I’m looking for a bit of a distraction this week while I recover from my covid vaccine, and wanted to take a little time to help out beginner watercolorists!

So, ask me for any advice, tips, questions, etc. and I’d be happy to answer. I might not answer immediately (since I’m resting a lot right now), but I’ll get to as many questions as I can!

Works shared above are some of watercolor paintings from the past couple years. First one has a few lines in acrylagouache for accent work. ☺️

Any feedback and/or constructive criticism is appreciated

Had a lot of trouble with the water, a part of me thinks its overworked but the other half is telling me it needs more detail

Does it look too messy?

I stopped at this battery-swapping station by the roadside while my moto driver went to exchange his battery for a fully charged one.

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.

What are some easy items to get that would make water coloring easy at home, in a smaller house that is already cluttered? He often paints on a little kid table or tv tray.

He has a few basic brushes and paints but , is there anything that is a little easier for kids to handle the dipping of paint, water, having a space to mix paints etc?

Nice paper or book to paint on?

Just looking for any ideas thanks!

Something a bit more organized for a small painting space

Edit; he says its the ocean. I thought it was a volcano.

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

Can I have honest critique on these recent ones please? I'm happy with some elements but I know some could be improved.

I'm not too critical of what I do, but I would like to find specifics to work on.

​

​​

I am doodling in my Moleskine watercolour notebook (this is my second one) and I never encountered this problem before : only a part of the paper doesn’t absorb the water directly

Hey can you feedback this practice drawing? I feel left one is out of the proportion. Any tips what you would do differently and what to improve in general? I used the original picture for sparrows, but changed the branch and sky on purpose.

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.

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

Hi! I’m working on this tiny piece and already painted the mostly white subject. To give it some contrast, I want to make the background dark…. But I’m too scared of accidentally getting some of the darker color on it :(

I heard that rubber cement is not very recommended, and using tape makes me worry that I’ll accidentally peel the subject off 😭😭😭

Sorry if this is dumb, and thanks in advance!

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.