10 MAJOR Watercolor Mistakes (I Still Keep Making!)
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- Опубликовано: 6 апр 2023
- I've been painting for most of my life, yet, I still keep making the same major mistakes with watercolors! In this video, I talk about 10 major issues I continue to encounter, even after all these years! But, are they fixable?
1. Using Cheap Tools & Materials
2. Not Creating a Plan Before I Begin
3. Working Too Fast or Too Slow
4. Trying to Fix Mistakes
5. Water: Too Much & Not Enough
6. Color Mixing
7. Establishing Value
8. Using Clean Water
9. Not Knowing When to Stop / Overworking
10. Expecting Perfection
Gear Used in Video:
• Travelogue Hand•Book Journal
• Mission Gold watercolors
• Artist Loft #8 Vienna Filbert brush
• Grumbacher #5 Goldenedge Round brush
MUSIC:
“Still Fall” by M.D. Campbell © 2019 M.D. Campbell • All rights reserved
Blog: www.markdcampbell.com/the-9-li...
Instagram: mdcampbellart
Facebook: m.d. campbell
TikTok: @mdcampbellart
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The intent of my channel is to bring videos of useful content to help fellow artists and art students with insightful information, as well as bring consumers real-world reviews on the products we're likely to buy and use every day.
I'm always grateful for feedback to help improve my channel, so please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
Thank you for your time watching! Cheers! ~ Mark
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#mdcampbellart
#watercolormistakes
#missiongoldpurepigmentwatercolors 
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I think it's very charming that you wrote out where you were during the drawing. Made me smile. Thank you for the video.
DITTO on my less expensive papers, paints, and brushes having gotten more usage, that made me laugh! I haven't painted or posted in more than 3 years (still struggling a huge amount with major health complications), but what you share is so valuable as other artists will see how all 10 mistakes are shared between us all in various ways in various stages of our artistic development. Thanks for sharing. :)
As I've probably stated before, I am sorry to hear that your health is a continued challenge. Your absence in the community has been felt by many and I miss being inspired by your incredible skills and conversations. I keep you in my thoughts, always, and I'm confident that when your health allows for it, your creativity will shine like a sun! As for this video, I'm glad you could connect with my thoughts and I know you can understand much of what I'm talking about. Thank you for taking the time to check it out and especially to share your voice. You are such an important part of this community, I'm so happy to hear from you! Stay well, my friend. ~ Mark
SO good to see you posting, even if just a comment! You have been missed! I do hope your on your way to health and happier times!
So needed! Especially the observation about the 'need' for creative expression!
Thank you, Mark. You always have wonderful tips and verbal illustrations. I appreciate you.
And thanks to you, Diane, for always being such a kind supporter and taking your time to watch. I appreciate you, right back! Sincerely!!! ~ Mark
I remember when I went to buy my first replacement color to fill a pan from my Grans palette, (My Gran started teaching me watercolor when I was just 10 years old.) I bought an Ultramarine Blue to replace the Grumbacher she put in the palette, I thought they were all the same and I got a tube of Schmincke watercolor and I could not get a field of blue for my sky! It granulated all over the sheet! It looked horrible! I was sure the tube was faulty and I took it back and asked for my money back! I had no idea that some people love granulating colors where I had never been taught anything about that as my gran liked flat fields of color with NO granulation! I guess we all have things we are partial to and it comes from how we started. Good video Mark and I encourage you to give in and use that good paper! I have never been sad using 100% cotton papers! I have been completely converted to DaVinci paints and I simply love them! But, I have just ordered the 10 tube set done by Steve Mitchell and my first M.Graham paints will arrive next week! It is fun to try new stuff and give in and use those lovely expensive paints, just for FUN! I doubt I will completely abandon my DaVinci paints as they are quite lovely and I do use other brands. These days I am just comparing them to DaVinci and when you look at cost and pigment ranges? None have even come close! I do hope you give in and use those expensive supplies and find JOY in every painting you do.
Thank you for your encouraging words, mjpete27! It's nice to hear and one of the things I love about this community - people sharing ideas, encouragement, and support for other artists! Wonderful! I would love to get the Steve Mitchell M. Graham set, but I already have those colors in my own M. Graham set. My personal thoughts on M. Graham are very positive, as they are arguably one of my favorites. It does take time to get used to them, though, like any new set. M. Graham is thick and often tacky when dried in a pan (due to the honey). But, they are so clean and the colors are so vibrant... I really enjoy them! And I hope you do too! Thank you again and have a great week! ~ Mark
Hey Mark, I found myself mistake was "graduating" before my time. I started with cheap nylon brushes for watercolour, with student grade set and canson xl paper. What a combination. Discover early that I need to upgrade my paper, so I got a roll of Fluid 100 cotton 100% which doesn't make me feel precious over paper seeing that it is a whole roll. Next I upgraded my paints, alot of the professional paints. Then I was able to understand flow, gradient and granularity of paints that when I went back to stylex or Marie's it was easier. Now I am upgraded my brushes, from nylon to taklon and now I am getting some real hair and some mix hair. I find that now I am better able to appreciate softer brushes and able to control water flow. Before when I used real hair the water capacity was overwhelming and intimidating. But I am learning and discovering is so much fun. I learn that I love soft brushes, cotton paper and really I can work with cheaper paints like chalky paints. Then again my art style is very illustrative so I can use really bad paints because it is basic.
