Winter Landscape with Weathered Barn [Easy Watercolor Workflow Tutorial]

This is a beginner-friendly winter scene (with a weathered barn) tutorial that will yield great results with undersaturated colors.
This video demonstrates the use of the 3 stages in the development of a piece and the 4 states (secrets) of watercolor, wet on wet, wet on dry, dry on wet ,and dry on dry.
It also is a great demonstration of wash/glazing to create complex color depth on a subject. If you have been practicing your mark-making, perspectives and watercolor states you should be able to pull off a nice piece. Winter/snow scenes are great for a beginner and intermediate watercolorist to try.
Keep practicing and build your skills and visual vocabulary.
Thanks for watching this video. Give me a "Like" if you thought this video was helpful. "Follow" me and be alerted when I post more watercolor tutorials. I appreciate your support and feedback.
01:16:21 Stage 1 Color Blocking
02:47:10 Stage 2 Saturation and Contrast
09:48:18 Stage 3 Structure, Texture and Details
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[@kathyeyman3744]

recovering photorealist 🤣 and you watercolor! You are my hero.

[@prof_nelson]

Hey thanks Kathy. It took me years to get beyond photorealism. I'm still twitchy about it. Thanks for watching.

[@KeriHulse]

Great work. I also really enjoy painting old barns. This was wonderful to watch

[@prof_nelson]

Cool. Yes, they are fun to paint. I hope the tutorial helps.

[@vivianeroy7783]

Really beautiful piece! This video is full of precious advices. Thank you so much. So happy to have found your KZbin Channel! Your explanations are very clear. English is not my first language but your calm way of talking makes things easy to understand. I am now a fan of you! Merci!

[@prof_nelson]

Thank you so much. I’m glad my English is clear for you. My 8th grade French wouldn’t suffice. Let me know what you would like to see for future tutorials. Thanks for watching.

[@falameyers6396]

Love your work…details are so great… Please keep your picture upright more of the time…I try to paint along, and it’s best when I can see the picture upright..thanks

[@prof_nelson]

Thank you! Will do! I was trying different angles to see if it jazzed up the content a bit. Probably not worth the effort. Thanks though.

[@janevt.2280]

Upright please!

[@lindachapman9137]

Such amazing glazing techniques. It was a joy to watch how you went about developing the textures and foliage. Thank you for sharing!

[@prof_nelson]

Thanks for your feedback. I’m glad you enjoyed it.

[@jeffkitterman7191]

Great information in your vid. Thanks. I do agree that the barn is a bit over worked.

[@prof_nelson]

Grr... overworking, the bane of my existence. I have to remember to jab myself in the hand to keep from doing it.

[@GONZOFAM7]

I really enjoy your style of teaching Rusty.

[@prof_nelson]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@maryrichinick7287]

I enjoyed watching this tutorial. Some good pointers. Thanks for sharing.

[@prof_nelson]

Glad it was helpful!

[@baldwinleatherworks]

You are such an amazing artist! I love your tutorials. Your clear, concise, excellent instruction. Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to share your knowledge, education and training in watercolor.

[@prof_nelson]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@cindyschwarzbauer3578]

Thank you so much for taking some of the mystery out of the process!! I am looking forward to trying to apply these lessons and tips myself!

[@prof_nelson]

You bet. Give them a try and let me know how they worked out.

[@ewwwobbie]

I enjoyed this video a lot. We have a few rustic barns like that around here. I like your process too.

[@prof_nelson]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@suemarkwald159]

Beautiful. I love seeing the effect of the different glazes

[@prof_nelson]

Me too! Glazes really create some nice complex colors.

[@WhstlblwrBlastingEpsteinsILK]

Great instructions. The painting turned out fantastic.

[@prof_nelson]

Thanks so much 😊 I love those Raccoons.

[@laurahale5774]

Great lesson! Thank you for sharing.

[@prof_nelson]

Thanks for watching.

[@tributetomama]

This is stunning.

[@prof_nelson]

Thanks. I appreciate it.

[@cravertom]

very nice!

[@prof_nelson]

Thank you.

[@이수동의그림기행]

Good 😊

[@prof_nelson]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@DiannePires-iu4qg]

Please tell us more about which colors you are using

[@prof_nelson]

I have a small palette with the basic colors. The primary colors, a purple, a couple greens and earth-tones (Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Sepia), white and black (if needed), and Ultramarine and Phthalo-blue.

[@DanBuell]

How do you know when and how do you determine an amount of water to having your brush in the later stages of the painting ?

[@prof_nelson]

In the later stage when I’m painting the structure and detail, I’m using a fairly thick mix of paint - cream or butter consistency. If I’m trying to saturate an area with richer color, I do glazes of a thin color, really wet - tea and coffee consistency. At the later stage you don’t want it so wet that the bead of water forms. Mr. Bead is for the first wet on wet stage. Does this help?

[@junuzee]

first stage= lemonade stage

[@prof_nelson]

Yeah, lemonade... where did that come from?

[@anitaholmes6824]

Hard to watch when the painting is on the side!

[@prof_nelson]

Noted, thanks for letting me know.