I have listened to your advice on colour values. And this has helped me. I tend to use a pencil. But I might try a watercolour brush, you have used in this video.
What a fun thing to try! I recently bought a water brush at our local art store for a demonstration. Now I want to go back and get this one! I do like to be able to use some of that paper I bought that is sitting around! I have always loved to do pen & ink because of the "no redo" option, and this looks like a fun variant of that.
I've developed a similar technique in a lot of my paintings anymore. I use a paintbrush instead of a pen. I documented my 30/30 experience on my channel and it was during that effort where this approach really developed and my comfort with watercolor blossomed!
I purchased the Derwent set after your short video. Can't thank you enough for showing us these. The number 1 is totally amazing, never have seen such a fine point in a water brush. The other two are just as wonderful, so thank you, thank you, thank you!
Thank you! Thank you! I had already bought some water brushes and some water color pencils to try that kind of idea! Now I can put it into practice! Thank you!
Tried this ~ ❤️so great!~ gives a soft touch ~ and wipes off (erases) easily ~ a totally different feeling that sketching with a pencil ~ especially if you are not so fond of “drawing” ~
I just tried this and really like what I sketched. What a find! Thanks for teaching this! Going to keep at it. I don’t have a fine liner water brush on hand, so I used a rigger brush. It still worked.
An art supply owner friend of mine did indeed say Bee got bought out but the new parent company is bringing the Bee products back and many are already available, so watch for them.
I am one of those who is OCD with my palette. But I can always "make dirt!" I wanted to add that the Strathmore mixed media books would be great for this. The Strathmore 500 paper is thick, all cotton, and I often do heavy washes over my ink sketches on it and it holds up fine. I'm looking forward to trying this. I never use pencil (same OCD problem - I'd erase forever), but often use pencil-colored inks.
Wow that’s great! Apparently I am learning watercolor painting backwards 😁. Because I have started out with the Pentel water brush and multimedia paper first. I am finding out that I am OCD with my paint 🎨 palette but I’m learning to loosen up some with that & my painting. Definitely a great boost to my watercolor painting experience. Thanks for sharing this.
Great stuff! Gives more options for sketching. I also say use cheap paper with watercolour sketches. Who really cares if it warps a bit! And closing the book after and putting it under a stack of books can flatten it out a lot too. I use watercolours on cheap dollar store sketchbooks and use soft make up brushes to create washes and effects. And just paint even on sub par paper. Its all just sketches anyway. If you can paint well on cheap paper its easy on better paper. Personally If you lack the money for lots of good paper (like most people do) just use the crappy paper and paint anyways! Its harder and does warp, sure but as long as you go in knowing its the 'wrong' paper and to expect issues its less frustrating. I accept the challenge. I have developed many techniques to paint better on cheap paper. Anyways I think I may go too far that way as I seem very afraid to ever even use my more expensive woodpulp let alone my 100% cotton paper. LOL. I need to find away to use them more too!
When I know I want brushmarks and hard edges, I use cellulose paper. I scan anyway to do final edits. But I am a mixed media artist, not a true watercolorist.
Very humid where I live and both artist and student grade papers have their sizing go bad on me huhu. So I can't hoard or stock them. I buy them as I need them. And I sketch and color using anything else, receipts included
@@onemig00 it’s harder but techniques can be learned to paint on even the cheapest paper. I say use what you can! I’m sorry you have bad sizing luck based on climate. Some very cheap dollar store sketchbooks not at all intended for watercolour are still where I do many paintings and I find it easier to do so, due to being far less ‘precious’ about the paper. Use what you can I say! Let layers dry for quite a while. Set one aside and paint on another, while your waiting for it to dry. If your in a painting mood keep cycling through and setting out multiples to dry. Such as working on 5 separate paintings the first will most likely be dry by the time you do the next ‘layer’ on the fifth. You can do timer tests and base drying time on humidity to using the knowledge for next time. Does it take 2 hours to dry fully in ‘this’ humidity keep that in mind going forward, etc.
