How to Add Feeling to Your Watercolor Paintings

Do you ever step back and look at a painting and feel like something is just missing? Maybe you look at it and think, fundamentally, it’s sound - the values are right, the colors are good, the subject is interesting - but there just seems to be something missing.

What you may need is an access point for the viewer - something that invites them in to interact with your art. 

Today, I am going to give you three ways to offer this invitation. These three tips will help you to elicit more emotion and create more connection with your viewer. 

• Add a Sign of Life.

If you’re painting a landscape, maybe add some birds, sheep, cows, or horses. If you’re painting a city scene or street scene, consider adding a figure or two. The reason I think this takes your painting to the next level is because we like to interject ourselves into artwork. We like to relate to paintings and imagine a narrative to go along with the scene. With figures comes story, and so this is a great way to elicit feelings from a viewer.

• Focus on the Atmosphere. 

Depicting a particular time of day is a great way to connect your scene with a familiar experience. Think about weather conditions in your scene. Is the light bright and strong? Or is it more soft and subtle? What is the weather doing? By creating atmosphere, we are inviting the viewer to reflect on experiences that they've had. We’re drawing upon the emotions they associate with the conditions in your painting, and this is a powerful way to connect.

• Leave a Bit of Mystery.

One way of keeping your viewers attention where you want it to be is to abstract the edges of your scene. The areas where you add more detail is where your viewers are going to focus. So don't feel like you need to spell out everything in your scene. Those abstract areas encourage imagination, and your clearer depictions can tell a story. 

All these choices are wrapped into the personal style and subject matter that you bring as an artist. The more you paint, you're going to determine your own style and your favorite subject matter. You’ll develop your own methods to portray an atmosphere, paint figures, and create mystery. All of these are decisions you will make that will contribute to your growth as an artist.

Thank you for spending some time with me here today! Keep working on your art, keep moving forward, and I'll see you next time.

-Matt