how to paint still water in watercolour

Painting still water and reflections in watercolours
Painting still water and reflections in watercolours

A few weeks ago I asked my students what they would like for upcoming lessons. There were quite a few of you who asked for a skills lesson on painting still water. So here it is!

Water is a wonderfully interesting subject and there isn't just one way to paint it. My aim for this skills lesson is to give you some ideas on what to look out for before you pick up a brush, and then a set of steps you can follow. By the end of the lesson you'll have a worksheet you can keep to refer to later.

We'll paint more water and reflections in upcoming lessons.

Find this lesson on Patreon or Renee's Studio.

Happy painting!

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One of my all-time favourite paintings of a stormy day in a ruined Roman town in Spain.

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