Loose Watercolor Roses!

Enjoy this fun warm-up painting! Then mail it to a friend!

If you like loose florals you’ll love my Watercolor Flower Workshop

I’m using the Artify folding watercolor palette, Watercolor paper and Creative mark brushes.

My latest Sat Chat is up on YouTube if you are interested. Til next time happy crafting!

Peaceful Easy Feeling (watercolor birches)

Hi friends! This project is a great beginner project or a quick warm up.

I hope you will paint along!

Supplies (affiliate links used)

• Miya watercolors
• Watercolor paper
• Masking tape credit card scraper
• Brushes

Happy crafting!

Oil Pastel Fun! Let’s Paint a Lily!

Hi friends! I love this time of year when I start to see bulbs pop out of the ground on my walks. The flowers will be blooming before you know it and one of my favorites are lilys.

The real-time tutorial is up now in Critique Club if you want to see this in real time or you can watch the sped up version below.

Supplies (affiliate links used)

• Pastelmat paper
• Paul Rubens Pastels (recommend for quality and value)
• Harder and cheaper Pentel pastels: Blick or on Amazon
• Sennelier pastels (fancy, pricey, lightfast) https://shrsl.com/2vzuh
• Prismacolor pencils
• Silicone tipped tools
• Oil based markers

Also, because I am super into to pastels of all types right now I am offering 50% off my Soft Pastel for Beginners Course! *Use coupon code APRILSHOWERS if the discount doesn’t appear. Offer good through 5/1/21 on one-time payment and payment plans.

What’s your favorite spring flower? Let me know in the comments below and til next time happy crafting!

Let’s Try Brusho! (and other watercolor powders)

Today we are going to play with fun, spontaneous and vibrant watercolor pigment powders!

You can find a real-time version of this lesson in Critique Club.

Supplies (affiliate links to Amazon and Blick used)

• Hahnemuhle Harmony Watercolor Paper 9″x12″
• Pigment powders (This ken Oliver Colorburst set is a good starter one) or this Brusho set. Compare Brusho prices on Blick. Compare Ken Oliver Color Bust on Blick.
• Bleedproof white on Amazon or Blick

This was fun to paint, I hope you enjoyed it and consider trying it! Happy crafting!

Let’s Paint a Botanical Style Watercolor Ranunculus!

Well friends, it has been a week of learning new things! First podcasts, and yesterday I learned how to do a livestream from my phone. I didn’t give advance notice because I was afraid I might not be able to figure it out but I did and it worked very well! This is what we painted.

Below you can watch the reply. This is a paint along style lesson so grab your supplies and paint with me!

Supplies (affiliate links used)

• Watercolors (Miya): https://amzn.to/3snqA8i
• Palette (meeden)
• Paper (Hahnemuhle Harmony)
• Pens (Pitt)
• Water pot (paint puck)
• Reference
• If you want to join the facebook group created by Joe Maysky to share artwork inspired by these tutorials you can here.

I hope you have a bit of creative time this weekend to try this fun project! I have been thinking of doing more of these botanical lessons, what do you think? Let me know in the comments below! Happy crafting!

Let’s Draw & Paint a Vintage Inspired Botanical (free line art included)

Hi friends! Today I have a cheerful flower to remind you spring is right around the corner!

I snapped a photo of my line artwork with and without the shading incase you want to look at it when you draw or print it out and trace it. These are jpg files so you can print any size.

Watch the video see see how to create this painting step by step!

If you enjoyed this lesson you’ll love my Watercolor Flower Workshop with lessons on painting many types of flowers and how to put them together in bouquets, wreaths and swags, the options are endless once you know the basics! Click here to learn more!

Supplies (affiliate links used)

• Reference book of copyright-free images *be sure to check out used copies for savings! *The memories of a lifetime series of books is great, they come with CDs of all the images too or you can photocopy the pages. If you can get them for a good price I recommend them!
• Cute Artsy fan watercolor palette
• Waterproof pens (You can use any brand but the Pitt by Faber Castel in S size worked best for me, use less pressure for finer lines)
• Paper: Any watercolor paper 4″x8″, I used Micador Rains paper and if you are in Australia I would also recommend the Royomac Revolution synthetic brushes.
• Other daffodil tutorials: Watercolor pencil daffodil, Loose Daffodil and Ink and Wash daffodil

I hope you enjoyed this lesson and till next time happy crafting!

