Last week I gave a watercolor lesson here in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The 3 hours were full of tips and techniques that I use in my paintings. Many tips were on materials, composition and the importance of sketching. Using one of my favorite subjects I demonstrated a watercolor from start to finish.

Inspiration

The variety of colors in the coastal palm trees and low bushes here in Florida are shown in this painting. Browns, cool greens, warm greens and yellows add variety to your painting. Take the time to look at all the green colors in the vegetation.

Florida beach scene with palm tree watercolor 14x10

Techniques

Using wet into wet painting in the sky area gave a soft cloudscape for the background. A broken glaze in the ocean gave the appearance of waves. Moving further down the painting I gradually lightened to the white of the paper.

Watercolor paints: I usually paint with colors right off my palette, but I will add fresh color from tubes for a painting. These are the colors for this painting of the beach. Azo Yellow, Raw Sienna, Quinacridone Gold, Burnt Sienna, Alizarin Crimson, Indian Red, Viridian Green, Manganese Blue, Cobalt Teal, Ultramarine Blue, Indanthrone Blue. I like to mix most of the greens myself, looking for a greater variety of color.

After the background was dry we painted the palm tree and grass in the foreground. Ultimately, I hope to have some of these tips and techniques on video soon.

Lastly, we added the figures enjoying the ocean surf and sun. This gave more interest to the watercolor.

Watercolor Lesson

If you are interested in watercolor lessons send a comment below or use the contact page to ask a question. Find more information on this page Art Lessons – Learn how to paint.