2 Water to Paint Ratio Exercises in Watercolour 

Here I am in the wee hours of the morning in San Jose, California, wanting to follow along with your freeform watercolor video, but not prepared to paint along. I very much enjoyed it, so much that between viewing it and a cold beer, I'm returning to bed feeling wonderfully ready to paint tomorrow. Thanks so much, Paul, for your free vids; you will never know the extent to which they have helped me live happily as a widow.

I get so excited when I see one of your tutorials pop up on You Tube. I have been painting with you for years now. You have taught me so much. Many thanks, Paul.

I just discovered you this morning. WOW, you are awesome. I appreciate your invitation to experiment. I have been paralyzed thinking every stroke must be perfect and unless it is such, I have no ability to paint. I now feel so free. Thank you from Tennessee.

It's a general feedback here. I just wanted to thank you for all your videos. They are very precious to me.

A great one to take the pressure off. I think you learn more when you give yourself the permission to experiment. Thanks again!

Thanks for these exercises today, I really needed this to relax my brain and my hand and remind me of why I love watercolor without the pressure of a specific end result.

What I love most about watercolor is how playful you can be 💙💜💚

Good Morning, Happy Watercolor Wednesday! Thanks for sharing your palette with us , I have often wondered what’s in your arsenal ! This certainly takes the pressure off of painting something specific, A nice reprieve this week and a fun little exercise! Have fun and safe travels on your trip to Devon ! Many blessings to you and Margot !!

Very helpful I do struggle with water/paint ratios sometimes. Thank you!

Good afternoon 🫦☕🫖🍮 dear Paul! I am glad to see you in your cozy studio and I wish you health, good luck, peaceful and clear skies! I like 👍, as always, and thank you for another video! I draw a lot with watercolors, I make sketches on different topics and in different genres using different techniques from your videos. I really like the life of ordinary people, portraits of old people, children, in different situations and professions, as well as animals, flowers, old buildings, landscapes ... In general, I like to depict everything that interests me 🧑‍🎨🖼️🎨🖌️🖍️✍️ I pray for you and for Jacqueline, I believe in the victory of reason and goodness, for evil will be destroyed Lord. Bye...bye...❤️✝️⛪🙏😔🙏⛪✝️❤️

Thank you for this video, Paul! I’m going to save this one for later, and probably I’ll rewatch it a gazillion times.

My biggest challenge is getting the right paint consistency. Thank you for this tutorial.

Beautiful.. ❤ the shirt.. you must have a huge wardrobe to hold them all. 😊. Thank u 4 continuing to inspire us. From California… 😊

Thank you, Paul! Water control is key in watercolor, esp water to paint ratios. Maybe someday we could get an updated look at all of your sketchbooks 😊

Let’s go back one more step how much water do you put on your pallet to get the paint sweat how mushy are the paints in their little wells and then how much water do you have on that brush when you’re pulling that paint out? That’s the beginning and I think that’s my problem and probably a lot of other peoples problem before they get to the paper and how wet the paper is with the brush many thanks really enjoy your videos.

Belatedly thank you very very very much for such a useful, wonderful and priceless tutorials!!!!!

Thank you for encouraging us to do exercises like this. It helps enormously to be able to relax and 'just 'let the paint do its thing'! So much to learn! How often do I repeat that sentence in my head! I loved your spontaneous paintings before (and this tutorial is very much along those lines) but would be very grateful if maybe, at one point, you could do another one? Great tutorial!

Good afternoon Paul. Thank you for this video that is so helpful. You can really learn how to use the paints through this. This is vital in watercolor painting.

This is a great exercise! I tend to paint more defined subjects so that will be good for me to loosen up. Thank you and have a great day!

Thank you Paul! This was such a timely video for me. I started watercolor two months ago and jave found this problem as I've tried to paint full page pieces. You're a delight and a Godsend for this gal in Wyoming, US!

Truly inspiring, Paul. Keep it up! Watching you all the way from Malaysia. 😊

Great tip about the hair dryer to keep the masking tape from damaging the paper. I have done that removing stickers,tags from products but never thought to do that for removing tape from the paper.

