3. Watercolour Washes - An Introduction for Beginners

In this video I show you the basic techniques for making watercolour washes. We look at flat washes, graded washes and variegated washes and the difference between painting these wet-on-dry and painting them wet-on-wet. I also demonstrate another type of wash that I use all the time in my landscape paintings

If you are new to watercolour painting, you will find that these techniques will provide you with essential building blocks to help you progress with your landscape painting.

Happy painting and thanks for watching!
Olly

Other useful videos to watch:

[LightshamanaDhyana]

I learned more from your tutorial videos than from 4 years art college. It's so nice of you to share the detailed techniques how you pain. Thank you.

[enlighteneduk]

Fantastic teacher and artist. Your tutorials are amazing and unbelievably, free!! ❤

[robertmeyer]

Oliver, Your tutorlials have blown me away! I'm 86 and just getting around to watercolor art. After enjoying some of your tutorials, I'm convinced I can do it. I live in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and love the trees here - all four seasons! Now I am inspired to TRY to represent them in WC. I lived in the deset Southwest for 50 years, and saw nothing but beauty in the desert and mountains...but the Valley is magnificent. So much to see and record! And, I'm left-handed, too! And Red/Green blind. I am, however, determined! Thank you gain. You, Sir, are a treasure!!

[horatiuTheAwesome]

Oliver, if painting was poetry, you have been excellent at explaining what happens between the lines. Your tutorials are some of the most comprehensive ways to practice and establish the core knowledge aspiring watercolour painters need. Keep up the good work and thank you so much for everything!

[murthysudhakar]

You are a very good teacher. Watercolor is physics and you teach the fundamentals very very well. Thank you .

[TheArghnono]

Thank you again for an excellent tutorial, Oliver. I am a grown man now, but I keep thinking I wish had a teacher like you in every subject at school :) This is really useful for me in my watercolour journey going forward. Thank you!

[donnacarraway]

Once again I am left speechless! You are definitely the best teacher online!! I can imagine so many uses for your “two simple washes”! Sometime it would be great to learn how you plan your painting. Sometimes I look at a photo that I would like to paint and it seems overwhelming so I end up painting it in parts which I don’t think always results in a painting that is as cohesive as it could be. Thank you for everything!!

[lunaverde]

I even didn't watch this yet, but I already want to tell how happy I am to see more of techniques!! Thank you so so so much 🌼🌞🌻💕

[damienkearns]

Your videos are not only brilliant and so informative to watch but you're so generous with your time. Artists like you and Mark Carder (DrawMixPaint) + YouTube = The gift that keeps on giving. Sincere thanks 🙏

[pamelabozzi]

I am not a beginner but I thoroughly enjoyed watching this and am ready to undertake some brush and paint practice that is NOT specifically for a painting. THANKS Olly!

[LizHolmArt]

So excited to see a new tutorial from you Ollie! I want to be able to paint like you!

[warrengarr]

Thank you for reviewing glazing technique - I needed that!

[StudioArtbyReBa]

Thank you again. This was extremely helpful & I will go back and watch “controlling the wash” again. We so appreciate your time & effort to help us move along in this most challenging medium. Can’t wait for the next video😁

[ailiebruins]

Just discovered you in 2024. Love your presentation, succinct and logical. Going to pick up my brushes again.

[salf]

Very helpful demontration. The landscape glazing techniques I've never seen before.

[heavanaart]

Once again, extremely helpful advice for a beginner like myself. Thank You so much for doing these Olly

[spaoloski]

This is a great demostration of how to blend the pigments to create this atmospheric effects that are daunting for beginners.
Thank you ! From Houston Texas

[Marimhage]

Thank you for that really useful tutorial. Even I’m not a beginner I enjoyed to practice these fundamentals. And … not so easy as it seems.

[laurewinkelmans]

Not only is this content helpful, it is also relaxing to watch the colours being painted on.

[mizninepatch]

Super helpful, as always. Thanks Olly.