As much as I love painting outdoors, you’ll often find me using a reference photo for watercolor inspiration. In fact, it is commonplace to find me working from a photo in my studio. 

But the process is a little different than plein air painting. There are a few important methods to remember whe...

One of the most critical stages of the watercolor painting process is right before you begin those last watercolor steps to polish up your scene. The decisions you make here can make or break your painting. 

So let’s explore this stage of your painting process! Keep reading for 3 simple ways to ...

Skies are an inspirational sight and have the power to elevate a scene. Therefore, it is often that I’m asked about how to paint dynamic, colorful skies in watercolor landscapes. 

Skies are loose and ever-changing, so you have to relinquish some control over the process when you paint them. Repl...

Below, I have placed two of my paintings - one is an older painting, and one is more recent. There are many differences between these two paintings. The first one has several mistakes, but one mistake stands out as the most important to address.

As I walk you through the watercolor painting pr...

Today I'm teaching how to paint morning light in watercolor.

What Supplies Did I Use?

I am painting on Saunders Waterford Cold Press 140lb paper, and I have my surface tilted to 35 degrees.

I use a variety of brands of brushes, but I mainly stick to a large mop, medium round and smaller synt...

The light effect that we refer to as “dappled” creates a particularly pleasing atmosphere, both in real life and in art. There’s something soothing about shadows created by the natural world, something captivating about their movement. 

But how do we create this dappled light in our watercolor p...

Capturing light in watercolor is always a primary goal when I am painting a street scene. The light play on buildings, shadows in the streets, and the brilliance of the sky, when done well, can come together to create a gorgeous watercolor scene.

In today’s video, I walk you through this scene I...

Have you ever finished a watercolor and just sensed that you missed the mark somewhere? 

When this happens to me, it is often because there’s a lack of focus in the painting. My eyes don’t know where to go because the elements of the scene are competing. They don’t complement each other well. To...