10 of the best watercolour tutorials

The best watercolour tutorials will help you improve your art skills and take your watercolour creations to the next level. Here, we've collected our favourite watercolour tutorials into one handy post, so you can work your way through them, or pick and choose the ones you want to focus on. 

These tutorials should be suitable for all levels, but we've divided them into basic techniques, and then follow along tutorials to help you create a particular look.  We've also included some tutorials on mixed media, so you can mix watercolour techniques with other mediums.

If you need to stock up on materials before you get started, then don't miss our best easels or essential art supplies.

Basic watercolours

01. Watercolour techniques every artist should know

These watercolour techniques will help you get started with the medium, pointing out the things to consider when buying materials, as well as various techniques for experimenting with what you can do with watercolour. 

02. How to work with colour in watercolour

If can be tricky to get a handle on colour when working with watercolours (try saying that one quickly). This tutorial by Kelly McKernan shows how limiting your colour palette can actually widen your possibilities. 

03. A beginner's guide to watercolour tools

Like any medium, you'll get more from watercolour if you have the right tools. This tutorial covers choosing the right paper, paint, palette and brush, as well as any additional tools you might need. 

04. A beginner's guide to watercolour brush techniques

Getting the right brush can make a big difference to your watercolour work. In this watercolour brush tutorial, Kelly McKernan shares how she uses different brushes to achieve different techniques.  

05. How to create glazes with watercolour

This watercolour tutorial teaches you how to build up colour and glazes through an example watercolour painting. It focuses particularly on staining colours and working both wet-on-wet as well as wet-on-dry.

Watercolour practice

06. Master wet-in-wet watercolours

This watercolour walkthrough shows you how to use the wet-in-wet technique to create a beautiful bouquet of flowers. The pigment is allowed to spread out unhindered, with some gorgeous, if a little unpredictable, results.  

07. Paint a mischievous hare in watercolour

Learn how to paint a hare on the move with this tutorial by Hannah Briggs. Briggs takes you through every step of creating this watercolour, from initial sketch through to final artwork, giving tips on technique along the way.

08. Make a sparkling night sky in watercolour

This short tutorial shows you how to use masking fluid and watercolours to create a stunning sky. Creating a sparkling evening sky is much easier than you think with this easy-to-follow technique.

Mixed media

08. Create a striking figure painting in watercolour

This mixed media watercolour tutorial uses a mix of watercolours and Photoshop to create a striking figure. It focuses first on traditional techniques before scanning the painting and cleaning it up on Photoshop. 

10. How to watercolour over digital artwork

This mixed media tutorial takes the opposite approach of the one above, creating the artwork digitally first in Photoshop, before going over it in watercolour to add depth and colour. 

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