Grab yourself a few minutes of me-time and paint this meditative rose watercolor, then turn them into a quick last minute gift for the book-lover in your life! Using one sheet of paper, a waterproof pen and the colors which are sitting on your palette you can easily create this pretty bookmark in just a […]
Meditative Christmas Bookmarks Read More »
I use a scalpel, cotton buds and two colors to create this stunning loose watercolor painting of seasonal festive greenery for your Christmas decor. Discover my tips and tricks for creating quick and easy striking decor for your home. Join me now! Quick Easy Ivy Leaf Tutorial in Real Time Try some of my methods
Paint Christmas Greenery and Berries in Loose Watercolor Read More »
This quick and easy tutorial is for the dog-lovers in your life! In just a few minutes you can create a simple, effective Christmas Card, and you don’t have to stick to the yellow color – brown or black would work just as well! You can get the free sketch here. I did this painting
Cute Puppy Dog Christmas Card Read More »
As they often say, less is more. This pared-down, Scandinavian style watercolor Christmas card of a Robin, and a second quick one of a Christmas tree, are ideal for those who like a neutral, linear and simple decor in their life. I painted the Robin in only four colors, Burnt Sienna, Sepia Brown, Vermillion Red
Scandi Xmas Cards to Paint in Watercolor Read More »
On trend at the moment, Bokeh is a fascinating technique for making effective backgrounds for all sorts of subjects. Once you’ve given it a try chances are you’ll be addicted to it, and will find yourself adding Bokeh to just about everything you paint! “Bokeh” is a Japanese word which means “out of focus” or
Bokeh Made Easy – Create Stunning Backgrounds for Birds Read More »
Looking out the studio window at my bird table gave me the idea to paint this tutorial. You can put any birds on the painting, blue tits and robins would be great for a European setting, and chickadees or cardinals suit the North American natural world very well. If you need help painting those other
Easy Whimsical Watercolor Birds and Hedgehog Tutorial Read More »
Here’s a a little landscape that will delight you if you are a fan of snowy winter landscapes! I decided to paint a barn owl floating over the snow in the half light, with a log cabin snug and warm among the snow covered fir trees. It would make a nice Christmas card or gift.
Barn Owl and Snowy Winter Scene Read More »
Our YouTube channel is approaching its first birthday and we are hoping that this November we will attain the lofty heights of 20,000 subscribers – a marathon effort when you consider that this time last year we had just achieved 200 subs and thought we had hit the big-time! A few months later we were
A Candle in the Window Watercolor for Christmas Read More »
In this video I am comparing a piece of Arches and Viviva 140lb watercolor paper. Using a demanding technique of thick, intense paint and heavy scratching out I wanted to put the paper through its paces. I decided to do a quick little wintry sketch today using one color and several tools, so I settled
Comparing Arches and Viviva Watercolor Paper Read More »
Here is a quick cornucopia or horn of plenty painting tutorial, which would be useful for invitations, gift tags or cards. I did it in a pen and wash style. I also demonstrate in this video a technique for drawing the horn in which might be helpful when you draw yours.
How to Paint a Thanksgiving Cornucopia or Horn of Plenty Read More »
Happy Halloween Jack o’Lantern Painting! Here is a last minute quick and easy painting for halloween using Arches paper and bright watercolor paints. We grew a wonderful crop of bright orange pumpkins this year, from seeds we had saved from last year’s harvest. We had them stacked up outside the studio for a while, but
Happy Halloween Jack o’Lantern Painting! Read More »
When we ask ourselves why butterflies are so loved by everyone, the answer is easy. According to my nature encyclopaedia, butterflies are some of the least destructive and most beautiful of insects. For the artist, they are a limitless source of inspiration and fascination, as we explore their infinite shapes and mixtures of colors. As
Watercolor Butterflies in Loose Style Read More »
In many areas of the US, northern red cardinals stay around throughout the winter, adding a nice burst of color and the sweet sound of music to your back yard all year long. When it comes to finding shelter and making their nests, northern red cardinals are very private birds. They look for areas that
How to paint a pair of Red Cardinals in Watercolor Read More »
If you’re wondering how to paint something cheerful this autumn why not give my method of painting Black Eyed Susans a go? You can paint sunflowers or chrysanthemums or daisies like this too – any flower, in fact. And watch as I find out whether the Arches watercolor paper I just received is as good
Black-Eyed Susans on Arches Paper Read More »
Here’s a wonderful idea for a Christmas card or even a little gift for a nature lover – especially those hard to buy for people in our lives, otherwise known as men! – who have absolutely everything they could need. Reminiscent of the mood written by Thoreau in On Walden Pond, this nature image is
How to Paint a Moose in Watercolor in a Fall setting Read More »
Started getting ready for Christmas yet? If you plan to paint your own Christmas cards this year, you can’t start too soon, as all the other jobs quickly pile up and push painting into the background. So here’s my first card of the season for you to make! I did a video of a similar
The First Snowman to the Party – Snowman Christmas Card Read More »
Today I’m exploring painting Free-Form Watercolor Autumn Flowers, Seeds and Berries in a loose, semi-abstract way to capture the atmosphere of fall. Autumn is the season which brings not only mists and mellow fruitfulness, but also a lot of mixed feelings for many of us. By October, summer has faded and is turning into winter
Free-Form Watercolor Autumn Flowers, Seeds and Berries Read More »
I learnt to paint with the renowned and now late Ron Ranson many years ago. He was a watercolour iconoclast, meaning he had no time for rules and myths about how watercolor should be painted. To achieve his loose style, he advocated using a big flat goat hair brush from Japan, which you’d think at
Autumn Woodland Scene in Big Brush Watercolour Read More »
