Bare winter branches do not have to look flat or lifeless. Use warm sienna, muted violet, fine rigger details, flicked sienna leaves, and deeper shadows to make bare trees feel sunlit and alive.
Studio Journal
From Pen & Ink to Watercolor: Palm Trees with Gradated Washes and Texture
A pen and ink palm tree drawing becomes a watercolor and ink painting with gradated washes, tropical color, and scraped texture in the damp paint.
Letting the Ink Bleed: A Pen, Ink, and Watercolor Wash Coneflower Study
There is something deeply satisfying about sitting down in the garden with a sketchpad, especially when you’ve had to...
A Simple Watercolor Exercise for Paint Control, Soft Edges, and Depth
A simple watercolor exercise to practice paint control, soft edges, texture, and creating depth in a loose marsh landscape.
How to Paint a Watercolor Tree Without Painting Every Leaf
Learning how to paint a watercolor tree is easier when you stop trying to paint every leaf. This practical watercolor tree tutorial covers shape, damp paper, edges, values, branches, leaf flecks, grasses, and a limited four-color palette.
How to Paint Watercolor Palm Trees: Texture, Detail & Natural Color (Part 2)
How to Paint Watercolor Palm Trees In Part 1 of this how to paint watercolor palm trees series, we covered the biggest...
Beyond the Dunes: Painting a Watercolor Seascape
There is something about arriving at the beach and seeing the ocean open up beyond the dunes. The sky seems bigger,...
The Single Brushstroke Secret to Sparkling Watercolor Seas
This watercolor sea tutorial will teach you how to capture the unique magic of the sea’s horizon—that sharp, clean...
Historic Brownstone Steps – Original Pen & Ink with Ink Wash
Historic Brownstone Steps is an 8" × 8" original pen and ink drawing with ink wash, inspired by the warm reddish-brown...
Paint Loose Watercolor Beach Roses with an Unexpected Fan Brush Technique
Watercolor beach roses are a beautiful way to capture the peaceful feeling of the coast. For this painting, I reached...
The Biggest Watercolor Mistake Beginners Make (and How to Fix It)
Learning watercolor is exciting, but it's easy to get frustrated by the common watercolor mistakes for beginners. If...
Great Blue Heron at Salt Marsh | Gouache Wildlife Painting from a Kayaker’s View
A quiet evening in the salt marsh inspired this original Great Blue Heron gouache painting. While kayaking through the...