I never wash any of my pallettes...it challenges me to clean them up and use the leftovers in my sketchbooks. And thanks for that Derwent brush highlight! I've my Pentels, but I am becoming a die hard Derwent fan, especially of their pencils.
I had to laugh at your comment that it changes your focus. I'm thinking, yeah focused on not screwing it up. You always show such interesting techniques and get wonderful results. I never would've thought to use pallet dirt. Will definitely give this a try. Thank you!
What a neat video topic, Steve! It's always a pleasure to learn new things from you, and this was no exception. I love this use for "palette dirt"! Your sketches are so beautiful!
Thanks! Glad you liked it Denise! Ever since my participation in the Direct Watercolor Challenge a few years ago I've been on the hunt for ways to simplify and adopt a brush drawing process I really like. I think I'm there finally.
I erase my wc beginning sketches with just plain water and correct my sketching errors. Better than an eraser. It always washes away to change. Very valuable technique! We’re your ‘s the push button ones with the caps that don’t fit with the red logo? That’s the only Derwent ones that I have seen.
Awesome ! Thanks for sharing. What are the normal brushes that work for this technique -- black velvet silver... or brushes meant for acrylic and oils ?
All I find on Blick website is Derwent push button water brush. Sounds like a pain to have to keep pushing a button for water flow. Edit: after reading a review I understand that the push button is on the side of the brush where your fingers are when holding it. I was imagining it on the end like a ballpoint pen. Review says it does offer better water control. Sounds like it’s worth a try.
When I was a kid we had a book by *Andrew Loomis* called Fun with a Pencil (published in the 40s I think). Your sketches, esp the women @1:04, remind me of his work! There's kind of a retro vibe that I just love! That book started my interest in art. I am just starting watercolor and your channel was highly recommended. Looks like great advice!
Great video, I enjoyed this very much! However, I've used the Derwent waterbrush before but find the plastic water reservoir really hard to squeeze! Are you just dipping the brush in water, or using it how it's meant to be used? I suppose you wouldn't have to squeeze it too much if you are sketching instead of painting...
I got my water brush out with the fine point, loosened up my grey-ish palette dirt, and completely missed the first step and started painting rather than sketching. #tryagain
Teoh yi chie you tube guy puts watercolor in his waterbrushes for on location- so could do that im thinking with a light color and still pick up some darker color as needed
I have a stupid question: if this is drawing even though it's paint, and pastel users can call their stuff paintings even though it's dry media, and BOTH use values and not just lines, then what is the actual difference between painting and drawing? It can't just be blending either. Charcoal and graphite artists call their stuff drawing, yet I've seen some pieces that were so well blended they looked digital! I'm still at the "lineart" stage by the way. Very accurate lineart (think uncolored manga or building floorplans), but still just lines. I can't figure out values/shading for the life of me😕
Drawing is a bit of a misnomer but it can be any form of rendering or initial construction of an image from blank page or canvas, the foundation in other words. Painting is more the act of filling in and blending values and color with a drawing already in place. Obviously the two can heavily overlap. You can actually draw as you paint or visa versa. Drawing is often considered more linear in nature but again, doesn't have to be. It can also mean just pencil as a medium but I find that to be a narrow definition these days. You can draw with anything. To me it's a blocking in or rough stage though drawings can be tight and refined too. Left at that rougher stage it could be considered a sketch. Again, the progression from drawing to final painting or finished shaded piece can be a subtle almost indistinguishable transition.
What sort of water do you put in your waterbrush? Tap water that has been treated with chlorine (by your town or city?) Distrilled water? Tap water that you left sitting for a few days to evaporate the chlorine and ammonia? Well water? Revrse osmosis water? Commercially purchased water, such as from Deer Park? Thank you for the captioning in the video. It is greatly appreciated.
