Welcome to Louise De Masi’s Watercolour Tips Blog, your ultimate resource for mastering the art of watercolour painting.
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Every watercolour painting goes through an awkward middle stage.
The shapes may look disjointed. The colours may feel uncertain. At this point many painters assume the painting has failed and stop working on it.
In reality, this stage is completely normal.
Once darker values are added and the painting develops further, many paintings begin to come together.
What often looks like failure is simply the middle of the process.
Read MoreWatercolour is responsive. The paper surface holds pigment delicately, and repeated brushing disturbs that balance.
When we scrub, rework, or keep adjusting an area that has already begun to settle, we break the surface of the paper. Pigment lifts unevenly. Texture becomes patchy. What was once fresh begins to look tired.
Often this happens not because we lack skill, but because we hesitate. We add one more stroke. Then another. And slowly, clarity disappears.
Read MoreThe key to wet on wet is timing. Watch the sheen on the paper rather than relying on instinct alone. Too wet, and the paint will spread uncontrollably; too dry, and edges will become harder than intended. Less brush movement often leads to better results. You can practice wet-on-wet by painting graded washes or flat washes. A spray bottle can help keep the paper evenly wet without introducing too much water, although I prefer thoroughly wetting my paper and if necessary I take the excess amount of water off with a damp brush.
Read MoreWhat makes a focal point work isn’t detail on its own. It’s the contrast around it that allows the important element to stand out.
High contrast areas naturally attract the viewer’s attention. Strong light against dark, hard edges beside soft edges, and clear shapes set against quieter background areas all help establish a visual hierarchy. Without this contrast, even carefully painted detail can disappear into the rest of the painting.
Read MoreFor many watercolour painters, the idea of practising every day brings up pressure rather than motivation. There is the fear of wasting paper. The fear of doing it wrong. The fear that every session needs to end with a finished painting.
But daily art practice is not about proving anything.
It is about showing up in a way that feels manageable, safe, and repeatable.
Read MoreWatercolour has a reputation for being difficult. Not because it lacks beauty, quite the opposite, but because it asks for a particular kind of attention. It responds immediately. It records every choice you make, whether intentional or not. Where other mediums allow for correction and revision, watercolour asks for awareness, patience, and trust.
Read MoreOver the years, I have found myself returning to a handful of mixes again and again. Some began as small experiments, others solved very specific painting problems, but all of them earned a permanent place on my palette.
Today I am sharing some of those mixes with you, simple combinations that create beautiful natural colours. They are not my everyday choices anymore (apart from my beloved grey mixed from French Ultramarine and Burnt Sienna), but they were once central to what I considered my ultimate mixing palette, and they are still worth knowing.
Read MoreA very wet, diluted mix can easily create a puddle on the paper, and that’s when dark edges form. When there’s too much water in the wash (and on the paper), it spreads out across the wet area as it dries and carries the pigment with it, leaving that darker ring around the outside. Using a slightly stronger mix when you apply paint gives you much more control and helps your washes dry evenly.
Read MoreThere’s an almost magical shift that happens when you see how two pigments combine. A transparent yellow suddenly turns into olive when it meets a touch of French Ultramarine; a pretty violet emerges from a whisper of Ruby Red and French Ultramarine. When you understand those relationships, you no longer guess - you choose your colours with confidence.
Read MoreBefore you start painting on an Aquabord panel it's important to wet the surface with some water to release any trapped air bubbles. I use a large flat brush and paint clean water onto the surface. I let it dry naturally and then I transferred my line drawing onto the panel using some saral transfer paper.
Read MoreThere’s something so rewarding about watching my students grow as painters. Each painting tells its own story of curiosity, courage, and those little discoveries that quietly change the way we paint forever.
Recently, while looking through some of my students’ paintings, I noticed something interesting. A few of them were struggling with uneven washes and edges that looked a little soft or overworked. As I studied their work, it dawned on me that many of them were simply using brushes that were far too big for the level of control they needed.
Read MoreAt first, I thought I’d leave the water droplets out. But as the painting progressed, I decided to add them in, and I’m so glad I did. They gave the flower sparkle, depth, and a feeling of freshness, as though it had just been kissed by the morning dew. I always look for new and exciting watercolour painting ideas.
Read MoreIt’s one of the most common questions beginners ask – and for good reason. Watercolour has a mind of its own, and once the paint hits the paper, there’s no going back. Knowing where to start can save a lot of heartache (and paper).
Read MoreOne of the most daunting things about painting large is exactly that - it’s large! The paper feels endless, and the temptation to cover everything at once can be strong. But here’s a little secret: you don’t have to paint everything in one go. In fact, you’ll often get better results if you take it step by step.
Read MoreOne of the biggest advantages of using Procreate for planning is that it saves paper and materials. You can test countless colour combinations and compositions without committing them to paper until you’re sure.
For example, I created a digital illustration of a happy little girl, which I plan to recreate on a larger scale using watercolours. The app can help me decide on colours and compositions before I even touch my paper.
Read MoreSometimes when you're looking at a reference photo, it can be hard to figure out exactly what colour you're seeing. Is that shadow a grey? A purple? A cool green?
When I’m unsure, I open the image in Photoshop and use the eyedropper tool to grab the colour I’m trying to identify. Then I paste it onto a blank canvas so I can see it on its own, without being influenced by the surrounding colours. It really helps to isolate the colour and understand what’s actually there.
This is especially handy if you’re trying to figure out subtle tones in a shadow, fur, or petal - areas where the colours can be more complex than they first appear.
Read MoreA strong painting needs a focal point - something that draws the viewer’s eye and gives the composition a sense of purpose. So when you’re choosing a photo, ask yourself: What is the star of the show?
It might be the eye of an animal, the curve of a petal, or the way the light hits a glass bottle, that fills you with inspiration. But there has to be something that grabs you. If a photo is too evenly detailed across the whole image, it can be difficult to know what to focus on in your painting.
Personally, I often find myself drawn to reference photos that have a bit of drama - a close-up angle, an expressive pose, or a little sparkle of light that adds interest. Once I’ve identified that focal point, I build the rest of the surrounding composition, supporting it rather than competing with it.
Read MoreA big part of how your edges behave comes down to one simple but powerful thing: your water-to-paint ratio. If your brush is loaded with too much water, the pigment will pool and drift unpredictably. If it’s too dry, you’ll get scratchy, uneven marks.
The sweet spot lies in understanding the relationship between water and pigment - how they dance together on the page.
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