Thanks for always giving great tips! I use them in my videos all the time.

Hi Paul, your way of demonstration is very effective and sim, it seems u and water colour r true friends thanks a lot for such valuable tutorials, your lonely boat painting ,in blues was masterpiece, I copies that

Yay! Watercolor Wednesday. This was so relaxing I'll be working on this tomorrow as well.

😅I think Paul I always have to paint a masterpiece!! I must learn to just play around with paint as you say and I can learn more from that than any thing else.

Your insights as to how to approach watercoloring and using the tools are so helpful! Now I know how to use the rubber tip at the end of my #10 round brush …. Watch out line marks, trees, and waving bushes 😆 Thanks so much Paul!

Thanks again, very relaxing to watch.

Such a great exercise! And lots of fun, too!

Thank you very much, Paul. I'll try it soon. I'm looking forward to seeing you again after 2 weeks. Have a great time.

Much needed tutorial. Thank you for another watercolour Wednesday. These excersises help us know the shades better too. eg Dark Hookers Green pigment of the Camlin brand that I use, is different from other shades. It lifts of cleanly, doesn't disperse, good fir mark making but no use diluted. Similarly for other colours. Long time since I played with colours. It will be fun. Thank you and have a lovel trip💐

I enjoyed watching that exercise .I'm going to get my supplies out and try it .I have a hard time loosening up with watercolor ,so these will be perfect. Thank you so much.

Just what I needed I think taking the pressure off is excellent I shall enjoy these thank you

This is a great tutorial thank you Paul. It takes the worry out of managing watercolour, beautiful results 🙂

Hi Paul thanks for sharing this . As I always struggling about water paint ratio, now I'll be more confident about it

I absolutely love your videos Paul, and your engaging cooperative teaching style is brilliant! Much ❤ and respect to to you. Kindest Regards from across the "pond."

Wonderful and inspiring excercise ❤ thanks a lot 😃

Thanks Paul, so beautiful colors 😍!! Let's try to do something 😊👍

Thanks again for your help with my challenge to paint better i have been following for awhile now and getting better thanks to you so thanks

That was great to watch! 👍🏼👍🏼

Thanks Paul, my issue has been using too much pigment - so when they say the paint dries lighter they haven't seen my paintings - i've had to practice and learn to use more water - this exercise is definitely helpful.

Nice experiment with colours❤ usefull for beginners, thank you. ,

Love seeing what the paint does--thank you!

Great video Paul, thank you 😊

I love all your tutorials! I have better outcomes with your tutorials than I do in the classes I take in my area. Waiting for your ?2024, ?2025 tour…!!! ❤

That was fun. Making that shirt must have been fun, thanks for the video.

Very helpful Paul thank you

This is a fantastic tutorial....often called 'intuitive painting'. I love it and will give it a try...so refreshing to just play with paints!

What a fun and relaxing time.

Can't wait to try this, thankyou Paul!❤

Спасибо,Пол! До встречи!

Wonderful, thank you very much, Paul.

A delicious example of the creative bliss!!! Thank you Paul! Love all your content ❤

Hello from Georgia USA! Thank you for another wonderful tutorial! I seem to always get bogged down in the details when painting. I hear you in my head saying “less is more”. These 2 fun exercises will help me to learn how to be more loose and learn water:paint ratios which I do struggle with. Thank you again!

I’m going to try this at my art group on Thursday looked like good fun .

Great stuff 🎨🖌️👩‍🎨 as usual. Enjoyed the loose, casual freedom of these. I can be too rigid in my approach sometimes and definitely with colours. Lovely colours used, loved your T-shirt and of course loved the splattering by the Splatter Kng, 👑

Thank you. Am having a really bad block at present. This video has reminded me why I love to paint and a good example of how to get going again. Enjoy your retreat.

Thanks Paul, love the opportunity to play and be creative. Have a great trip!

Good afternoon, dear Paul! Great lesson as always! Thx for teaching us and giving ideas! Greetings from Moldova, Lilia

Gracias, veo una y otra vez tus vídeos y me encantan

Very fun! I’d like to try these two. Thank you!

