7 Amazing TIME SAVING Watercolor Beginner Tips!

In this watercolor video tutorial I take you through some easy techniques and work habits that will organise your workspace, allow beginners to choose colors and supplies with ease and avoid mistakes in your watercolors. These 7 beginner painting tips will help guide you to create art faster and more easily without wasing time fixing mistakes or looking for equipment.

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TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Introduction
1:11 Build a library of ready to paint subjects
3:07 Keep all your art equipment in a work-station
5:19 Organise and keep similar paint colors together
8:07 Swatch all your colors
10:10 Set out colors and equipment before starting
11:35 Try all techniques and colors out on a paper scrap first
12:55 After finishing each painting clear up, clear out and maintain equipment

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[terischiech]

I like to remind folks about shopping at second hand or thrift stores. I reuse a dish made for deviled eggs as a mixing palette. Used Mason or pickle jars for water or brushes. Styrofoam egg cartons can be used to mix paints.
I have found so many craft supplies at Goodwill, $1 Dollar stores, church thrift shops and even flea markets/garage sales.
Like Michelle said, find your own space. It took me along time to believe I deserved my own area.
Stay crafty. Stay frugal Stay creative & Stay happy.

[jennyd]

I'm in the "painting on the dining room table " category but I find being organized helps. I have a shallow plastic bin where I store my paper and extra paint. It lives under a chair! My brushes (I only have a few) live in a cup along with pencils and erasers. My in-use paint is in a small pallet with a lid. I don't paint bigger than standard paper pad size and I tape my paper to a plastic place mat which makes it very easy to relocate it at meal time. I don't have a lot of art supplies but as an amateur its all I need. I have a couple of 12 colour paint sets and now I buy individual colours as needed.

[patwessels]

Like the new look! Tres chic! Another useful and well presented tutorial!

[aliciashackley]

Thx as always Michele and hope you’re feeling much better. 🥰💕🐶💕🥰

[ikbenliesbeth]

Michele, I love your hair! This cut looks absolutely stunning on you. Looking fabulous!

[jerri]

I just met you and absolutely love you, you explain things so well, I get your language, I am having so much fun watching and learning, my favorite teacher!!!!

[davec.]

Excellent! I wouldn’t have thought about the swatches and trying out colors and techniques before putting on actual painting. Arranging the paint colors in different trays is a gem! Aloha from Boise!

[travisnobleart]

Keeping several watercolor scraps is a great idea. Sometimes I'll forget how easy it is to just cut a page into several pieces! I definitely intend to make a space for multiple scrap pages (instead of one universal one with pen marks, and color pencil marks, etc).

[Izabela]

Hello Michele, You just got me motivated to declutter my supplies, OMG so much stuff is going now to local school for kids to finally use all those things accumulated in years. I'm sure they will be happy to have some good suppliers to play with. Also love your tip to prepare the subject to paint, as you said I spend too much time on "what I want to paint" and finding the inspiration. Well now I know how to proceed! Thanks for your videos, they are precious to me!

[mermaidjaffa]

I love using a limited palette of colours, no matter the medium. Whenever I'm shopping for new art materials, the basic minimum for me, is that it HAS to have at least RYB, or if its a bigger set like a 12, RYB in warm and cool colours. I love experimenting with mixing the paint colours and feel like I have achieved something when I make them myself.

[erikamonihen]

Thank you for this. I am also OCD and have a very hard time existing in an overly cluttered environment. I have slowly been ridding myself of the weight of things I do not use and know I will not use. Minimalism is end goal. The things you own, end up owning you. Thank you for this video!

[jadewytch]

Hi Michele! Omg - I look at my art stuff and think your brain would explode. You make an excellent point about owning too many art/craft things (or clothes, etc ad nauseum). I really is important to recognize not only how those things clutter up your actual living space, but they clutter up the mind; either with - as you said - that internal voice nagging at you to use it or get rid of it OR that extra stimuli. People wonder why they feel anxious and really don't realize how much the mind perceives at one time. I live in a very small apartment with my teenager and my husband and we have ENTIRELY too much stuff and I can vouch that this affects my mental health!

*Edit OH and I absolutely LOVE the ideas about organization. My favorite of all though is the advice to make sure if everyone else has a space and your needs aren't being met; make yourself space for your joy too!!!! ♥

[rebanelson]

Color charts, color swatching and plastic pockets!

[sherryfurr]

I love all of your tip videos…always relevant and so helpful for us beginners.

[PaulaScardamalia]

Your first tip is really helpful. I often feel like painting and can't think what...and I just took a lot of photos of our trip to Italy. Guess I better get them organized! Thank you.

[annemorgan]

I really can identify with your last comment. I still have art supplies from the early eighties. They are getting closer to the door. Artists are always seeing the usefulness of media for those spontaneous creations. However, one of each is enough. Thank for another great video. 🇨🇦

[deborahferguson]

Less is more. Less stuff is more time, more space, more energy. My minimalism mantra.

[WFSmalley]

Love what you’ve done with your hair. B6 will help keep it in good shape after Covid. You look great, not tired. You are such a trooper.

[bewegte]

Thank you for all the information. I really like the coral lipstick on you. Creating a dedicated, organized place is the best tip for me.

[bonnieg]

Having a library of subjects ready to paint would be more helpful than I realized. I spend hours looking for the right subject and pose, light angle, etc. I should set this time apart from the actual process of painting.