sheet 10) Work on skill building more often than finalized polished works 11) Realism = big major shapes and values more than details 12) Color and value are relative 13) Wet on wet, is not essential to watercolor Question Liron - could you talk about brushes,, did you use two sizes in this painting ? - Great video lecture, Thank-you !!! (Realism vs. Creativity - its up to you, that's beyond technique IMO)

[@LindaC616]

I'm totally new to this, but this is the first video I've seen that really made me feel motivated to try it (in the past, my more successful creations were sketches and high contrast pen and ink). I had the same question about the brushes

[@jhavajoe3792]

Beautiful. I'm still curious how a painting of a photo scene can express so much more? Is it the inherent attachment to the human element of making marks going back to cave paintings? Anyway, great teaching stills!

[@reflections4208]

Hi which paint brush are you using here?

[@juul7737]

Thanks for this video. Very helpful. But how about to do this trick in color? What is the most easy way to do that? Hope you can show us that.

[@LironYan]

Will do one on that soon ☺️🙏🏼

[@TBoneD611]

My challenge is the sketch!!!

[@sewingstitches8267]

Hey Liron, after following so many of your videos i feel I’ve improved with my monochrome values so much… could you give me some guidance or direction on how I can turn this skill into painting in colour? I would be so grateful, Thankyou!

[@LironYan]

Amazing! So happy to hear 😊🙏🏼 The next step is to practice matching colors. It's simpler than you think! Keep it simple with 3 useful primary colors (PB15 - Phthalo Blue, PV19 - Quinacridone Rose & PY175 - Lemon Yellow). You'll notice that more muted, darker colors are a little easier to mix, while bright turquoises & oranges can be more challenging, and may require getting a speciality paint. You'll get it with time (: And mix that with painting full scenes in color. Go for more atmospheric if possible. Less bright, saturated & edited... Let me know how it goes!

[@sewingstitches8267]

Thankyou so much Liron!

[@litylu]

So helpful. I really need to try this. What did you use to make the grey and black? My black mixes rarely get very black and take multiple layers to be dark enough.

[@jeremybunn8473]

Don't use black in watercolour. Black looks dead, like dark holes in your paper. Mix the 3 primaries in different proportions to create a range of warm and cool greys. Add a tiny bit of Paynes Grey to darken but never paint in pure Paynes Grey, it is a horrible colour on it's own, use it as a great mixer to neutralize colours.

[@jenneke9763]

I’m very interested in this course, so I looked up the info and feel like I’m missing some detes! Is there info posted regarding the number of lessons and the length of time of each lesson/segment? If this info is available, I may have overlooked it…wouldn’t be the first time ;). Thanks, LiRon.

[@LironYan]

Hey! Yes I should create a better-detailed outline 😂 Generally speaking - it’s around 5 hours & 45 minutes, divided into 18 lessons total. It goes by sections, where I explain and demo drawing, shapes, values, edges and more (: The goal is to give you a method from start to finish, exactly like this vid. There’s also a 30 days money back guarantee so feel free to give it a try! ☺️🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@julielevasseur7391]

Such good sharing. Your teaching style connects. Makes me want to give it a go.

[@LironYan]

Thank you Julie 😊🙏🏼 Much appreciate hearing this!

[@powderriverfarrier]

תודה חבר שלי

[@LironYan]

בשמחה! ☺️🙏🏼

[@ritanyasurenu432]

Such a great tutorial! Just subscribed to your channel. What is the name of the brush that you are using?

[@LironYan]

Thank you 😊🙏🏼 I’m mostly using Escoda Barroco size 16, and a Lebenzon Large Goat Hair (:

[@ritanyasurenu432]

@@LironYan thanks!

[@teresamitchell-banks2286]

Excellent advice. Great tutorial and a great painting 🇨🇦

[@LironYan]

Thank you so much Teresa! 😊🙏🏼

[@yvonnegeelen6571]

This great is there an easy way to posterise a picture maybe an app that you could recommend that is not to complicate…

[@LironYan]

Pierre mentioned Poster shine - a free iPad app (:

[@adibkhozoui9328]

What are the paintbrushes?

[@LironYan]

Lebenzon brushes & Escoda mainly! (: I like the Lebenzon large goat, and Escoda’s Barocco is extremely useful too, around size 16

[@jonathankurtz6657]

What brush do you use?

[@LironYan]

For this one mainly an Escoda Barroco brush (:

[@jonathankurtz6657]

@@LironYan thank you

[@mikeschroepfer8956]

So how do i draw, with a paint brush?

[@LironYan]

I use a pencil mostly! (: But I have had some great experiences drawing directly with paint, using thin rigger brushes

[@lisebowles673]

Thank you! This is a great interpretation of values! I get all caught up in the details and it really stumps me!

[@mjgimz]

Hi Liron I would like to know if your courses have subtitles in Spanish

[@LironYan]

Not at the moment! No subtitles at all, but I am planning on adding English soon, and hopefully Spanish in the future 🙏🏼

[@karindodge9814]

Great and unique method for beginners like me. Would this be good for a value study and how would you then translate to color? Thank you I find your videos very practical and helpful.

[@LironYan]

Thank you Karin! (: This could work with colors, but it can look a little strange too. I would use this to build my skill, and then work separately on matching the colors I see, and only use this feature as an added reference while painting. I'll often have the original reference + a black white / posterized version opened in front of me. Hope that makes sense 😊🙏🏼

[@alisonhendry2928]

Oh silly question, how do you address the fish eye distortion of the photo references on the buildings? Do you just draw it straight like it should be or use the reference with the odd angles? I think this is the major reason I paint animals… 😂😂no straight lines…

[@LironYan]

As for your question - This isn't even fish eye, but rather 3 point perspective (when looking at buildings from below, the vertical lines converge to an imaginary point high up). I actually try and draw it as it is (: With that in mind. It can be challenging at times. For this week's vid I kind of messed up that aspect in my drawing 😅 You'll see

[@alisonhendry2928]

@@LironYan sorry I meant the distortion of the iPhone lens, but you are right if we take photos from the ground we get this weird angle. I have wanted to paint the back streets of Gamlastan in Stockholm for ages, but the walls are crooked… perspective and me not very good pals…😂😂 I did not see any issues with your drawing in the vid. Loved the whole thing. You are so amazing at simple look so real. And so easy… it is not.

[@teresaemery1339]

Hahahaha! My problem has always been I am too anal retentive and all of My watercolor paintings look like this! I have been trying to Free my arm to broad happy strokes and

[@colettebaldwin5700]

Thank you for sharing your skill. I just found your channel and I love it!! So helpful!!