The great thing about upgrading our gear is that it gives us a wonderful sense of investment, both in our equipment but also in our skills. For those who enjoy their passion, it's a well-deserved progression to raise the bar and set a higher level of quality in our work, even if the work appears to stay the same. I've seen young artist's skills jump by leaps when they began using better equipment rather than the using the same old cheap gear. I agree with you how the water capacity in natural brushes can be very intimidating. It took me a long time to figure out the difference between a synthetic vs natural brush, but again, as you said, learning and discovering has always been the best part. Thank you, Made by Dawn, for your thoughtful feedback and taking the time to check this one out. I hope you and yours are all doing well! ~ Mark
Thank you for another wonderful and informative video. I have a gazillion comments, but also have a pinched nerve in my hand, so not typing well.
Key takeaways I get are plan, plan, plan and know your materials and what tehy will do?
It is good to see someone making a video stressing all of this. I seriously need to hear it and keep hearing it.
Once again, thank you.
I'm really happy this one resonated with you, Robin Eliason! Thank you for letting me know that and for watching. I sincerely think part of the reason I make videos like this are to also remind myself of the things I need to hear. That's why I urge folks to watch as many of these "watercolor mistakes" videos, because even though they may share many of the same points, there's always something unique in all of them, as well. I'm sorry to hear about the pinched nerve in your hand. I definitely empathize, as about a year ago I could use two of my fingers due to nerve pain. Everyone told me to get surgery, but I refused. I figured out it was from how I was holding my phone, so I stopped holding it that way and I got a stabilizing glove that I wore to bed every night. Now, no more pain and I don't wear the glove anymore. I hope your hand heals and you can get back to your normal routine. Cheers! Mark
I mainly use Winsor Newton. For me that IS the expensive water color paint. When I get better I will consider spending more. I do understand that we get what we pay for. I also mainly use Arches paper. I like this piece you did for this video. Fun to watch you!
Norakag, here... this was wonderful, Mark!! nine and ten are always the mistakes that I tend to repeat .. I think overworking a piece, not knowing when to stop , are so tough to avoid, because when we are " in the zone", we are enjoying it so much, that I think we have stopped looking at our painting objectively.. We are lost in the moment , and the reflex is to keep going and going., because we are enjoying it so much . I have been taking photos of my work , almost every half hour , through the process, and I try to stop , look at the photo and study that , before touching the actual painting with a brush. . It seems to help me a lot , to get a bit of visual distance from the piece , and figure out solutions in my brain, and not with the brush.. so funny that you dealt with jury duty as well .. i almost served on a grand jury a couple of weeks ago , but they dismissed me😳😳💃🏻💃🏻 thanks again for this video.. Norakag, here 😁😁
Thank you so much for taking your time to check this out, my friend. I actually love the idea of taking photos of a work in progress. I've always been a "step away and come back to it later" person, as we typically cannot see the piece while we're so close to it. The benefit is often that it keeps me from overworking a piece. With my "for fun" work, it's not as important as my "for pay" work, which I am much more methodical and religious about. I'd like to bring that over to my "fun work," but it can be too much when I just want to sit and paint. As for Jury Duty, I was thrilled when they sent me home. Last time I was chosen as the foreman on a two-day case and it seemed to take forever! lol! Still, happy to serve my civic duty! Stay well, Norakag! Thank YOU!!
WOW! Thanks for sharing this! I now feel better about some of my habits and learned something about those holes I often fall into. Once again a great video that makes you think!
I really appreciate your feedback Lucina Lilicy! Thank you so much for watching and sharing your thoughts! ~ Mark
Great video. Watching to the end was truly worth it. Thank you for sharing.
I am grateful for your time, Wilma Taranda! Thank you for watching and especially for letting me know you enjoyed it! Cheers!
I'll share two of my own mistakes. First, using the same proportion of each color instead of varying how much of the page each one gets. When you use the same proportion of a lot of colors, it reads like mud. When you vary the proportions, the sketch is much more exciting. My most common mistake is thinking that if I just get the same paint or brush that someone I admire is using, I will automatically paint like that person. Buying art supplies is fast, but putting in the time to practice gets better results. Thanks for your video! Stay well.
Thank you so much for taking time to watch this, C0raBr0wn!! Always a treat to hear from you! And yes, I most definitely agree about how easy it is to buy supplies - but putting them to use to create unique art, well, that's exiting! I hope all is well on your end! Cheers! Mark
What a cool illustration
Thank you, Scot! Not my favorite, but it worked well for the video, I think! Cheers!
