Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend materials I personally use or believe are helpful for artists.
Discovering Watercolor
I thought I’d share a little backstory on my watercolor journey as an oil painter — because the two mediums could not be more different, and honestly, watercolor humbled me.
I started noticing watercolor clips on Instagram and got curious. I’d been working with oil for a long time, and something about the way the water flowed — how light and airy the paintings looked — drew me in. I wanted to try it.
I first picked it up about two years ago, fitting it in between oil paintings whenever I wanted a change of pace. Mostly quick sketches, experimenting, and seeing what the medium would do. Like so many people, I learned a lot just by watching watercolor artists on YouTube.
Why Watercolor Was So Challenging
What I quickly learned is that watercolor is not as forgiving as oil. With oil, you can paint over mistakes, and make adjustments long after the paint has been applied. You can layer lighter colors over darker ones, or even wipe away sections with turpentine and start again.
With watercolor, every mark matters. It’s very easy to overwork a painting, especially when you decide to go back in and fix something. Coming from oil, where I’m used to a certain level of control and precision, letting go was genuinely hard.
Learning to Let Go
There are things about watercolor I’ve come to love. I love watching two colors blend together on the paper creating soft transitions where they meet. Certain pigments are granulating, meaning they separate and settle into the paper in beautiful, unpredictable ways. Add another color or a little more water, and delicate blooms begin to appear.
The color branches out like little trees. That unpredictability… is something I’ve learned to watch for and appreciate. It’s those unexpected moments that keep me coming back to watercolor.
After two years I think I’m finally starting to get it — learning to be patient, release the need for control, and stop trying to capture every little detail. I love the challenge of working with something new and watching my own progress over time.
This piece is a good example of where I am right now with watercolor. I still make many of the same mistakes, but each painting reminds me to let go a little more and enjoy the process of not always being in control.
My Favorite Watercolor Supplies
Paper
- Arches Watercolor Block – 7.9″x 7.9″, Rough, 140 lb – when I want more texture to show through.
- I typically use watercolor blocks for convenience and less buckling.
Brushes
- Silver Brush Atelier Hake Brush for wetting skies
- Escoda Último Synthetic Squirrel Brush – Mop 10 for large washes
- Escoda Último Synthetic Squirrel Brush – Round 6 brush for details
Paints
- Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolor Tubes and Sets
- Holbein
- Favorite pigments (Manganese Blue, Cobalt, Blue Ultramarine, Thalo yellow green, Burnt Sienna.)