Relax With This Simple Watercolor Koi Fish Tutorial

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Paint this pair of koi fish in real time with me using a loose and relaxed approach.

Ready to take your skills to the next level and start painting more consistently?

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Here are the supplies used in this video (US links)

UK/Worldwide Shipping (Jackson's Art Supply)

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[blackbat]

Hey Emilyy! I'm 14 and learning how to watercolor from all your videos. Just wanted to say thank you for all the help you do! You helped me improve a lot! ♥

[Megamoosecaboose]

Ms. Emily, your work is beautiful as always. But I want to say thank you so much for having better help as a sponsor and talking about depression and mental health. As someone with anxiety, your art and lessons have had a tremendous impact on my post partum journey. Thank you so much!

[michelleannette]

Thank you for sharing everything. Not just your beautiful painting, but your feelings, which I think a lot of us share. It helped to hear that someone I admire so much also faces some of the same fears in painting as I do. Bless you❤

[di]

Awesome, I like the narration and how the picture came together in the end. Watercolor is such a rewarding medium to work with.

[JonaInesFritz]

Thank you for this relaxing 20 minutes! What you demonstrated here was more like painting a certain mood (than a certain motive). I like it a lot!

[AlliListArt]

Lovely Emily and thank u for your line drawing, saving my anxiety and time! love Alli and Bella XXX

[josiezambrano]

I enjoy watching you work and your discussions of water movement. I am happy to hear you talk about depression and feelings of inadequacy. Its helpful to hear this from artists as I continue to paint and very seldom like the end result. I always enjoy the process and find your enjoyment infectious

[amybiebel]

Love this !! Excellent choice in sponsor. January is a difficult month for me personally and hey…”It’s ok to NOT be ok” Learning to let go and let it be. It’s a process of finding ways through moments in time when everything drops…Pause, just keep on keeping on ! Small celebrations are key to finding progress. Watercolor will always be my joy, gratitude, forgiveness, truth, faith, love and so much more. Emily, honey you NAILED the tails under water ! “Keep it up buttercup. You’re doing great” !!

[sylphofthewildwoods]

Emily, you inspired me to take up this medium after losing the fine motor skills in my dominant hand.
I loved ornate calligraphy and oils. I did many kinds of art and window displays where I created the scenes, monthly. (Like the sets for a play.)
People would drive by and sit in their cars and watch me transform the blank space into a pleasantly visual experience. I decorated beautiful cakes plus nursery murals.

I appreciate your mentioning the mental aspects that can affect us all. It was a huge loss and after 20+ years, I've been painting a little here and there. I struggle with inadequacy but my friends, family and neighbors love my work. I also struggle getting started. And Art was always "play" to me - but I can't seem to get that back...I'm very detail oriented and need control.. unfortunately, I stay in bed a huge part of the day. I have chronic pain.
I know I can do this. I have bought all the things to do so ... and you and others here motivate me. Life is often a struggle for us all. Especially, during these changing times.

Your Koi fish are lovely.

Thank you for sharing your talent and knowledge with us!
You're a beautiful soul. 🌹

[Monardadidyma-gq]

Yes, Emily. You have such a following.

I learn so much from all that you share about your personal process, and from each lovely drawing and/or watercolor video and voiceover unfolding from you.

Complicated personal process here since childhood regarding visual and literary connection with art, albeit rather awkward now, continues despite a lot of artistic flailings.

Emily, you do encourage, by way of your so meaningful sharings of so much of your many artistic explorations.

P.S. Horses are near and dear here. If you'd return to sharing your artisic magic and technocal savvy in that direction some time, oh how grand.

Thank you.

[maryjotannehill]

Thank you for a lovely painting. And for the reminder that we can have feelings that are not happy, but that we are okay.

[lindagio]

Dear Emily, and all who is struggling (so basically EVERYONE really),
You are not alone, you are needed, you are one of those beautiful vase which is chipped here and there and maybe it is missing a big piece, but the time will put the pieces together and add some gold on the missing pieces and on the cracks, so our vase will be whole again, but waaayyy more beautiful... Let's not forget this: all of us! ❤❤❤

[fuzzydragons]

koi fish can be so calming to paint😀 dont need a lot of detail, just some colour and some simple shapes really

[annejameson]

Really love this! I have followed you for a long time and love your style, in particular your animal paintings. Thank you!!

[teriandrews-murch]

I really enjoyed this video and painting along with your wonderful instruction. Great way to start my day, thank-you

[martyb]

This is so beautiful Emily! Thank you so much for the encouragement. I definitely experience discouragement at times but enjoy your classes in watercolor mastery so much. I can’t wait everyday to make time to go to my art desk and practice and learn from you!

[VizardKusa]

Thank you! I have been feeling a lot of that frustration lately... I knew where I wanted my journey with watercolor to lead me when I started. I knew where I wanted my goal to be. And while I expected the roads to go up and down, and wind side to side with the learning path of the craft... I think they've been taking the long way around mountains, we are in the bottom of the sea at the moment, and we are lost.

[roxannerosecrans]

Great painting! Koi fish are really very cool, no two alike.😊

[RogerEhinger-tghv]

A number of painters in our senior art club have done Koi and Koi ponds. They are a popular subject, some do watercolors others acrylics, some even paint them on smooth stones. I'm looking at your sunset lighthouse next. I love Pacific Coast scenes, especially sunsets.

[skipragsdale]

Hey Em - Just loved your Koi, they're too cool for words, it's sort of tight, but sort of loose, hits the spot just right! Actually, us guys suffer from that lack of confidence with new stuff too! Well, this guy does! As Art Dabblers, I think it comes more from our perfectionism, which definitely shows up as feelings that we can't do it because it's not going to come out "Perfect"! (That's me!) When I first picked up a brush, my teacher/mentor tried to get loosey goosey watercolor out of me, it was a real struggle for both of us. Once she realized that I worked better with tight, she stopped pushing in the loose direction which helped immensely. After finding out I was an Engineer in real life, her comment went something like - "That explains things, you'll probably never get loose watercolor, because your character pulls you into a tighter direction." Our character expresses itself in our watercolors. Either you are loose, spontaneous letting the paint make it happen; or tight, striving for greater control, that is trying to be in control! LoL! Hey, I hear oils are much easier!! LoL! Thanks so much I really liked this one and your comments.