Painting autumn in watercolour: colour, light and what to leave out
Autumn changes the spaces between leaves as much as their colour. Paint the warm accents, quiet surroundings and opening canopy that make the season recognisable.
Technique
Technique
Loose watercolour painting: what to simplify and what to keep
Loose watercolour painting depends on selection. Keep the relationships that explain the subject, then give yourself freedom within them.
Technique
How to paint water and reflections in watercolour
A reflection is a different view, not a flipped picture. Read the surface before deciding which shapes, edges and lights to paint.
Artists
JMW Turner’s watercolours: the structure behind the light
Turner’s watercolours seem to dissolve the world. Look longer, and the decisions holding it together begin to appear.
Technique
How to paint skies and clouds in watercolour
A convincing sky begins with the relationship between its light and dark shapes, not an outline around every cloud.
Technique
How to paint trees and foliage in watercolour
Paint the tree, not every leaf: organise its silhouette, light and shadow, then choose the gaps, branches and marks that give it character.
Technique
How to use masking fluid without tearing watercolour paper
Clean removal depends on the product, the paper and the timing. How to check both, apply masking fluid and take it off with less risk to the surface.
Getting Started
How to start watercolour: a clear order for your first painting
A clear order for your first watercolour session, with a useful next step whenever you need more detail.
Getting Started
How to paint watercolour from a reference photo
A reference photograph records a scene; the painting decides what to keep, change and leave out. A practical way to turn a photo into a watercolour plan.
Getting Started
Watercolour terms explained: a beginner’s working glossary
A working glossary of the watercolour terms that change what you choose, mix, paint or leave alone.