How to NOT OVERWORK Your Watercolors

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SOCIAL MEDIA

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Hi there, Liron here! Today’s a quick & FUNDAMENTAL tip about avoiding overwork.
This is something I’ve been seeing more and more of in recent months, and it’s a QUICK FIX for avoiding overworking your paintings.

Key takeaways:
- Have a plan, know what you're going to paint (shape, value, color edges etc...)
- Mix ENOUGH paint
- Have the paper at an angle for flow
- Work from one side to another / middle-out... Avoid "frames"!

I hope you find it useful! 😊🙏🏼
- Liron

Time-Stamps:
00:00 - Explanation
00:20 - Easy shape
03:37 - More complex shapes
07:06 - Using this in a large painting
08:17 - Conclusion

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MATERIALS I OFTEN USE

Paints (all Daniel Smith)
Quinacridone Rose

Brushes
Tracy Lebenzon Brushes
Escoda Travel Sets:

Paper

Palette

Plein-Air Easel

White Pen
Uniball Signo White Gel Pen (easy to find on ebay!)

MUSIC CREDITS

Music is Still-Life by Anbr:

* Please note this disclosure - Many of the links to Amazon (and possibly other websites in the future) are affiliate links.
This means I make a commission if you buy through them (and you obviously pay the same price).
However, my recommendations are honest and are always based on my own personal experience ^_^

#watercolor #painting

[vickip]

I’m so guilty of all of the “don’t do this” habits. I’m watching this at midnight and can’t wait to get up in the morning and follow your instructions! Thank you!

[XtianApi]

This is amazing! Nobody tells us noobs how to literally /physically paint. Thank you

[adilsonlc]

0:02 "let's jump straight into business", and he delivered that. No "please like and subscribe" or other BS. Instead, a great explanation on watercolour painting. You see, content creators, it's not that hard. That's how you make people like, subscribe and tell their friend about your channel.😃

[ingefallang]

I never understood that this is what is meant by "overworking" a painting. I thought overworking just meant ruining the paper by going over one spot too much. This makes so much sense, though, and is exactly what I've been doing! Thank you! I expect to be much happier with my paintings now!

[MrPuddinhead]

Brilliant instruction. No one is covering the intricacies of painting problems like you are. Thank you! So helpful.

[joeyjoe]

I just started watercolor painting and I couldn’t figure out why my painting always looks uneven and blotchy, but now I completely understand! I do outline first, go back and fix things up and add more water and mix my paints part way through! THANK YOU!!! 🙏

[subliteral]

One of my watercolor teachers told me you should make a habit of using a bigger brush than you think you need while painting, which inhibits you from overworking areas. This is something that ended up working quite well for me as a general rule, maybe it can help someone out there too.

[Wal]

Thanks for this. It’s basic, but something I’m guilty of! I’m often unhappy with the lack of life in my colours, and yet on a gash piece of paper that I use to try colours out where I’ve just swiped a brush down, the colours look fresh and vibrant! I’ve often remarked on this, but you are the only person that’s explained why. 🙏

[AlauraJones]

As someone with literal actual OCD I now know why perfectionism has wrecked watercoloring for me in the past. From now on I’ll just repeat to myself, no one cares about that all they see is the shape. This is actually so helpful haha

[justmejhbmed]

Thank you so much. I’ve been painting watercolours for decades, but no one ever explained the REASONS for getting “muddy” pictures like you have. I think my future paintings will be greatly improved and “fresher” looking just because of this one video. Thanks again for this valuable insight.

[jfadventuremode]

Great video for beginners and still helpful to remember. I take it with a grain of salt because all of these “bad habits” can be beautiful and useful tools if you practice them enough. Blooms (cauliflower), rivulettes, and lifting are all incorporated into my practice now and is what makes my paintings unique and personal. Hate to see them sold as all “bad” when they are actually useful in achieving unique variety of mark making.

[Immamom]

Just saw this video, thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm going to start unlearning those bad habits and move forward. Finally, a teacher that teaches!

[pattimintun]

It’s like you’ve been watching me! I do all of those “don’ts”….and will try your processes going forward! Love your tutorials! Thanks!

[jlg]

Finally. A watercolor channel that isn't desperate to be my friend and make me "feel good". I appreciate your no-bullshit style.

[phanterra]

I never knew what I was doing wrong because no one ever adressed this. My mind is blown, my artwork looks so much better instantly! Thank you SO much!

[jasond.b-w]

That first example of trying to correct the shape is exactly one of the reasons I ended up quitting art after 10 years of never improving! It’s not a problem I ever saw many people talking about but it’s so common, it really should be one of the first things you learn—if for no other reason then as a warning to those just starting out. I have disabilities that prevent me from being able to control a brush (I’m an incomplete quadriplegic) or ‘see’/create shapes properly (spatial/motor dysgraphia, which is somewhat like dyslexia for motor skills, if that makes sense.) SO much advice I could have received from videos like this earlier on would have saved me a lot of wasted years and money.

I’m still having a really hard time accepting that art can’t be in my life anymore, so I still find myself watching videos and guides and such even though it kinda leaves me feeling worse and worse about myself lol. I keep a folder of videos I like in case I ever have someone else to send them to so I’m def saving this to it. I love that you keep things so simple and direct! Really great work all around :)

[CelestialFlairEJ]

I've never seen anyone on Youtube explaining all those mistakes and showing ways on how to avoid them! Thank you so much for this video!

[Nevererasealwaysrecord]

I am a learner and was doing some swatching today.
So I thought.
95% of what I was doing and have done, is exactly what you showed.

It is thanks to so many of you professional artists spending so much of your time and effort in recording, editing, and uploading videos online, for everyone to see, that I am learning the tips and hints I need to know, so I can grow and learn properly.

Thank you so so much. 🤘🏼🤘🏼

[UrgentCabbage]

You randomly popped up on my front page and I am glad I clicked, my medium is painting that I am the most comfortable I am with as an Artist and I realy struggle with water color. Thank you SO MUCH!

[Martin_Gregory]

Fascinating parallel with playing music, especially improvisation. If you can't hear what you're going to play, don't play yet. Same here - if you don't know ahead what you're going to paint, don't paint yet.