Improve Your Watercolor Control With Coloring Book Images. Quick and Fun!

If you want to hone your basic watercolor wash and blending skills in a fun way, but without a lot of pre-planning, drawing and prep, look no further than the myriad coloring book images available. A fun, quick and accessible way to practice or just warm up. In this video I'll show you what to focus on as you practice.

Term Clarifications:
Charge – To dab more concentrated pigment into an already wet area or shape. A precise form of wet in wet painting.
Glaze – A transparent layer of paint applied wet over dry color to darken value, change color or add shading.

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[jenthulhu]

I always stay tuned to your channel even though I'm not terribly interested in painting landscapes just for this very reason--the times when you do a video like this that teaches SO MUCH. I've never seen such a thorough explanation of how to handle so many different techniques. I love how you leave in your bloopers too, reminding us that you are human too and we can all learn from mistakes. You are the absolute BEST! Thank you!

[glozhappiest]

I love what you said “you have to gain control to lose control”. Brilliant❤️❤️❤️

[kymberlydawn]

"You have to gain control to loose control" Best quote EVER! I think knowing that fact will help my art tremendously. Thank you for all that you do.

[homeschooledaroundtheworld]

That is a great treatment for the “Blank page Anxiety Syndrome.” Thank you for another great video🦋

[shannonwolff]

Quick tip, if you don't have transfer paper you can make it very easily. I like water soluble graphite but regular graphite works well too. I use a sheet of sturdy tracing paper and simply cover one side with graphite. For regular I would use a 2B or softer lead, but remember the softer it is the darker it will be. For water soluble graphite I use a medium wash derwent but any brand would work. PS the water soluble transfer paper works well when transferring an image you have drawn yourself to watercolor paper and the lines dissolve as you paint so no graphite lines will show in the finished painting. Once I have the image transferred I do lighten it as needed with a kneaded eraser using the "rolling method" to keep the amount of graphite to a minimum whichever type of graphite I use. Hope this helps!! Also you can use it over and over and if it starts to "run out" of graphite just scribble on another coat. I have been using the same 2 sheets I made for 2 years so far!!!

[Ann-eytw]

I have been learning watercolor for 5 years through YouTube, and taking random classes here and there. This is the first time I have seen this kind of instruction. And it should have been something I started with 5 years ago! Thank you so much for doing this lesson. You are the best, Steve! Plus, during this crazy time, it’s such a good thing to practice, as I’m not inspired to paint much of anything!

[SnowblindOtter]

This looks fun as hell... another thing that you could do with it for practice sake is to do it with a limited color palette so that not only are you practicing how the paint goes into the paper, but you're also practicing your color sense and mixing.

[asuddenapifiny]

I just want to say that after practicing these techniques and giving my self time my watercolors improved dramatically. No more guessing just a lot of planning and understanding of what will give me the results I want. Thank you so much for this!

[HajraMeeks]

This is a great entire class for beginners the way you laid it out, and super useful to anyone who is having trouble with water and control, (which is all the students I have taught live). XD What a great exercise to suggest to folks and I really admire your patience in how you explain it, Steve--this is also an instructive vid for teachers and how to cultivate patience and gentle repetition in teaching beginners.

[annewatman]

This is just what I needed! I’ve been doing another online course, and I think the instructor is trying to move students along too quickly. I was getting really discouraged with my results, and remembered that I had much better success following one of your other videos. He’s a good artist, and it’s supposed to be a beginners course. He doesn’t want students to get board doing drills, so he had us do a couple of leaves, and quickly went on to more complex images. I’m now thinking I’d get more out of this sort of thing, along with going back to your other videos on blending, wet in wet, etc.

[chelseag]

love this! and love that you showed a finished painting. Some other people's tutorials just fill in a few things and say 'welp that's it!' lol.

[marjoriejohnson]

I had a glass coffee table thT i used a lamp under as a light table for years...love multi use furniture.

[kaas]

This is a great "all in one" video for people new to watercolour, or people who are thinking to try watercolour for the first time, because it shows very well what it is all about. You have demonstrated all of the basic techniques (wow I spelled this word right from the first try), you showed what it is like - to paint with watercolour. Also this video would excite people to try it, because even though you are just practising, you have a pretty image coming along and you get more of the sense of progress. And I totally agree with you: it doesn't matter what style you paint in, you need to know these things.

[BaysideCreativeMedia]

This was one of the most helpful videos I’ve seen on YouTube! It’s just a coloring book, page, but what you showed and demonstrated was amazing! Thanks so much! More like this, please!11

[juliapace]

Love the way you simplified the design. Beautiful.

[valeriet]

Hey Steve. Love love love this! One thing I struggle with is patience. I tend to rush to the finish line because I am so anxious to see the final product and find myself making mistakes or compromising the quality of the techniques that you describe here. Thank you for saying the word "mindful" because that is exactly what i needed to hear. My mother bought me a couple of coloring books a few years ago to practice putting down color (tone, value, blending etc.) using graphite, charcoal, pastels or colored pencils right in the books but I hadn't thought to transfer the images to watercolor paper. I will start to do this as a practice exercise. BTW I did follow a couple of your other videos (negative painting and spontaneous wash) recently and was very pleased with the results. Practice practice practice, patience patience patience... Cheers!

[liul]

One of the most useful videos in watercolor techniques I've watched. Thank you

[InLiquidColor]

I had a little double take when I saw the thumbnail next to your name! Definitely a different style but great lesson on both water and brush control!

[tlembro]

These images are great for Brush control….brush size and spaces…..very good. Thank you!

[stephanieeggen]

Even though I am late to this party (video), I want to thank you. As a beginning water colorist, I had given up and moved on the colored pencils because I could control the application of the color and get much better results. I am so happy to have found this video. I got my watercolors back out and following your instructions, learned more in one hour than I had in a year of watching water color tutorials. Plus, the result was so pretty it inspired me to begin again. Have you produced any more videos like this one in the past few years? I subscribe to your you tube channel and wlll peruse the list of tutorials looking for another such gem. Thank you for helping restore my interest in proceeding with this medium.