Hi! I'm Bill, the creator behind Lets Paint Watercolors. Through my weekly watercolor tutorials and youtube shorts, I will teach you the many skills you will need to become a great watercolor artist. Whether you want to learn as a hobby or make your art into a business, I can help you every step of the way. This channel is all about getting creative no matter your skill level. So let's paint some watercolors, have some fun, and learn some new skills.
Interested in a collaboration? Email my team at letspaintwatercolors@gmail.com
Hi Bill, I want to try this today, I love this park. We were just there in January so it could be fun to try this in winter as well as summer .. but we didn't see bears. :) Thank you! Sandy
I am not a beginner. However, I always find it very very helpful to return to the basics, especially when I am on a "creative slump". Thank you ever so much for this tutorial. Have just subscribed to your channel.
hello Bill, I draw my first landscape after watch this video😂! I never thought that I can do it that easy🎉 yeah! thankyou so much for your sharing😊. you are my teacher from now on. thanks again Bill❤
Awesome! Thanks for watching and I hope you enjoy the other beginners videos on my channel. Let me know if you have any questions. Always happy to help
Hi Bill, thanks for this nice painting. Being from S Florida (oh my goodness, I left 50 years ago) I was familiar with scenes like this. My brother in Ft Lauderdale wants me to paint something for him, maybe I can try this, omitting the alligator --it would give me nightmares! The heron is definitely nice though :)
I practised my first watercolor landscape using this video. I've been watching so many different channels and they seem to think "beginner" means basic level. I have zero level, haha... I have never owned watercolor paints or paper until a few days ago. I really enjoyed this tutorial. Looking forward to more videos. Thank you for sharing. 😊
Hi Bill, Thanks for posting this tutorial. A quick question - is it better to let the first layer of green dry completely before adding the darker hue?
Hi Colin, You will have more control if allowing the first lighter green to dry or almost dry. If almost dry rather than completely dry you can achieve some fusing of the light and dark washes. We have a Palm Tree tutorial up next week too 👍
I’m just getting back into watercolour painting after a fifteen year hiatus, starting a small group class tomorrow. I did this painting and was quite pleased with the result which has given my confidence a bit of a boost. Hopefully between the classes and your videos I’ll get to where I want to be. Thanks for the video.
This is genius, thank you so much! I've never seen this cloud technique of painting *around* the wet spaces before, and I can't wait to try it for myself. Thanks again!
Thanks Bill, this is a nice scene. I'm tempted to try it with a few changes (more trees, log cabin, distant mountain range) and call it the NC Smokies :) Sandy, Raleigh NC
I really enjoyed your beginner-friendly video on the landscape and decided to subscribe. I’m so very happy I did! Your instructions are excellent and I am very inspired to learn more by watching you create. Today’s painting was really lovely. Thank you 🤗❤️🇨🇦💫
Hi Emory, thanks for your kind words 😊 You can purchase the painting here if you wish fineartamerica.com/featured/angel-falls-venezuela-bill-holkham.html
As a beginner, I have difficulty in laying down wet on wet washes that result in anything similar to your sky. My particular difficulty appears to be prepping the pigments at a proper consistency and keeping paper wet but not too wet. Other than practice, practice, practice, have you any suggestions to offer?
Hi Randall, what paper are you using? I recommend Arches and Fabraino as hold the wet washes very well. That might be your issue, if not let me know and I'll make further suggestions.
This is a lovely painting of a beautiful place, thank you for showing us how to do this. As a beginner I would not have attempted this scene, but you make it look possible :) I like to paint places I've been to so will definitely try this. Could I request a couple places that perhaps some day you could paint -- Hallett Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park, or the Flat irons in Boulder...a couple of favorite scenes I'd love to try. Thank you, Sandy
It's an artist's paradise is Yosemite National Park. Around every corner is another potential painting subject. I love how you get the clouds effect in the sky - mine seem to end up flat-looking. I think that I need to thicken up my cloud paint a little so it 'stays' better. I need to practice my deciduous trees as well. Yours look really detailed whilst being simplistic in their creation (if you know what I mean). Do you have any videos Bill, where you demonstrate how you do them? Thanks
Hi Bill, Just a thought - you ask for ideas for new viseos, well could you do one showing how you prepare a painting for prints as well as how you choose your mounts and frames for your paintings? Many thanks
Thank you so very much you make my day, month,, maybe year! As I learn to express my feelings in paint. You're teaching in invaluable. You make it possible❤
This was really interesting and fun to watch. Thank you for creating this tutorial, it was very helpful, and had lots of different techniques in it. I especially liked the way you created the trees, you made it look so easy! You have a very soothing voice as well as a relaxed teaching style. I subscribed today after watching this video. Have a great week!
Hi Bill, Beautiful painting. Could I ask a couple of questions? Firstly, why did you lift out the dark original colour of the house front rather than just using a lighter value when you painted it at first? Also, could you do all three of the hills in the same value of blue in one go and then drop the green in on the first layer of hills, let it all dry, then put another layer of the same value blue over the second row of hills (making the nearer hills darker) and drop in more green and then let it dry and do the same for the third set of hills rather than doing them all in three separate values of the blue? There's probably a simple reason - the main one for me would be because the way you've done it gives you more control over the colour values or to make the colours more transparent for the light to show through. I saw once someone who put a complete yellow wash at the base of a sky and down over grassy fields and trees and then added a blue wash over the grass and trees (like a thick glaze) to give it all a green colour before adding some detail and texture. Thanks for sharing this video
These are great questions. With respect to the roof on this occasion it was too dark so the use of the tissue to lift whilst wet and achieve the desired lighter tone is demonstrated. A more detailed explanation in the video would have helped. Beginners will have seen another possible fix to achieve the tonal value. For the distant hills the approach you have suggested would also work. As you mentioned the approach I took enabled me to demonstrate more control of the tonal values as you progress from the far distance towards the middle area. Once again great questions and thank you for your support.
@@letspaintwatercolors Hi, Thanks for the clarification. By the way, I've just been doing a painting & got the value of the background trees too strong, so I used your tip of dabbing the colour out to lighten it and it's worked a treat. Thank you very much for that
We used to lived not too far from the Four Peaks in Arizona, loved the time we spent there, so I'll be painting this scene soon. Thanks so much for this tutorial. Sandy, NC
Hi Bill, Thanks for this tutorial. I always find it difficult to judge the right moment to put in the clouds without them dissipating too much. Beautiful painting,especially the hillsides
Cheers Colin. If using the 300lb Arches the absorbency is slower because of the amount of sizing. So you can allow more time to pass for the first wash to semi dry. Then add the darker clouds and they will not become too loose and runny. With the 140lb the absorbency is quicker so you will work quicker otherwise a first wash will dry up on you too fast. It’s best to have some small test squares and do a little practice. Of course if your wash is very heavy/liquid to start with then that’s another reason to allow more drying time before the next prices such as laying in dark clouds.
