My watercolor journey has included a lot of trial and error, and I’ve had a lot of unanswered questions along the way. Finding resources and guidance while learning to paint watercolor is sometimes difficult, and that’s why I offer this free watercolor instruction. 

I want your journey to be easier than mine, and I want you to stay inspired and determined during the discouraging moments that will inevitably come. So, today I have a few tips to offer that I think will support your continued growth.

I Wish Someone Had Told Me These 3 Things Before I Started Painting.

1. Create a Clear Order of Operation for Your Painting.

The first thing that I wish I had known when I was getting started is that watercolor requires a clear plan. You've heard me talk about drawing for watercolor, developing a value study, and having a value plan. All of that is really important, but that's not what I’m talking about with this point.

I'm talking about creating an order of operation. 

When I first started out, I would look at a painting that I liked, and I would have no idea how I might attempt to make something similar. I had no idea how to start or what to do after I put paint brush to paper. The process was not clear to me, and it all felt overwhelming.

I learned slowly - mostly from tutorials and workshops - how to break from this uncertainty and make a plan for my paintings. 

While I provide a tutorial here and there on my blog, I hope you also know that I offer a membership called Watercolor Community, where you get access to over 50 watercolor tutorials where I lead you step-by-step through the watercolor process. At the time I’m writing this blog, you can sign up on my waiting list for the community and I’ll let you know when it opens up for more members.

What Type of Plan Do You Want to Have Before You Start Your Painting?

For now, let’s focus on outlining the watercolor process for you. Of course, not every painting will be the same, and you’ll go at different subjects differently, but there is an overarching process that can guide you.

Watercolor is different from other mediums because we’re typically painting from light to dark. 

So we want to first think about the lightest values of the scene, then the middle connected shape, and then the darks and details. 

Let’s dive into these three steps of watercolor painting!

The Three-Step Process of Watercolor Painting 

In the first wash of our painting, I like to wet down both sides of my paper. As we look at the scene, we want to think about the lightest values in the whole scene and paint a wet-into-wet wash where you’re laying in the lightest values first.

And remember - in this three step process, every step you take is setting yourself up for the next step. In some ways, we're painting in reverse, so you’re painting the lights, then the mid-tones and finally the darks. 

After you've painted a wash that covers all of your paper, you've laid in the lightest values of your scene.

So after this dries, then you want to paint your middle values. This is where the large connected shape comes into play - in the middle values of your paintings. So then I go through and I paint this large connected shape over the top of the lightest values that I've already painted. 

And after you are done with that, you get into phase three, which is where we paint the darks and the details of the scene. And this is the fun part. This is where all the hard work that you've put into the painting so far with your planning, drawing, and painting those light and middle values. This is where all of that work pays off. And actually, this is where the light in the scene really becomes apparent, because we don't get to see what the final painting is going to look like until we get in the darks of the scene.

In this final stage, I carefully go around the scene and paint the darks and the details, the finishing touches of the scene. 

From day one, I wasn't aware of any process, let alone a three step process. So that's the three step process that I use now that I wish I had known all the way back when I was first getting started.

2. Place Values Above Color

That leads me to the second thing I wish I’d understood before I started painting: values are more important than color.

Early on, I got really interested in what colors I had on my palette and focused on how to mix different colors. And I’m not here to say that this is not important. It is. But, I wish that I’d had an understanding of values early on in my painting journey. 

Before I even knew what values were or how impactful they can be, I spent my time focusing on color mixing and buying the right watercolor paints. Learning value, it turns out, would have been a much more efficient use of my time and energy.

What are Values?

Let’s review this really quick so we don’t lose anyone. You might be wondering - like I was - what values are. 

Values are simply how light or how dark something is and how these different shades of strength relate to each other. If you take away color from an amazing painting or an amazing photograph, if the values are sound, you will still have an evocative image because values are more impactful than color. They do more for the overall effect of the painting, and that's something I wish I’d understood from day one.

What Is a Value Study?

If you're just getting started, consider working more in black and white before you ever even think about mixing colors. This is called a value study, and can precede and inform your final watercolor painting. 

Here's a look at a value study where I'm just working in black and white and trying to understand the relationship between the lights, the mid tones, and the darks of the scene. 

I still do these value studies - not before every painting, but before a lot of paintings. As I mature as an artist, I still have to lean into this to work because it helps me to see the connections in my painting and see the values. All of this happens when I take the time to focus on values before I even think about color.

3. Switch Your Focus From Proficiency to Consistency.

The third thing I wish I’d known before I started painting is to avoid focusing too much on your final product. It’s tempting, I know. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to create a painting we’re really proud of.

But the truth is that we won’t get to that point if we can’t continually come back to the easel and consistently step back and assess the progress we made (however slow or imperfect it may be). 

The most important thing is truly to keep practicing, to keep showing up, and to focus more on your dedication to learning than to what any specific final painting looks like. 

I know that can feel counterintuitive, but if you can even just turn your mindset a few notches towards consistency rather than output, that's when you really start to see progress and begin to think of painting as a long term investment.

Every time you show up, every time you practice, every time you put in effort, you are making little deposits into the bank that really adds up over time. 

Watercolor is not an easy medium to learn. No medium is simple. But when you're really trying to figure things out, it can get very frustrating because your final product is just not going to look like you want it to look like.

But if you can stay focused and keep showing up even when your output is not up to par, you’ll find satisfaction in the consistency and determination that you bring to your practice. That is where you will start to grow, and eventually, you’ll make big strides.

Now That You Know, Go Forth with Curiosity and Confidence!

So now you know the three watercolor tips that would have helped me the most when I first started painting: create a clear order of operation, prioritize value over color, and focus on consistency over proficiency. 

I hope that this encourages you and gives you some tangible ways to grow as a watercolor artist. 

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