Here's the thing about learning a creative skill that we don't often admit - it is not a linear process. It isn't just a straight upward trajectory.

We experience ups and downs and disappointments. Sometimes our successes are quickly overshadowed by a frustrating painting session. It can be hard to see our growth in the midst of these defeats. One day, you might feel like you're really grasping things. And then one bad painting and you start to question yourself.

So it's important to acknowledge that there are going to be ups and downs, and sometimes the best ways to learn are by making mistakes. Even the watercolors that don't turn out teach us something. 

But these 4 watercolor painting tips will help you to achieve more consistent results.  

Keys to Consistently Painting Gorgeous Watercolors

Today I'm going to talk about four things that you can do to raise that consistency level in your work and to increase the chances of your painting being successful. If you can do these four things, you are more likely to have a successful painting

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 1. Make a Plan to Follow for the Result You Want.

Watercolor is an unforgiving medium, meaning that when we make a mistake, it's harder to correct. Once that paper dries and things are all settled, you're kind of left with what you have.

So having a plan before you jump in is absolutely crucial. This doesn't have to mean a complete overhaul of your process; itcan mean just simply thinking through the steps you want to take before you get started.

Break it down into washes: what do you want to accomplish in the first wash? The second wash? The third wash?

Think through the structure of the painting. Identify the brightest areas of your painting where you want the most light to be, and come up with a plan on how to preserve that light throughout the painting process.

Important questions that you can ask yourself are: "What has attracted me to this scene?" "Why am I painting this particular scene?"

This will help give you some clarity on the areas of the painting that you want to emphasize. Asking these questions and understanding how to build this painting from start to finish will give you a game plan that will support your success. 

2. Do a Study Before You Jump Into the Watercolor Painting Process.

My second suggestion is to do some type of study before you jump into the actual painting.

You could do a thumbnail sketch to work out your composition or a value study to get you to start thinking about painting from light to dark and identifying the big shapes of your scene.

Any type of study is wonderful and will help you prepare for a successful painting.

A thumbnail sketch is great, but a value study is even better because when we do this, you're doing a few things at the same time:

• Practice the drawing
• Get a handle on the composition, and
• Think through the values.

These studies helps you answer questions like: What areas of my watercolor painting are going to be the brightest? What is that large middle value connected shape in my painting? 

So you're really doing a lot of the heavy lifting when you do these studies. If you dedicate yourself to studies, you will see a big improvement in your work, in a lot more consistency. I can always tell the difference in a watercolor when I create a value study compared to when I don't.

Giving yourself time to do these things and not being in such a rush to get through to the finished painting will make a big difference.

3. Step Back From Your Painting Often.

Number three, step back often and assess your watercolor.

So many times when we are painting, we are hovering right over our work, and we are consumed with certain areas of the painting. Unfortunately, we can sometimes neglect the importance of looking holistically at how each area relates to the one another.

Take a little note card and write on it: "Step back." Put it next to your easel as a reminder that you need to take a moment now and again to look at your whole scene.

When we get hyper-focused on a specific area or little marks in our painting, we forget to look at that whole picture and see how everything is relating to each other. This causes us to forget those bigger questions like: Are the values working? Is the composition sound? Am I getting obsessed over something that is not important when it comes to the whole picture of the painting?

So get in a habit of stepping back and observing the whole painting.

4. Slow Down Your Painting Process and Take Your Time.

Sometimes in watercolor we have to move quickly. If we are working on a wash and there's a lot that needs to happen before it dries, we are forced to move with a sense of urgency.

But there are moments in the painting when you can really take your time and reflect earlier on:

• You can take time to lay out your composition.
• You can take time to premix the colors you'll need.
• You can pause before that third wash to really make intentional decisions about where to put the darks in your watercolor scenes.

If you can work on adding just the minimal amount of information to get your point across, I think you'll be happier with your results because a lot of times when we add so much at the end, we end up with an overworked painting.

So if we can really take our time during these critical key moments of the painting process, we can think about what we're doing rationally and have a better end result.

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