# Starting with water colors



## serene

A few of my works. I have just started with watercolors

Thanks


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## Soos-Art

Hi from Canada. I'm a new member and just looking at all the wonderful work on Artist Forum. Good luck with your watercolours.


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## LizaPaizisCreations

You're doing great so far! 
The composition of both paintings is well thought out and balanced. 
You have _not_ made the mistake many beginners do with over colouring / layering the watercolours leading to a muddiness of paint on paper.
The beauty of watercolours is their ethereal translucent nature and their ability to be worked with wet on wet/dry on dry/wet on dry paper etc.
Perhaps play a bit more with exploring detail and texture with the above mentioned techniques, especially in the sky/clouds, grass and trees. 
I love how you rendered the mountains in the 2nd painting: beautiful use of colours and delicate overlay of paint; leaving the whiteness of paper showing - just lovely!
Keep going


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## serene

Soos-Art said:


> Hi from Canada. I'm a new member and just looking at all the wonderful work on Artist Forum. Good luck with your watercolours.


Thanks a lot, it really means a lot to me, as I am a novice painter.


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## serene

LizaPaizisCreations said:


> You're doing great so far!
> The composition of both paintings is well thought out and balanced.
> You have _not_ made the mistake many beginners do with over colouring / layering the watercolours leading to a muddiness of paint on paper.
> The beauty of watercolours is their ethereal translucent nature and their ability to be worked with wet on wet/dry on dry/wet on dry paper etc.
> Perhaps play a bit more with exploring detail and texture with the above mentioned techniques, especially in the sky/clouds, grass and trees.
> I love how you rendered the mountains in the 2nd painting: beautiful use of colours and delicate overlay of paint; leaving the whiteness of paper showing - just lovely!
> Keep going


Thanks liza for all the appreciation. I needed it.


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## serene

Some more of my work


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## serene

some more of my work please


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## LizaPaizisCreations

These are looking good!
be careful not to "overpaint" - keep the layers of watercolours very transparent as you go - then the painting will not look too muddy.
Also - a bit more texture and detail in the foreground/grass/boats etc will create interest and make the composition more convincing 
I love the last one of the sunset - the colours are very atmospheric in the sky!

have fun!


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## serene

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LizaPaizisCreations said:


> These are looking good!
> be careful not to "overpaint" - keep the layers of watercolours very transparent as you go - then the painting will not look too muddy.
> Also - a bit more texture and detail in the foreground/grass/boats etc will create interest and make the composition more convincing
> I love the last one of the sunset - the colours are very atmospheric in the sky!
> 
> have fun!


Thanks lisa, I understand what you are saying. I am struggling with detailing and working on it, and also the overpainting. Water colors are too sensitive, aren't they?


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## serene

Some more of my works


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## LizaPaizisCreations

l love both of these! You've kept the sky and water beautifully translucent, with some white paper showing through which is very effective.
Yes, watercolours are notoriously difficult paints to work with - unlike oils and acrylics, it is very difficult to rectify mistakes once you have laid the paint down. that's why I find working very lightly and delicately with them on good quality paper works best 
As for detail - if you have a good quality fine brush this is good for grass, leaves etc. or a fan-shaped brush is also very useful, working dry on dry over large areas for grass-like effect. You can also use a small natural sea sponge, your finger tips, crumpled paper, twigs -- dry on wet....just experiment and play with different things, dipping them into a pan of a small amount of paint, and dabbing on wet or dry paper to see what happens!


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## serene

LizaPaizisCreations said:


> l love both of these! You've kept the sky and water beautifully translucent, with some white paper showing through which is very effective.
> Yes, watercolours are notoriously difficult paints to work with - unlike oils and acrylics, it is very difficult to rectify mistakes once you have laid the paint down. that's why I find working very lightly and delicately with them on good quality paper works best
> As for detail - if you have a good quality fine brush this is good for grass, leaves etc. or a fan-shaped brush is also very useful, working dry on dry over large areas for grass-like effect. You can also use a small natural sea sponge, your finger tips, crumpled paper, twigs -- dry on wet....just experiment and play with different things, dipping them into a pan of a small amount of paint, and dabbing on wet or dry paper to see what happens!