Yeah, I do all of these! 😂 The most annoying is not having completely rinsed the brush out, and it contaminates another colour and/or the paper. I shall go with Bob Ross’s sage advice; There are no mistakes, only Happy Accidents.❤
Thank you for stopping in, Becky! Yes, the ol' contaminated colour! It just happened to me recently, too! lol! I accidentally ran quin rose into my hansa yellow... I just rolled my eyes and had to work it back out. Happy accidents... lol! Love Bob Ross!! Cheers and I appreciate your time with this one! Hoping all is well! ~ Mark
Oh my, I feel so outed now. :D You're definitely not alone with all those mistakes. As you say in the end, you notice them after you're done painting and are able to fix some like with the highlights and that's part of the skill you have and it means a lot really. It shows, that not all hope is lost and you don't make the mistakes all the time. So maybe the mistakes become just little reminder of what to look out for and what to not forget next time.
Happy Easter my friend! I love your piece and the color palette you chose. It works so well together. :)
Happiest Easter wishes to you, too, my friend! I'm so happy to hear from you and hope all is going well. Things are good on my end, so I have a lot to be grateful for. Thank you for taking the time to watch and leave your thoughts. I'm glad to know I'm not along and that you liked the piece. It's not one of my favorites, but it made for a good example. lol! Cheers to you and your family! ~ Mark
@@MDCampbell You know, the piece wasn't that bad. I know you said you don't like the values because there isn't enough contrast, but I think you achieved some contrast through the colour choices you made. I felt it could have a design choice. :) Have a great evening!
I was waiting for this video for so long! I really love listening to you talking and sharing your knowledge while watching you drawing and painting!
You said this paper is not for watercolor but despite the amount of water and constant overpainting you did it didn't buckle, so I think that is already pretty good. I use the art creation sketchbook and sadly that buckles so much more. Just as you pointed out: it was cheap and I bought a few. Now I suffer the consequences. 😂
Thank you, Moma B!! Thank you for your kind words! I really appreciate that, more than you may know. The Hand•Book journal paper definitely buckles, but the good thing is that closing the book and using the wrap-around band on it will keep pressure enough to flatten it over time. Hoping you are well and again, thank you! ~ Mark
@@MDCampbell 💕 Happy Bunny Holidays and will patiently wait for the next video. 🥰
(Until then I will rewatch the older ones.)
Thanks Mark so much for the awesome video. In fact overwork is the most common mistake. I need to decide when I raise my hands and say it is done. And expecting the perfection is another important point.
Mark congratulations for this wonderful video.
Ismail, you are always so kind and I am grateful for your generous words and thoughtful comments. I agree, that overworking seems to be the area most people get caught up in, myself included. As I said to another viewer, for me, knowing that moment when it's time to step away and come back later is vital to the success of a piece, whether it's just for fun or for business. I hope all is well with you and thankful for your time watching and leaving your feedback. Thank you! ~ Mark
some cheaper brands are not realy bad ...
for example I like the pelikan watercolor´s that the kidds use today in germany at school ... not the best of the world, but good enough to learn a lot about mixing colors and so on > don´t use the opaque white and have fun with this stuff for a good prize ... not all must be art at the end - the colors are good enough for praktice, greeting postcards, junk-journals, coloring books, or simular stuff. not every body can be a artist over night without a lot of praktice. create your own art for you, or some other lovely people in your life - have colormixing fun - that´s it :)
I have also colors in artist and study quality from some other brands - I can see some differences and I´m thinking not everybody need these for all ... a red heart on paper with few words can also say what you mean > that is important :)
two "demands" i make of my students: 100% cotton paper and NO Reeves paint! sometimes i supply the class with cheap pulp paper, by the end of class they all thank me for forcing them to see the difference.
Yes, grannysmithartvideo! In the school I used to teach, the only option for students was the Reeves. We were fortunate to have had Fabriano 100% cotton paper, but I would only allow that for final pieces that had been fully studied, first, on cheaper paper. Like you, I think the students were grateful to have someone show them that there is, indeed, a difference! Stay well and thank you for your time and feedback!
Sometimes the watercolor smears my black ink, I don't understand. Do you have that problem ever?
Gel pen ink will smear. Non-permanent ink will smear. The ink in this piece was literally a Sharpie. Sharpie ink never smears when it's dry, but it does bleed while you draw.I prefer to use Noodlers Ink with a dip pen, but it takes time to set everything up, which for this piece, I didn't have. One trick I found is to use water and a paintbrush with a gel pen! The ink will wash and you can paint shades! Very fun when you don't have a lot of time. Cheers, Scot!
Is this a confession? 😂
I plead the fifth! lol!!
Your ink is not smearing!
That's the Sharpie! I love the Sharpie!