5 Free Watercolor Tutorials to Improve Your Technique

Learn how to make photo interventions, paint with a sponge, and unblock your creativity with the experts

Mastering the art of watercolor requires constant works and means you need to be open to integrating new tools into your armory in order to experiment. One of the best ways to achieve this is to observe fellow experts, learn about their creative processes, and discover fresh tips on how to perform specific techniques.

The following tutorials will help you learn new ways of approaching watercolor. They show you how to mix media like photography and painting, how to digitize your work in order to retouch it in Photoshop, and how to replace your brushes with a sponge.

Watercolor: art loved by artists and travelers

There are many reasons why watercolor is really popular with artists. Including its portability and the way it makes it easy to capture light on paper.

Watercolor painting is also a versatile way of reproducing all kinds of colors, shadows, and details: in short of copying reality onto paper. And it’s equally suitable for experimentation.

Before photography was invented, watercolor allowed travelers to capture the new sights they witnessed: portraits, landscapes, wildlife, and more. It became the preferred medium for travelers, botanists, zoologists, and explorers to depict their discoveries and show them to people back home.

Read on to find out how you can take your watercolor skills to the next level with tips from the pros.

For more information or tips, click on the red titles for the full tutorial posts.

Watercolor Tutorial: Wet on Wet Technique

Watercolor allows you to work with color using a range of techniques. Wet-on-wet painting is one of the most popular. This tutorial by Ana Santos (@anasantos) will come in handy if you want to improve your technique or explore this approach in more detail. It teaches you how to vary color intensity and goes over the materials you need to repel water and work with layers.

Watercolor Tutorial: How to Unblock Your Creativity

It can be hard to use your creativity and imagination to get over the fear and start creating intuitively when you’re facing creative block. If you often find yourself in this situation, the tutorial by graphic designer and illustrator Alinailustra (@alinailustra) will become a favorite way to take your hand for a walk and transform splodges into entertaining scenes and characters.

Watercolor Tutorial: How to Paint With a Sponge

If you’re a brush pro who wants to start experimenting with new watercolor techniques, using a sponge is a great way to start applying a different approach. In this tutorial, artist and illustrator Berta Llonch (@bertallonch_) provides step-by-step guidance on how to use a sponge. She shares her technique of turning an image she wants to work from upside down.

Watercolor Tutorial: How to Experiment with Photos

If you love watercolor and photography, this tutorial will teach you how to combine both media to obtain unique results. Documentalist, photography director, photographer, and visual artist Carine Wallauer (@wallauercarine) teaches you how to make photographic interventions in watercolor to highlight aspects of your photo and create a wonderful image.

Illustration Tutorial: Watercolor Lettering

Handmade lettering crafted with watercolor is a great way of distinguishing your work and showcasing your own personal style. To help you develop your confidence and technique, in this tutorial painter and illustrator Ana Victoria Calderon (@anavictoriana) offers tips and practical exercises to lose the fear of ink and get excited about one of the world's most beautiful techniques.

Ready to take your watercolor technique to the next level? Check out the vast range of online watercolor courses available on Domestika and discover loads of new ways to approach this medium.

English version by @studiogaunt.

You may also like:

- 5 Online Watercolor Courses for Learning Different Styles
- Coloring Photos with Watercolor, a course by Carine Wallauer
- 5 Female Watercolor Artists Who Will Inspire Your Next Creation
- Botanical Illustration with Watercolors