Visiting Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria Neuschwanstein Castle—the “Disney Castle”—is probably Germany’s most famous castle. Maybe Europe’s. Rising above the Bavarian countryside, it sits high on a hill surrounded by the foothills of the Alps. It is absolutely beautiful and completely deserving of the hype. Purchase the original painting & fine art prints I first visited…
The ancient Maya ruins of Tikal, Guatemala had been on my bucket list since I was a kid—especially after I discovered that the view from Temple IV appeared in Star Wars: A New Hope as the Rebel base on Yavin 4. Ancient Maya ruins swallowed by jungle and Star Wars? I was going. Years later,…
Creating believable fog in watercolor is one of the most challenging atmospheric effects artists attempt. In this demonstration, I show how I transformed a photograph of St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh into a misty watercolor painting using opaque layers and a watercolor pouring technique. One of the things I love about teaching watercolor classes and…
Purchase this paint ONLINE Daniel Smith Perylene Violet is a transparent, single-pigment (PV29) watercolor with excellent glazing ability, smooth washes, medium blossoming, and muted, atmospheric color. It excels in dramatic skies, shadows, and lowering the chroma of brighter colors, although it isn’t intended for vibrant violet mixtures. When I pulled Daniel Smith Perylene Violet out…
Five-Minute Watercolor Flowers That Actually Look Good I won’t lie. I hate painting flowers. Every semester, someone requests a floral painting demonstration in one of my classes. And every semester, I hesitate because: Yes, I realize I already mentioned that. It’s worth mentioning twice. The worst—and I mean absolute worst—demonstration I have ever done was…
What You’ll Learn: Adding shadows to create depth and realismTrees can be difficult to paint. How to simplify complex tree shapes Using a squirrel mop brush for loose foliage Why less control often creates better trees Creating texture with watercolor splattering Turning “mistakes” into branches and foliage Until you stop thinking about them. Seriously. One…
One of the greatest challenges in watercolor is creating the illusion of depth. After all, we’re working on a completely flat piece of paper. Somehow we have to convince the viewer that one tree is ten feet away, another is fifty feet away, and sunlight is streaming through an entire forest beyond. That sounds intimidating,…
What You’ll Learn in This Tutorial As a teaching artist, I am constantly looking for ways to make watercolor less intimidating for students. Most people walk into their first watercolor class carrying a lot of misconceptions about the medium. They assume watercolor is difficult, unforgiving, and impossible to control. Sometimes they’re right. But not always….
UNC Old Well Watercolor Tutorial: Combining Multiple Watercolor Techniques What Watercolor Techniques Were Used? The University of North Carolina’s Old Well is one of the most recognizable landmarks in North Carolina. If you’ve ever visited Chapel Hill, you’ve probably seen it—or at least fought your way through a crowd of students taking graduation photos around…
Colorful grays are created by mixing complementary colors rather than relying on premixed gray paints. These mixtures create more luminous shadows, stronger color harmony, and paintings that feel more alive. Purchase original painting or fine art prints HERE Why Your Gray Paintings Look Dull (And How to Fix Them) One of the most common mistakes…
