How I Painted This Dreamy Scene So Simply | Beginner Watercolor, by The joy of Art on YouTube. 9 min 43 s.
- Video length
- 9 min 43 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Tape a sheet of cold press paper to a flat board so it stays flat while you paint. Keep the paper dry for now.
Lightly sketch a horizon line across the middle and two small windmill shapes above it. Keep the pencil marks soft.
Mix a pale yellow wash and wet the sky area with clean water. Drop the yellow near the horizon and leave some paper white.
While the sky is still damp, add a little pale blue-gray near the top. Tilt the board gently to blend, then leave it to dry.
Paint a thin strip of distant land with pale blue-gray. Use light horizontal strokes and leave gaps for a hazy look.
Paint the water below the horizon with pale blue-gray horizontal strokes. Keep the wash light so reflections stay visible.
Mix a darker gray-brown and paint the windmill bodies and sails with simple straight shapes. Do not add fine details yet.
While the water is damp, pull short vertical strokes down from the land and windmills. Make them slightly wavy for reflections.
Add darker accents to the sails, a few grass marks and thin ripple lines. Let the painting dry flat before removing the tape.
Tips and common mistakes
Keep the sky wash light, because watercolor dries lighter than it looks when wet.
Test each mixed color on scrap paper before touching the painting.
Do not scrub the paper. Lift mistakes with a clean damp brush and blot.
Let each layer dry fully before adding dark shapes.
Questions
Do I need expensive watercolor paper?
No. A cold press paper that can take water is enough, but thin printer paper will buckle and make washes patchy.
Which colors do I need for this scene?
A small set with a yellow, a blue and a brown or gray covers the sky, water and windmills. You can mix the rest.
How do I stop the reflections from looking muddy?
Paint them while the water area is still damp and use one clean vertical stroke per shape. Avoid going over the same spot again.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