Some purists say use only distilled water but I haven’t done any experiments- I would guess it might make a difference in something like granulation if the tap water was really hard or had a lot of chlorine but just a guess
Hi Steve.,,, if I sent you a few 7 x 10“ sheets of strathmore Aquarius II, would you be willing to do a review of it? I use it in my homemade sketchbooks and I love the stuff. It is not cotton, it is not cellulose, it is a completely artificial material, like Yupo, but It’s meant to be a true watercolor paper, in fact it is part of Strathmore’s 500 top of the line series. It has a mild cold pressed texture and at only 80 pounds weight, It’s a perfect paper for sketchbooks - believe it or not you can actually paint on both sides with no bleed through or. show through. It’s claim to fame is that it doesn’t buckle - it does of Course but only a very little and that gets pressed out when you the close sketchbook. Like you, I love arches paper and this is no substitute, not by a long shot, but is excellent for the way that I use a sketchbook for things like pen and ink, pen and wash, colored pencil (regular and watercolor), and it even handles serious pencil rendering. For me it is a nearly perfect sketchbook paper but nothing is perfect And I am wondering if it really is as good as I think it is or if I’ve just deeply adapted to its use. Either way, it doesn’t make any difference to me, but it does make a difference if I want to recommend it to somebody else. Let me know, and let me know where to send it if you are interested. I watch every one of your vids as you release them and I especially love the Steve and Marty vids. Thank you for being there for all of us. Keep up the great work!
Its actually a cotton/synthetic blend. I don't have any but you don't need to send it. I've got too many things to review right now as it is. I might get around to trying it at some point. Thanks!
@@mindofwatercolor That’s correct, it does have some cotton content. The one thing I’ve not been able to find any info on is what kind of sizing it has. In any case I hope you get around to trying some, if not reviewing it. Marc Taro Holmes described its surface texture as being like alien skin. It’s a great description - they call it cold press but it’s so mild that while you can get some textural dry brush effects, a fountain pen just glides across it. Stay well and safe.
I have listened to your advice on colour values. And this has helped me. I tend to use a pencil. But I might try a watercolour brush, you have used in this video.
Love 💗me some palette dirt. 😎🎨👩🎨. Thanks Mr. Steve.
Love this idea, Steve. TY.
I will give it ago. Thank you for sharing
Great video like doing portraits thanks very much
Thanks Steve! Great examples to practice faces!
Thanks because I have a Derwent brush that I don't use and you made me want to take it out of my outdoor sketching bag and use it again.
What a fun thing to try! I recently bought a water brush at our local art store for a demonstration. Now I want to go back and get this one! I do like to be able to use some of that paper I bought that is sitting around! I have always loved to do pen & ink because of the "no redo" option, and this looks like a fun variant of that.
I can see where this would be very beneficial in improving drawing skills. Thank you for this.
I've developed a similar technique in a lot of my paintings anymore. I use a paintbrush instead of a pen. I documented my 30/30 experience on my channel and it was during that effort where this approach really developed and my comfort with watercolor blossomed!
I have lots of palette dirt atm. GOing to try this today. Thanks
Please make a sketchbookS tour! It would be awesome! ♥
This is such a great tip never thought of doing this. Thank you Steve.
Oh man I would love to see you make an entire wizzard and fantasy series as study.
I want to draw more. This gives me another product to draw with.
Tfs. Always enjoyable.
I purchased the Derwent set after your short video. Can't thank you enough for showing us these. The number 1 is totally amazing, never have seen such a fine point in a water brush. The other two are just as wonderful, so thank you, thank you, thank you!
Such a great way to learn about tones and values intuitively. Thanks always, Steve -Marie
Thank you! Thank you! I had already bought some water brushes and some water color pencils to try that kind of idea! Now I can put it into practice! Thank you!
Tried this ~ ❤️so great!~ gives a soft touch ~ and wipes off (erases) easily ~ a totally different feeling that sketching with a pencil ~ especially if you are not so fond of “drawing” ~
I just tried this and really like what I sketched. What a find! Thanks for teaching this! Going to keep at it. I don’t have a fine liner water brush on hand, so I used a rigger brush. It still worked.
Thank you very much Teacher! I'll try it right now, today, in this sunny sunday. Grazie.