Thanks lisa

I intend to pursue art as a profession. I have just started out, I started with my son's school oil pastels, then moved forward with soft ones. You can see some of my works in the pastel painting section. 

Here is my first 'Tonalist' water color work. Very lose, limited colors and heavily impressionist. These are making sense from a little far. 

Do let me know what you think.

Cheers


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## LizaPaizisCreations

These are wonderful! I love the Impressionistic quality  The texture in the trees works so well, too...


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## Rosalie Galvez

Wow! I am a new member and I am already amazed at the works of novice painters how much more with the experts?

Great job! Please continue sharing them with us, it always inspires me 

https://5amily.com/painting/blog/best-paints-for-canvas-painting


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## serene

LizaPaizisCreations said:


> These are wonderful! I love the Impressionistic quality  The texture in the trees works so well, too...


Thanks Liza

I experimented with something new, Thanks for the comments.

Here are a few more. Mix of tonalism and impressionism. 

Thanks again


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## serene

Rosalie Galvez said:


> Wow! I am a new member and I am already amazed at the works of novice painters how much more with the experts?
> 
> Great job! Please continue sharing them with us, it always inspires me
> 
> https://5amily.com/painting/blog/best-paints-for-canvas-painting


Thanks Rosalie. 

Keep looking and commenting, it is important for me.

Cheers


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## serene

Some more of my works


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## serene

Some more of my works


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## serene

Posting here after many days.
Some more

Atmospheric Tonalist landscapes


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## serene

Tried to replicated Van Gogh's Water Color Painting

I don't remember the name


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## serene

One more

Random Landscape


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## serene

Hi, 

My Moonlight forest painting


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## serene

My Painting with frame using the frame app


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## serene

I didn't have canvas, so tried tonal work with watercolors


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## serene

Another attempt in tonalism in water colors


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## serene

I painted this a few weeks ago. Very laborious and I was not satisfied with it.


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## serene

Tried Paul Cezzane's painting in water colors. Failed however.


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## serene

Waterfall in the forest


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## serene

Walking Home


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## serene

Waterfall


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## serene

Rusty Sunset in the Forest (Tonalism)


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## Ehab

Browsing through your artwork, I can see you are doing a brilliant job. Its great to see that you are finding the right consistency with regards to using the right amount of paint to water ratio. Hence the colors standout nicely and paper doesnt look soaked up as much as you would see from beginners usually. Keep up the good work.

The Paint Stuff


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## serene

Ehab said:


> Browsing through your artwork, I can see you are doing a brilliant job. Its great to see that you are finding the right consistency with regards to using the right amount of paint to water ratio. Hence the colors standout nicely and paper doesnt look soaked up as much as you would see from beginners usually. Keep up the good work.
> 
> The Paint Stuff


Hey Ehab, 

Thanks a lot for your observations. Means a lot to me. I see, your portal has some really useful information. Thanks again. Cheers from India.


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## serene

Moonlight Montigny by Charles Warren Eaton


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## hasmig1

Please watch my paintings!


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## serene

Painted today after covid recovery. Feeling better

Smoky Forest


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## serene

One more 

Forest Path


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## serene

Calm stream forest landscape


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## serene

Just finished this laborious panting. Phew!

_Inspired by the famous Hudson River School Painter Robert S.Duncanson

On the St. Annes, East Canada_


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## serene

Just finished this laborious painting by a forgotten American Impressionist Clark Vorhees.
Original work is in oil. I did this in water.

My Garden


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## serene

Drew this Landscape today. Inspired by John La Farge's View in Ceylon,near Dambulla


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## serene

Loosely based on _Rising Tide, Le Pouldu, Bretagne (1901)_, Musée des beaux-arts du Québec by Canadian Artist Maurice Cullen


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## serene

Inspired by Blue Bonnet Field San Antonio Texas 1914 by Julian Onderdonk. Original work is oil on Canvas mine in water color


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## serene

The Scenic wild


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## serene

This thread is now officially closed as I have quit this forum. Thanks


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## dickgrayson

I am also starting paint with watercolor..


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