Thank you Paul! Relax, have fun at your painting retreat! Until next time…

Thanks a lot for the great video ❤️

What a triumph, lovely!

This was lovely Paul, right up my street. Thank you!!

I’ll try this definitely!

Morning Paul. Very early morning for me in NZ...cold and blustery 6am. But very happily watching your tutorial wishing I was in Devon on the painting retreat. I love this tutorial. I wish I could relax and just paint freely like that without any thought as to what it might be. I feel very inhibited. Almost scared to just let go and see what happens. When you do this kind of exercise, do you have any idea of what you are hoping to paint? I find it almost impossible to sit down and just paint without having some idea of what I want to paint. Thank you Paul. Looking forward to trying this one and just relaxing into it and not "thinking" too much

Thank you !! Enjoy your retreat 🖌️🎨

That was fun. And I think I have to try again.

I would love a short tutorial on the ins and outs of splatting. Particularly what consistency paint to use, how big a brush, different tapping methods etc. My splatting never looks as good or as directed as yours.

Love the T shirt!

This is soo exiting!!! I love it so,soo much. ....but im always in danger to overdo it....😅 Besutyful result!!👍🍀

Thanks

So nice 👍🏼

Thanks for very interesting exercises!))

Sooo cool!!❤️

beautiful👍❤

👍Thanks.

Thanks!

This was great and I am so excited to try it but I still have a question. How do you keep the color so vibrant when it’s so watery? Thank you for all your time and effort. Much appreciated

Hi Paul more great advise …. Can you give some tips while using hard pan paints as against tubes. Thanks

Your blobs look like pictures while my pictures look like blobs!!

Useful tips thank you. I often get my washes too wet or my paper too dry!!

I second Lindasteger's questions about the wetness of the paints in your well and on your brush. Secondly, my bigger problem with paint wetness is how to match the wetness of the paint on the paper with the new pigment you are about to add. You often touch wet paint to wet paint with little or no bleeding. How do you control that? And often when I paint, for example a sky, the blue pigment bleeds into what is supposed to be white clouds with sharp points so it looks like an aggravated porcupines back.

oh yes beaucoup de like !!!

Lovely❤ 🎨😇✌

love this method to relax before you start to paint. May I ask what brands of paint you are using on your palette?

Fun! Thanks! This IS what I need in practice... (I'm quite the fiddler!)

Thanks for the tutorial. What is a forced back run?

Liked it,no problem with wet paint into wet paper. Not so good at getting paint of a loaded brush onto dry paper, don't know why?

Здорово❤

TT again and it's not January yet! Aren't I a Moo? Thankyou! ❤ XXX

Could you comment on your brushes. Are they soft or do they have some spring to them. I prefer ones that will stay firm. thanks.

Hi Paul, Many thanks for all the helpful tips. What about using pans rather than fresh from tubes please? How would one get the right mix?

Good afternoon 🫦☕🫖🍮 dear Paul! I am glad to see you in your cozy studio and I wish you health, good luck, peaceful and clear skies! I like 👍, as always, and thank you for another video! I draw a lot with watercolors, I make sketches on different topics and in different genres using different techniques from your videos. I really like the life of ordinary people, portraits of old people, children, in different situations and professions, as well as animals, flowers, old buildings, landscapes ... In general, I like to depict everything that interests me 🧑‍🎨🖼️🎨🖌️🖍️✍️ I pray for you and for Jacqueline, I believe in the victory of reason and goodness, for evil will be destroyed Lord. Bye...bye...❤️✝️⛪🙏😔🙏⛪✝️❤️

Дякую❤😊❤

Thank you for a fab video, which I will be trying, but before I do, I have often wondered what brand of watercolour paints you use. Often, I mix the same ratio of mixes of colours, but they never look the same as yours, especially the greens and blues.

❤❤

Hi, Mikael from Denmark her, are the Colours you use fresh squeezed out from the tube, or are they dry pans?

How much does the paper play a part?