This is a fantastic tip! Thank you very much and thanks for the demonstration!!🤗🥰
Fascinating- I’ll definitely try it. Thanks for this - and all your other YTs
Thanks Steve, this is most interesting! I never thought this to be possible. Thanks for sharing the process.
Thanks, I will be trying this, I am trying to use up all my sketch books and this will be helpful.
Very motivating. Thank you!
An art supply owner friend of mine did indeed say Bee got bought out but the new parent company is bringing the Bee products back and many are already available, so watch for them.
Yes!!! They got new distributors and are already coming back on Amazon! I am so RELIEVED!
I am one of those who is OCD with my palette. But I can always "make dirt!" I wanted to add that the Strathmore mixed media books would be great for this. The Strathmore 500 paper is thick, all cotton, and I often do heavy washes over my ink sketches on it and it holds up fine. I'm looking forward to trying this. I never use pencil (same OCD problem - I'd erase forever), but often use pencil-colored inks.
The Strathmore Visual Journal mixed media paper IS that same 100% cotton mixed media. It’s good for sketching but doesn’t have watercolor sizing.
Interesting...love the effect..will have to try this..thanks
Thanks Steve. I am already doing some plein air planning. This will be a great warm up.
I'm really excited to use this in plein air sessions.
Great tips. I certainly will be trying this technique. Pallet dirt huh, didn’t realize it has a name.
Unofficial. Sort of a nickname many watercolorists have given it. 😄
I call my sketchbook doodles with it "pallette cleaners!" 🤣
Thank you for sharing, I loved this video! I always keep my palette "dirt" and I doodle with it. Now I will try sketching too. 😊
Exactly what I do! "Pallette cleaners!"
Thank you for the nice suggestion, Steve. Will be trying it just now. ( I have already that Derwent waterbrush but never found it useful). 👍🏻
Thanks Steve so much for these great ideas and demonstrations.. I needed a big kick in the eraser (:
Thanks, Steve. I really enjoyed this. I need to sketch more!
Wow that’s great! Apparently I am learning watercolor painting backwards 😁. Because I have started out with the Pentel water brush and multimedia paper first. I am finding out that I am OCD with my paint 🎨 palette but I’m learning to loosen up some with that & my painting. Definitely a great boost to my watercolor painting experience. Thanks for sharing this.
This is great advice, thank you Steve. I can’t wait to give it a go.
Fantastic, I'll have to try it.
Great stuff! Gives more options for sketching. I also say use cheap paper with watercolour sketches. Who really cares if it warps a bit! And closing the book after and putting it under a stack of books can flatten it out a lot too. I use watercolours on cheap dollar store sketchbooks and use soft make up brushes to create washes and effects. And just paint even on sub par paper. Its all just sketches anyway. If you can paint well on cheap paper its easy on better paper. Personally If you lack the money for lots of good paper (like most people do) just use the crappy paper and paint anyways! Its harder and does warp, sure but as long as you go in knowing its the 'wrong' paper and to expect issues its less frustrating. I accept the challenge. I have developed many techniques to paint better on cheap paper.
Anyways I think I may go too far that way as I seem very afraid to ever even use my more expensive woodpulp let alone my 100% cotton paper. LOL. I need to find away to use them more too!
When I know I want brushmarks and hard edges, I use cellulose paper. I scan anyway to do final edits. But I am a mixed media artist, not a true watercolorist.
Very humid where I live and both artist and student grade papers have their sizing go bad on me huhu. So I can't hoard or stock them. I buy them as I need them. And I sketch and color using anything else, receipts included
@@onemig00 it’s harder but techniques can be learned to paint on even the cheapest paper. I say use what you can! I’m sorry you have bad sizing luck based on climate. Some very cheap dollar store sketchbooks not at all intended for watercolour are still where I do many paintings and I find it easier to do so, due to being far less ‘precious’ about the paper. Use what you can I say! Let layers dry for quite a while. Set one aside and paint on another, while your waiting for it to dry. If your in a painting mood keep cycling through and setting out multiples to dry. Such as working on 5 separate paintings the first will most likely be dry by the time you do the next ‘layer’ on the fifth. You can do timer tests and base drying time on humidity to using the knowledge for next time. Does it take 2 hours to dry fully in ‘this’ humidity keep that in mind going forward, etc.
