Hello! Im doing an art event with friends and for it I am trying to create a water colour painting. I have little to none art skills or previous experience with water colour painting but have always liked water colour so that is why I've chosen it for my project.

I thought it would be a neat idea to put water to paper and see what I can with my own initiative before looking up tips and the basics of how to actually do water colour painting. I don't think they turned out terrible for a first time with no idea what I'm doing but I've come here to show what I've done and ask for tips on what to do and what not to do.

Please don't be afraid to criticise whats wrong with them, just also let me know what to do right going forward.

The 2 paintings at the end are the inspirations for the peice I am trying to create.

Thank you!!

It occurs to me after having written so many detailed, thoughtful replies and receiving not even a thanks from the various OPs, that many of these original posts are probably AI generated. Either that or people genuinely have no interest in or concept of how to connect. Wasn’t social media supposed to be about connection?

i've tried adding more warmth, i've tried different pigments, but somehow every face i do ends up looking kinda... dead? is this a common beginner thing or am i just cursed. would love to know what other people do to keep skin tones looking alive.

People who can produce good watercolors now, could you share with me if you were kind of good from the start and managed to pick up on different techniques on the go? Or if you did not, how many sheets of paper did you use up before painting something you finally liked?
I start to doubt that painting is a skill, since practice does almost nothing for me, although it is possible that I still don’t paint enough.
I had an idea that if I followed a video lesson of a simple work, I could paint at least a similar picture, and it hit me hard that it was absolutely not the case. Not even close.

wanted to buy kuretakes opal colors, decided to try and paint some pearls first and add them on later

the pearls turned out better than expected with regular colors

should I still get the opal paints? if so should i add an opal layer on top of these?

any recommendations to improve this is appreciated

Hi! Critique, comments, and advice always welcome!
This is a commission portrait.

Warning to anyone hunting for cheap Schmincke paints. I ordered from schminckecolor.com in September. It calls itself the "Schmincke Online Mall" and sells Horadam, Mussini, pastels and more at 40 to 65% off. Nothing ever arrived.

Here's what happened:

• Their support email ([service@orderinmail.com](mailto:service@orderinmail.com)) sent weeks of "lost package," "escalated trace," and "free priority reshipment" emails.
• The tracking was on starx-express.co, which isn't a real carrier. Its sister sites are flagged as scams.
• They promised a new tracking number within 24 to 48 hours, and then went silent.

The domain was registered in May 2026 with the owner hidden. It has no connection to the real Schmincke, which is at schmincke.de.

I've disputed the charge with my card company and reported the site to Schmincke, Cloudflare, and the FTC. If you ordered from them, dispute the charge now. If you're buying Schmincke online, use the official dealer list on schmincke.de or a store you already know. If the discount seems too good to be true, it is.

I've already heard back from official Schmincke contacts and they are aware of this and several other scam impersonation sites. It's a game of whack-a-mole trying to rid them as they keep reincarnating.

Stay safe out there, artists. 🎨

Sometimes I find it hard to decide when to stop with a painting. Is there something I could do to improve this painting or should I leave it? I'm wondering whether to add more detail on the leaves.

I am a beginner learning how to draw. I have started Dynamic sketching by Peter Han and I am really enjoying it. I was suggested I should learn how to use water colors along with this. I am looking for something that teaches me basics and develops my skills gradually. Do you have any recommendations ?

((I’m still learning how to Reddit)) I’m still very much learning watercolors but I picked up some Turner gouache on sale. I tried and failed to love the Windsor Newton student gouache but this one? I adore it. So much fun

I recently bought the neon watercolor paint by Paul Ruben’s. They are really fun to use. I had a blast.

Although my sister thought some were potatoes! 🙄. The last one was accepted into a curated art sale, so I’m excited about that one.

Je pratique l’aquarelle et la photographie autour de la nature et des paysages de montagne. Je vis en Tarentaise, dans les Alpes françaises, et je développe progressivement un travail personnel autour de ces sujets.
Je partage quelques-unes de mes réalisations ici, avec l’envie d’avoir des retours honnêtes et constructifs. Je ne cherche pas spécialement des compliments, mais plutôt des avis qui pourraient m’aider à progresser.
J’aimerais notamment avoir vos impressions sur plusieurs points :
La composition : est-ce que le regard circule bien dans l’image ? Certains éléments prennent-ils trop de place ?
Les valeurs et les contrastes : est-ce que les volumes fonctionnent et que les points d’intérêt ressortent suffisamment ?
Les couleurs et la lumière : est-ce que l’ambiance est cohérente ou est-ce que certains choix vous semblent maladroits ?
L’originalité et l’expression personnelle : est-ce que vous trouvez qu’il y a quelque chose qui se dégage de ces images, ou est-ce que cela reste trop descriptif ou conventionnel ?
Je suis amateur et j’ai encore beaucoup à apprendre. N’hésitez donc pas à être directs, tant que les critiques sont argumentées. Si quelque chose ne fonctionne pas, j’aimerais comprendre pourquoi et, si possible, ce que vous auriez essayé à la place.
Merci d’avance à celles et ceux qui prendront le temps de donner leur avis.

Hi everyone! I made a classic mistake: I saw “100%” on the label at a nice price and grabbed it without reading further. Only when I got home did I realize it’s cellulose, not cotton.

I’d call myself a beginner+, so I’d really appreciate any advice on working with this kind of paper. One thing I’ve noticed is that it dries incredibly fast, so I barely have time to work wet on wet before it’s already dry. Does it need different handling when it comes to layering, lifting, or stretching?

Here’s what I’ve improvised so far (picture attached). Thanks in advance for any tips!

Species: Mulanje Tiger Moth / Shire Tiger
Scientific name: Callioratis arandis

IUCN status: **Not formally listed, but assessed as Critically Endangered (CR) by the authors who described the moth as a species.

Population: Unknown

Population trend: Presumed decreasing; habitat is deteriorating.

Range: One known colony in the Likhubula Valley, Mt. Mulanje, Malawi. Area of occupation under 10 sq.km.

Threats: Land clearing for crops, tree felling, fire, bauxite mine and road planned through their only habitat.

Attaching reference image as well

And I keep trying to fix it but I feel like it'll just end up being solid colour if I keep going 😂

Any advice for getting this looking finished? I'm getting a bit bored of coming back once every day to add more (I want to let it dry fully before laying another wash)

For reference this is an exercise out of Hannah Pickerill's watercolour boot camp

This is one of the more challenging paintings I have tried since I started learning watercolor a year and a half ago. It’s definitely not perfect but I’m glad I didn’t stop early when I thought about giving up (see second photo). A good reminder to keep pushing darks darker when possible and to invest in good paper so you can apply a lot of layers. I think I am six layers deep (no pun intended 🤣) in the water.

I’ve only been painting since May/June and have done mostly small pieces. This was my first “big” (12x9in) piece and was by the far the one I have had the most fun with!