Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
🥞 Want to create realistic, yet painterly results when working in watercolor? 🖌️
It’s all about finding the balance between capturing key aspects for realism (3D form, lighting, values, hues) WHILE not sweating the details and allowing the paint to do its thing.
Here are my 6 tips to help you achieve beautiful, believable results every time:
1️⃣ Paint Swiftly
Don’t get stuck in one area. Keep your brush moving and focus on the overall shapes and flow, not every tiny detail. Speed helps your painting feel fresh and alive.
2️⃣ Plan Your Colors
Before you start, pick your palette and study your reference. Knowing how you’ll mix your lights, mids, and darks ahead of time saves you from guesswork and ensures your colors feel harmonious.
3️⃣ Use a Full Range of Values
Make sure each area has light, mid, and dark tones. Avoid flat spots. Values give your piece depth and a 3D look.
4️⃣ Think in 3D
Keep the 3D form/structure of your subject in mind as you paint. The way light hits different planes should guide where you place shadows and highlights.
5️⃣ Keep Your Lighting Consistent
Study where the light source is in your reference and stick with it. Consistent lighting creates a believable, cohesive scene.
6️⃣ Simplify
Don’t try to copy every detail from your reference. Suggest textures and edges with a few well-placed strokes. Less is often more in watercolor.
✨ Painting realistically doesn’t mean painting literally. It’s about observation, understanding light and form, and letting your brushwork remain expressive.
💛 Want to see the full process in action? This real-time, fully-narrated pancake watercolor tutorial is available on my Patreon along with 150+ exclusive sketching and watercolor tutorials for only $6.
👉 patreon.com/c/erika_lancaster_artist
If you’d prefer a one-off purchase, it’s also available on Gumroad.
👉 erikalancasterartist.gumroad.com
I'm always happy to help if you have any questions. 👩🎨💕
#watercolorpainting #watercolorstepbystep
🥞 Want to create realistic, yet painterly results when working in watercolor? 🖌️
It’s all about finding the balance between capturing key aspects for realism (3D form, lighting, values, hues) WHILE not sweating the details and allowing the paint to do its thing.
Here are my 6 tips to help you achieve beautiful, believable results every time:
1️⃣ Paint Swiftly
Don’t get stuck in one area. Keep your brush moving and focus on the overall shapes and flow, not every tiny detail. Speed helps your painting feel fresh and alive.
2️⃣ Plan Your Colors
Before you start, pick your palette and study your reference. Knowing how you’ll mix your lights, mids, and darks ahead of time saves you from guesswork and ensures your colors feel harmonious.
3️⃣ Use a Full Range of Values
Make sure each area has light, mid, and dark tones. Avoid flat spots. Values give your piece depth and a 3D look.
4️⃣ Think in 3D
Keep the 3D form/structure of your subject in mind as you paint. The way light hits different planes should guide where you place shadows and highlights.
5️⃣ Keep Your Lighting Consistent
Study where the light source is in your reference and stick with it. Consistent lighting creates a believable, cohesive scene.
6️⃣ Simplify
Don’t try to copy every detail from your reference. Suggest textures and edges with a few well-placed strokes. Less is often more in watercolor.
✨ Painting realistically doesn’t mean painting literally. It’s about observation, understanding light and form, and letting your brushwork remain expressive.
💛 Want to see the full process in action? This real-time, fully-narrated pancake watercolor tutorial is available on my Patreon along with 150+ exclusive sketching and watercolor tutorials for only $6.
👉 patreon.com/c/erika_lancaster_artist
If you’d prefer a one-off purchase, it’s also available on Gumroad.
👉 erikalancasterartist.gumroad.com
I'm always happy to help if you have any questions. 👩🎨💕
#watercolorpainting #watercolorstepbystep