Thank you 😊💓
Thanks for this Steve, enjoyed watching and learning. Umm turns out I’m OCD never had pallet dirt. Lol will try and make some.
Great idea. Thank you
I never wash any of my pallettes...it challenges me to clean them up and use the leftovers in my sketchbooks. And thanks for that Derwent brush highlight! I've my Pentels, but I am becoming a die hard Derwent fan, especially of their pencils.
I love your SKETCHES!
I had to laugh at your comment that it changes your focus. I'm thinking, yeah focused on not screwing it up. You always show such interesting techniques and get wonderful results. I never would've thought to use pallet dirt. Will definitely give this a try. Thank you!
Aquash has a flat & a fine point too! ;)
What a neat video topic, Steve! It's always a pleasure to learn new things from you, and this was no exception. I love this use for "palette dirt"! Your sketches are so beautiful!
Thanks! Glad you liked it Denise! Ever since my participation in the Direct Watercolor Challenge a few years ago I've been on the hunt for ways to simplify and adopt a brush drawing process I really like. I think I'm there finally.
That is so neat! Something new to try. Thanks
I erase my wc beginning sketches with just plain water and correct my sketching errors. Better than an eraser. It always washes away to change. Very valuable technique! We’re your ‘s the push button ones with the caps that don’t fit with the red logo? That’s the only Derwent ones that I have seen.
Thanks for sharing this.
great video!
I would be curious to try using the different colors of “dirt” in my palette-like using colored pencils.
Yes, exactly!
that's against the rules, isn't it? (hahaha)
@@surveyguyor8958 Didn’t you know, there are no rules in art and rules are meant to be broken.🤪
I know, I know, you’re being facetious.😉
@@GirlPaintsArt Waitaminte. No rules? That sounds like a rule
Nice!
Thought I would try putting a light wash in the water brush instead of clear water . . . nope. Fun to try tho :)
I was thinking the same thing, with ink
Very Inspiring 👍👍
Thanks.
That's neat but I still erase so often. Maybe when I'm better at drawing, I'll give it a go!
Not being able to erase is actually really good for making you more confident in your mark making
“Palette dirt”. I never knew what that stuff was called 😀
I’ve always heard it called “palette mud”
@tieltail Aha. That's good!
i guess it's kinda randomly asking but does anybody know of a good website to watch newly released movies online?
@Cruz Krew lately I have been using flixzone. You can find it by googling :)
@Emiliano Marshall yea, been watching on FlixZone for months myself :D
I wish I could draw that well, lol!
Awesome ! Thanks for sharing. What are the normal brushes that work for this technique -- black velvet silver... or brushes meant for acrylic and oils ?
All I find on Blick website is Derwent push button water brush. Sounds like a pain to have to keep pushing a button for water flow. Edit: after reading a review I understand that the push button is on the side of the brush where your fingers are when holding it. I was imagining it on the end like a ballpoint pen. Review says it does offer better water control. Sounds like it’s worth a try.
I typically never express water when I'm sketching unless its to add it to the palette. I like to keep the process as dry as possible.
@@mindofwatercolor i have the same derwent but it keeps dripping a lot of unwanted water
When I was a kid we had a book by *Andrew Loomis* called Fun with a Pencil (published in the 40s I think). Your sketches, esp the women @1:04, remind me of his work!
There's kind of a retro vibe that I just love! That book started my interest in art.
I am just starting watercolor and your channel was highly recommended. Looks like great advice!
Great video, I enjoyed this very much! However, I've used the Derwent waterbrush before but find the plastic water reservoir really hard to squeeze! Are you just dipping the brush in water, or using it how it's meant to be used? I suppose you wouldn't have to squeeze it too much if you are sketching instead of painting...
I got my water brush out with the fine point, loosened up my grey-ish palette dirt, and completely missed the first step and started painting rather than sketching. #tryagain
How does pallette dirt not effect your colors when painting?
