Painting a Loose Watercolor Elephant in Bold Reds: A Real-Time Tutorial
Today, I'm doing something a little different—I'm painting a loose elephant head on hot press paper in real time, so you can see exactly how the paint blooms and moves without any speed manipulation. I'm working small (4x6), using bold reds instead of realistic grays, and challenging myself to embrace hard edges that normally make me uncomfortable. Sometimes the best way to grow as an artist is to paint what scares you, even if it's just on a tiny piece of paper.
Four Art Books That Transformed My Watercolor Journey
When I first started painting in watercolor, I did what any curious beginner would do—I headed straight to the public library and grabbed every book I could carry. Little did I know that one particular book with a vibrant kingfisher on its pages would change everything about how I approached painting. Here are the four books that didn't just teach me techniques—they transformed my entire artistic vision.
Painting Antheia: My Journey with the Greek Goddess of Gardens and Human Love 🌸
Join me in my studio as I paint Antheia, the Greek goddess of gardens and human love, complete with a magical baby's breath flower crown. From mixing perfect skin tones to creating lost-and-found edges, I'll share every brushstroke and creative decision that brought this ethereal portrait to life.
Creating Drama in Miniature: My Moody Lily of the Valley
Join me as I venture into uncharted territory - painting a moody, dramatic lily of the valley on tiny 4x6 inch hot press paper using advanced lifting techniques. From choosing the right pigments to mastering negative space painting, I'll share every discovery from this atmospheric mini masterpiece.
Painting "Plump": My Monochromatic Baby Portrait Challenge
Sometimes the most unexpected artistic breakthroughs happen when we strip everything back to basics. Today I'm sharing how painting a chubby-cheeked baby with just one color taught me more about values, confidence, and creative freedom than months of detailed studies ever could.
Painting Loose Misty Roses with an Experimental Approach
Sometimes the most beautiful discoveries happen when we abandon our comfort zones completely. Today I'm sharing how I threw out my usual watercolor routine to create these ethereal, misty roses - and why sometimes getting lost in experimentation leads to the most magical results.
Can Cheap PRANG Watercolors Create Professional-Looking Art? My Kingfisher Experiment 🎨
What happens when you take basic children's watercolors and try to paint in your professional style? I grabbed my PRANG paints and set out to create a loose, expressive kingfisher painting - and the results surprised me! Join me as I share the techniques that transformed these simple supplies into something special.
Painting a Loose Watercolor Iris: My Journey from "Trash Bin" to Prismatic Beauty 🌸
What started as a painting I was ready to throw away became one of my favorite iris studies. Join me as I share the techniques, happy accidents, and mindset shifts that transformed this loose watercolor iris from disaster to delight, using just a few key colors and some unconventional measuring tricks.
Painting Fuchsias and a Hummingbird: My First Adventure with Brush Pens and Water Brushes
After letting brush pens sit unused in my cabinet for ages, I finally decided to dust them off for an experimental painting session. Using only the materials from one Chroma set – brush pens and water brushes I'd never tried before – I tackled fuchsia flowers and a hummingbird. What started as a scratchy, messy process turned into a beautiful lesson about embracing unpredictability and creating motion in watercolor-style paintings.
Painting a Coffee Shop Carnation: My Watercolor Journey from Inspiration to Completion
Sometimes inspiration strikes in the most ordinary places. While working at a local coffee shop, I spotted a beautiful carnation bouquet that demanded to be painted. In this tutorial, I'll show you how I captured its ruffly texture using plastic wrap, navigated color mixing challenges, and made artistic choices that transformed a simple reference into something uniquely mine.