Painting a Loose, Atmospheric Watercolor Portrait: Sea Captain on a Smoke Break
Painting loose portraits has always been a challenge for me—I tend to get too detailed, too caught up in making things look "right." But this atmospheric portrait of a sea captain on a smoke break pushed me to embrace the mist, the blur, the dreamy quality that happens when you let watercolor do what it does best. Join me as I work through painting a 4x6 portrait using granulating colors and techniques that keep things loose, intentional, and beautifully imperfect.
Painting a Monochromatic Watercolor Study: Woman on Horseback in 15 Minutes
In this watercolor tutorial, I challenged myself to paint a complete scene—a woman riding a horse—in under 30 minutes using only one color. The result? A loose, atmospheric piece that proves you don't need a full palette to create depth, dimension, and emotion in your work. Join me as I share my process, from setting up a value grid to embracing the happy accidents that make watercolor so magical.
Painting a Loose Watercolor Pumpkin with Yellow Flower Wreath in 15 Minutes
Hi, I'm Valerie Englehart, and it's fall y'all! Today I'm sharing how to paint a loose and whimsical pumpkin with a wreath of yellow flowers—and the best part? This entire painting takes only 15 minutes and is done in one go. Perfect for when you want to create something seasonal but don't have hours to spend at your easel.
Revisiting Old Art: Transforming a Two-Year-Old Skull and Pomegranate Painting
Have you ever looked at your old paintings and wondered if you could make them better? In this post, I'm sharing how I took a two-year-old watercolor painting that was just sitting in a book and transformed it into something more dramatic and dimensional using Daniel Smith Lunar Black and some brave experimental techniques.
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.