This is not about painting. Its about drawing as if you had a pencil.
It's so light it will be covered with other color easy without affecting other colors.
Teoh yi chie you tube guy puts watercolor in his waterbrushes for on location- so could do that im thinking with a light color and still pick up some darker color as needed
I enjoy Teoh, but I've never seen him do that.
Here it is.... ruclips.net/video/XzWFIAKhfP4/видео.html
@@rstallings69 I don't need to watch it. May God bless you.
I have a stupid question: if this is drawing even though it's paint, and pastel users can call their stuff paintings even though it's dry media, and BOTH use values and not just lines, then what is the actual difference between painting and drawing? It can't just be blending either. Charcoal and graphite artists call their stuff drawing, yet I've seen some pieces that were so well blended they looked digital!
I'm still at the "lineart" stage by the way. Very accurate lineart (think uncolored manga or building floorplans), but still just lines. I can't figure out values/shading for the life of me😕
Drawing is a bit of a misnomer but it can be any form of rendering or initial construction of an image from blank page or canvas, the foundation in other words. Painting is more the act of filling in and blending values and color with a drawing already in place. Obviously the two can heavily overlap. You can actually draw as you paint or visa versa. Drawing is often considered more linear in nature but again, doesn't have to be. It can also mean just pencil as a medium but I find that to be a narrow definition these days. You can draw with anything. To me it's a blocking in or rough stage though drawings can be tight and refined too. Left at that rougher stage it could be considered a sketch. Again, the progression from drawing to final painting or finished shaded piece can be a subtle almost indistinguishable transition.
What sort of water do you put in your waterbrush? Tap water that has been treated with chlorine (by your town or city?) Distrilled water? Tap water that you left sitting for a few days to evaporate the chlorine and ammonia? Well water? Revrse osmosis water? Commercially purchased water, such as from Deer Park? Thank you for the captioning in the video. It is greatly appreciated.
Just tap.
Some purists say use only distilled water but I haven’t done any experiments- I would guess it might make a difference in something like granulation if the tap water was really hard or had a lot of chlorine but just a guess
hey any chance you could show us how to do a painting in gouache?
Definitely. There are a few videos here already. Combining it with regular watercolor.
Watercolor brushes
Trees and rocks
Hi Steve.,,, if I sent you a few 7 x 10“ sheets of strathmore Aquarius II, would you be willing to do a review of it? I use it in my homemade sketchbooks and I love the stuff. It is not cotton, it is not cellulose, it is a completely artificial material, like Yupo, but It’s meant to be a true watercolor paper, in fact it is part of Strathmore’s 500 top of the line series. It has a mild cold pressed texture and at only 80 pounds weight, It’s a perfect paper for sketchbooks - believe it or not you can actually paint on both sides with no bleed through or. show through. It’s claim to fame is that it doesn’t buckle - it does of Course but only a very little and that gets pressed out when you the close sketchbook. Like you, I love arches paper and this is no substitute, not by a long shot, but is excellent for the way that I use a sketchbook for things like pen and ink, pen and wash, colored pencil (regular and watercolor), and it even handles serious pencil rendering. For me it is a nearly perfect sketchbook paper but nothing is perfect And I am wondering if it really is as good as I think it is or if I’ve just deeply adapted to its use. Either way, it doesn’t make any difference to me, but it does make a difference if I want to recommend it to somebody else. Let me know, and let me know where to send it if you are interested. I watch every one of your vids as you release them and I especially love the Steve and Marty vids. Thank you for being there for all of us. Keep up the great work!
Its actually a cotton/synthetic blend. I don't have any but you don't need to send it. I've got too many things to review right now as it is. I might get around to trying it at some point. Thanks!
@@mindofwatercolor That’s correct, it does have some cotton content. The one thing I’ve not been able to find any info on is what kind of sizing it has. In any case I hope you get around to trying some, if not reviewing it. Marc Taro Holmes described its surface texture as being like alien skin. It’s a great description - they call it cold press but it’s so mild that while you can get some textural dry brush effects, a fountain pen just glides across it. Stay well and safe.