Most artists have heard the aphorism that red, yellow and blue are all the paints you need to mix any color. You were told these hues constitute the “primary” colors. Maybe it was your art teacher who conveyed this idea during your art classes (perhaps with an air of wisdom and authority?)  However, not all aphorisms are universally true. If you’ve ever tried mixing with just these three primaries, you’ll understand why So what are the true primary colors? This is a long-standing debate in art circles. So in this article I’ll try to explain what the real primaries are and how you can use ..read more

Often we assume something is difficult to paint, because it looks complicated, so we tend to avoid it. But if you follow the painting process I used for this painting of a mug of hot chocolate, you’ll see that it follows the same basic set of principles I use for simpler looking subjects.  So if you’re up for a bit of a challenge, in this lesson I’ll give you some tips on how you can paint seemingly complex scenes more easily. Observing the Reference After you’ve decided what you want to paint, the starting point for painting any subject is observation.  And for an artist, simply put ..read more

It’s that time of year again! And what better way to express your affection for your loved one than by creating a personalized Valentine’s painting for them? In this article, I’ll show you a few different creative approaches to crafting Valentine-themed paintings. And this assortment of painting ideas features various techniques that can serve as inspiration for other paintings!  Let your imagination flow Valentines Painting Ideas for Beginners I’m going to show you a collection of watercolor techniques for creating valentine’s paintings. You’ll be able to see the step by step process I ..read more

If you’ve ever looked at one of these things and thought “what the heck do I do with that?” Well… You’re not alone! A color wheel is a very handy tool for artists and designers, but… you’ve got to figure out how to use one first. For a start, you probably need a magnifying glass to read the minuscule text written on the back! Furthermore, the confusing array of colors could leave you scratching your head! So below, I’m going to show you how to use a color wheel to easily choose colors for painting, mixing paints, or for creating harmonious color relationships. Types of Color Wheels First let’s ..read more

Would you like to know how to improve your watercolor skills to a level that surpasses 99% of beginners? The answer is actually pretty simple… All you have to do is to understand the rules!  These rules are what I refer to as “The golden rules of watercolor”. So in this lesson I want to share with you my “golden rules” that have helped me transform my watercolor art over the years. And you’ll see just how surprisingly easy it can be to make a big difference in your watercolors once you understand and apply these principles. And BTW, the final rule at the end of this lesson is probably the ..read more

In this lesson I’ll show you how to paint these oak leaves in watercolor in just a few simple steps. This is another quick and easy watercolor painting, but it’s also a good  example to explain when and how to use wet-on-wet vs wet-on-dry painting techniques. Many of you are familiar with these two techniques, but here’s a quick reminder: Wet-on-wet means wet paint onto a wet surface Wet-on-dry refers to damp brush marks on a dry paper surface. “Oak-ay” let’s get started! Getting started To get started trace or sketch the outline of some oak leaves onto a sheet of watercolor paper. An ..read more

I only realized how valuable this tip was when one of my Masterclass students sent me this comment: This is what Cherryl told me: “I particularly felt like the tip to not draw and erase on my good Arches watercolor paper was advice probably worth the cost of your entire masterclass!  Game changer.  I am not very good at sketching and when I attempt, there is a lot of erasing going on.  So that tip alone has been a real help.” Some folks insist on drawing freehand directly onto watercolor paper. By this I mean they are not tracing the reference image. And I completely understan ..read more

These tasty looking pastries are very popular in France, where I live.  In this lesson I’m going to show you how you can paint this macaron in watercolor in just a few simple steps. In all my tutorials I try to simplify the painting process into easy to follow stages so that anyone can try subjects like this for themselves.  And this is a perfect example of a very beginner friendly painting. It’s a really fun and satisfying watercolor, so I hope you’ll give it a try. Grab your brushes to make your own “macaron masterpiece” in just a few easy steps. Step 1 – Getting Started Begin by s ..read more

Ready for some phantom fun?! In this lesson I’m going to show you how to paint this quick and fun watercolor for Halloween!  These little watercolor ghosts make a great beginner-friendly tutorial that will help you practice blending and how to manipulate pigments on the paper. I’ll explain the methods I used so you can reproduce ghostly shapes like these in just a few minutes. You’ll be amazed how easy it is to conjure up these watercolor phantoms! To begin – sketch your ghost outlines Start by sketching a phantom or two onto a sheet of watercolor paper.  Anyone can do this painting ..read more

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