5 Awesome Watercolor Techniques & Supplies to Try Today!

Hi friends! Today I have a fun technique video for you where you try lots of things and make a batch of watercolor greeting cards!

Watch the video and see how!

• Supply #1: Altenew Watercolor coloring book: (affiliate links used) Here you get 24 5″x7″ floral designs printed on watercolor paper. There are 12 designs, each version has a dark line version and a light line version so you can have a choice. This is fun and relaxing even for experienced painters who can draw because sometimes you just want to play!
• #2 Watercolor pan paints: These are the basics, they will provide you all the colors you need and you can mix other colors too. Probably the most versatile supply.
• #3 Watercolor pencils: This woodless variety gives you 100% usable product. You can even save the shavings if you sharpen them to use as paint!
• #4 Dual brush markers (waterbased brush and a fine liner) at about 30 cents a color you can color and outline your work for definition and you get a beautiful carry case you can use for other supplies after these are used up!
• #5 Gouache (opaque Watercolor) is great for when you want an opaque highlight or if you completely want to cover your lines. It is available in cups like I used today and tubes. The quality is the same, go for the kind that is more convenient for you.

Also in this project, I wanted to use an old tool that I’ve had a long time, the Making Memories Tag Curler. I actually found a few on amazon if anyone wanted one. I know many of you already have this so it would be fun to use it. Keep in mind this is a discontinued product so getting tags for it will be difficult, if you are going to buy one make sure you can get some tags with it. This seller has a bulk pack of 54.

Other Supplies:

• Organza ribbon
• Kraft cardstock 5:x7″ cards and envelopes
• ATG tape
• Clear Sequins
• Clear glue *be careful ordering glue during cold months as it might freeze in transit.

Well that was fun! Keep in mind you can cut down watercolor paper and stamp any stamps you have or freehand draw designs if you don’t have the coloring book I used. Make the project work for you and til next time happy crafting!

Struggling through a painting…

Hi friends! Today I am sharing a painting I struggled with. I’d been out of sorts all week and I found it hard to focus or even decide what to paint. As I worked through this painting there were many times I just wanted to toss it in the garbage and I probably would have if I didn’t need it for work. This brings me to the thought that there are several ways we can deal with a problematic painting. You can pitch it in the trash, you can set it aside to return to at a later date when your might has had a chance to forget the struggle (probably the best option but you may risk losing interest in the project) or you can do what I usually do which is to fight through and finish it. How do you deal with this?

The real time version of this tutorial is up in Critique Club if you want to see the struggle in real time and see how I solved the many issues that came up in this painting. You can also watch the time lapse below.

Supplies:

• Paper, Paint, and brushes (except giant ones) in my Turner signature Set from Jerry’s Artarama
• Arteza Pastels *if you want to try pastels out for less try this half stick set of 64 I’m pretty sure they are the same thing but smaller size (and a 5th of the price)
• Pastel pencils (Generals) *This brand is a top pick, affordable and Made in the USA, and perform as good or better than more expensive ones I own

If you want to learn more about soft pastels I have a course: Soft Pastels for Beginners you might like and you can save 40% on that class, or any other class in my Teachable school by using the coupon code LOVE40 now through 2/20/21. The pastel class link above should contain the discount but if you don’t see it click “add coupon” at checkout and type in LOVE40 to get the Valentines sale price! Happy crafting!

Learn to Paint a Bokeh Effect in Watercolor (Hanukkah card)

Hi friends! I had a couple requests to come up with a Hanukkah card this year. I realize that the festival of lights has already begun but I wanted to wish everyone who celebrates Hanukkah a very happy one!

I also through it would be fun to see if I could get a bokeh effect in watercolor and I am pretty happy with how it turned out. Learn how in today’s video!

Supplies:

• Watercolor paint and brushes are from my Turner signature set
• I also used metallic watercolor
• Watercolor cards
• Tape
• Circle template (or punch circles out of glossy junk mail to use as a template

Reminder! I am having a sale on my Hand-painted Holiday’s Class! Save $10 with coupon code JOY2020 of by clicking this special discount link. Offer good until 12/31/2020, Regular price $39, with coupon $29. Enjoy some stress free holiday card and tag painting with new designs added this year!

Happy crafting!